| |  | | Soil Science | Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information—Director of Graduate Studies, Department
of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, 439 Borlaug Hall, 1991
Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108 (612-625-1244; fax 612-625-2208; dgs@soils.umn.edu;
www.soils.umn.edu).
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General
Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that
apply to all major fields.
Curriculum—The program offers two concentrations: soil science and climatology. This multidisciplinary program encompasses aspects of chemistry, physics, biology, atmospheric sciences, and geology. The discipline is divided into five subdisciplines: climatology, soil chemistry/fertility, soil classification/genesis, soil microbiology/biochemistry, and soil physics. The soil science concentration focuses on the study of soil as it applies to environmental and agricultural issues. The climatology concentration focuses on the interdisciplinary study of earth-atmosphere interactions as well as climate variability as it applies to environmental and agricultural issues. This concentration requires competence in both atmospheric sciences and related areas of soil science. The minor, supporting, or related fields area is usually selected from some allied field such as agronomy, botany, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, physics, geology, economics, forestry, agricultural engineering, or atmospheric science.
Prerequisites for Admission—The academic background normally required includes standard courses in college physics, chemistry, geology, microbiology, and mathematics, including one course in calculus, and an introductory course in soil science. For agricultural climatology, additional courses in mathematics, physics, meteorology, and engineering may be substituted. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree are normally required to have completed an acceptable master's degree thesis.
Special Application Requirements—A statement of career goals and three letters of recommendation evaluating the applicant's potential for graduate study should accompany applications to both the M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Submission of GRE scores is required (in addition to the TOEFL requirement); students whose native language is not English are expected to have ranked in the top 20 percent of their class. Students may be admitted in any semester.
Program-specific requirements and procedures for electronic application for admittance
to the soil science graduate program are listed and updated on the department's
Web site at www.soils.umn.edu.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).
 For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.
Courses—Refer to Soil, Water, and Climate (SOIL) in University Courses for courses pertaining to the program or at the department Web site for an updated list of courses.
Use of 4xxx Courses—Use of 4xxx courses is permitted toward degree requirements per adviser and/or director of graduate studies approval.
| M.S. Degree Requirements | | All M.S. students must complete a minimum of 30 credits: 14 credits in the major area, one seminar (1 credit) teaching experience, and a minimum of 6 credits in a minor or related field. Plan A students must take a minimum of 10 thesis credits: Plan B students must complete a Plan B paper and fulfill the 30 credit minimum by taking 10 credits of coursework or a special project to replace the 10 thesis credits.
Plan A students in the soil science concentration must take three out of the four core courses in soil science. Plan A students in the climatology concentration must take two or more course in climatology or atmospheric sciences (approved by the student's advisory committee) and two of the four core courses in soil science. Plan B students in the soil science concentration must take all four core courses in soil science. Plan B students in the climatology concentration must take three or more courses in climatology or atmospheric sciences (approved by the student's advisory committee) and two of the four core courses in soil science.
Language Requirements—None.
Final Exam—The final exam is oral.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—Students may
minor in soil science with the approval of the director of graduate studies
and under the direction of a soil science graduate faculty member serving as
the minor adviser. The master's minor requires completion of a minimum of two
of the four core area courses in soil science and a seminar. | Ph.D. Degree Requirements | Students must take two seminars (1 credit each), 2 credits of teaching experience, a minimum of 12 credits in a minor or supporting program, and 24 thesis credits. Students in the soil science concentration must take all four core area courses in soil science. Students in the climatology concentration must take a minimum of two courses in climatology or atmospheric sciences (approved by the student's advisory committee) and two of the four core area course in soil science.
Language Requirement—None.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—Students may minor in soil science with the approval of the director of graduate studies and under the direction of a soil science graduate faculty member serving as the minor adviser. The doctoral minor requires a minimum of 12 credits in soil science, including a minimum of three of the four core area courses in soil science, a seminar, and teaching experience. |
Faculty | | For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>. Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).
Professor
Deborah L. Allan, SM
James L. Anderson, SM
Jay C. Bell, SM
Paul R. Bloom, SM
Terence H. Cooper, SM
Peter H. Graham, SM
Satish C. Gupta, SM
Thomas Halbach, M2
John A. Lamb, SM
Gary L. Malzer, SM
Jean-Alex E. Molina, SM
John F. Moncrief, SM
David J. Mulla, SM
Edward A. Nater, SM
Gyles W. Randall, SM
Carl Rosen, SM
Michael J. Sadowsky, SM
Michael A. Schmitt, SM
Mark W. Seeley, SM
Adjunct Professor
John M. Baker, SM
Charles E. Clapp, SM
William C. Koskinen, SM
Donald C. Reicosky, AM2
Michael P. Russelle, SM
Associate Professor
Timothy J. Griffis, SM
Albert L. Sims, M2
Jeffrey S. Strock, SM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Dong Wang, ASM
Assistant Professor
Jennifer Y. King, M2
Jennifer S. Powers, M2
C. William Zanner, M2
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Jane Johnson, AM2
Randall Kolka, AM2
Tyson Ochsner, AM2
Pamela J. Rice, AM2
Rodney T. Venterea, AM2 | | | | | |
