Soil Science Minor
Program Director: Paul Leisnham, Ph.D.
The Soil Science minor will provide students with a sophisticated understanding of soil resources, its development, characteristics, and principles for its use and management. Building on a basic introduction to the broad field of soil science, the program is completed by adding four or five upper division soils courses balanced between underlying principles and field applications.
Declared majors in the Conservation of Soil, Water and Environment area of concentration of NRSC or the Land and Water option in ENSP may not also minor in Soil Sciences.
Advising system for the minor:
The ENST Department has mandatory advising for each of its major and minor programs. Students are required to meet with their advisor at least once per semester. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Shannon P. Browne at shannpb@umd.edu.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement | ||
| ENST200 | Fundamentals of Soil Science | 4 |
| Select 13 credits from Group A and Group B. At least two courses must be from Group A. | 13 | |
Group A - Underlying Principles: | ||
| Principles of Soil Fertility | ||
| Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification | ||
| Soil Hydrology and Physics | ||
| Soil Chemistry | ||
| Soil Microbial Ecology | ||
Group B - Applications: | ||
| Field Soil Morphology I | ||
| Field Soil Morphology II | ||
| Field Soil Morphology III | ||
| Advanced Field Soil Morphology | ||
| Soil-Water Pollution | ||
| Wetland Soils | ||
| Total Credits | 17 | |
Students attempting this minor will need MATH113 or higher. There are a total of 17 required credits in ENST classes, plus a 4 credit CHEM prerequisite. Depending on the pre-requisites needed, and the optional courses selected and pre-requisites, students will take between 17 and 24 credits.
This minor is particularly relevant to students majoring in Agricultural and Resource Economics, Geology, Geography, Environmental Science and Policy, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Anthropology, Architecture, Agriculture Science and Technology, Animal Science, Landscape Architecture, Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Plant Science.