Soil Science

NC State University’s Master of Soil Science online program enhances professional skills and expertise essential to evaluating land for a variety of uses that include wetlands protection and restoration, on-site waste disposal, forest management, horticulture, and agriculture. The program allows students to increase their technical knowledge as well as develop field skills for understanding how soils should best be managed to maintain environmental quality and human health. 

Once admitted to the program, students will select an advisor from the full-time faculty who will help plan their program. Our Soil Science faculty understands that field skills are indispensable for a complete education in the soil science field. We have designed our program to require two hours of credit in intensive field skills training. To satisfy this need, we are offering classes in soil geomorphology and hydric soils which concentrate this training into four or five day-long classes.

36 credit hours are required, including:

• 12 credit hours of Soil Science classes
• 1 credit hour of Soil Science Seminar
• 6 credit hours of a Master’s project
• 2 credit hours of field classes to obtain practical skills (these are 4 to 5 days long)
• 3 credit hours of a Statistics class (recommended)
• 12 credit hours of elective

Admission to the program requires:

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or greater
• Adequate training in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and soil science