Announcing and Exciting Change to Our Majors
In Fall 2024 Stockbridge launched a new bachelor degree program called Applied Plant & Soil Sciences (APSS). This new major merges 3 previous bachelor degree programs (Horticultural Science, Plant & Soil Sciences, and Turfgrass Science & Management) into one comprehensive major. The three previously separate majors are no longer accepting students starting after Fall 2024. The new APSS major provides access to all of the courses from the three merged majors, offering increased flexibility to shape your major to your developing interests.
IMPORTANT: Information below this line applies ONLY to on-campus students, who entered in Fall 2024 or earlier, and who selected to complete the requirements of the original Plant & Soil Sciences major.
The Plant and Soil Sciences degree, through theoretical and practical training, prepares students to tackle real-world problems by integrating and applying knowledge they learn from different disciplines. This program includes rigorous training in biology and laboratory methods. Students focus their study in one of two general areas: plant science or general applied biology. They may also choose to focus their advanced course work in plant science and biotechnology, horticultural sciences, plant pathology, conservation biology, soil science or a related discipline.
Many successful graduates work in research or applied aspects of the biotech industries, pest management, agricultural and horticultural businesses, and environmental consulting arenas. Others go on for advanced graduate training for careers in business, the public sector, or academia.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Plant and Soil Sciences
Michelle DaCosta, Ph.D., Advisor
Number at end of each line indicates number of credits earned from course.
Stockbridge Core Requirements
fall/spr STOCKSCH 105 Soils (BS) 4
fall STOCKSCH 108 Introductory Botany 4
spr STOCKSCH 384 Introduction to Plant Physiology 3
fall STOCKSCH 505 General Plant Pathology 3
Total Core Requirements 14
Major Core Requirements
Basic Mathematics (R1)
fall/spr MATH 101 Precalculus Algebra with Functions & Graphs 3 AND
fall/spr MATH 102 Analytic Geometry & Trigonometry (R1) 3
OR
fall/spr MATH 104 Algebra, Analytic Geometry, & Trig (R1) 3
Biological Science
fall/spr BIOLOGY 151 Introductory Biology I (BS) 4
fall/spr BIOLOGY 152 Introductory Biology II 3
fall/spr BIOLOGY 285 Cellular & Molecular Biology 3
fall/spr BIOLOGY 311 General Genetics 3
Chemistry
fall/spr CHEM 111 General Chemistry-Science (PS) 4
fall/spr CHEM 112 General Chemistry-Science (PS) 4
Ecosystems Studies
SELECT ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTED COURSES:
fall/spr BIOLOGY 287 Introductory Ecology 3
fall ENVIRSCI 101 Introduction to Environmental Science (BS) 4
spr ENVIRSCI 214 Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Global Change 3
fall NRC 100 Environment and Society (SI) 4
fall STOCKSCH 490S Soil Ecology 3
spr STOCKSCH 510 Management and Ecology of Plant Diseases 3
General Science
SELECT 6 CREDITS MINIMUM FROM THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTED COURSES:
fall/spr BIOCHEM 320 Elementary Biochemistry 3
fall/spr CHEM 261 Organic Chemistry 3
fall/spr CHEM 262 Organic Chemistry 3
fall/spr MICROBIO 310 General Microbiology 3
fall/spr MICROBIO 312 Microbiology Laboratory 3
fall/spr PHYSICS 131/151 Introductory Physics I/General Physics I (PS) 4
fall/spr PHYSICS 132/152 Introductory Physics II/General Physics II (PS) 4
fall/spr STATISTC 111/240 Elementary Statistics/Intro to Statistics (R2) 4
Integrative Experience
spr STOCKSCH 494I Global Issues in Applied Biology 3
Junior Year Writing
fall/spr NATSCI 387 CNS Junior Writing 3
Experimental Techniques Course or Independent Study
SELECT 2-4 CREDITS FROM THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTED COURSES:
fall/spr BIOLOGY 153 Introductory Biology Lab 2
fall/spr CHEM 269 Organic Chemistry Lab 2
spr MICROBIO 385 BIOTECHniques Lab 3
fall/spr NRC 585 Introduction to GIS 4
Restricted Electives
SELECT 12 CREDITS MINIMUM AT OR ABOVE 300-LEVEL WITH 6 CREDITS MINIMUM AT 500-LEVEL
COURSES MAY BE MIXED AND MATCHED ACROSS MORE THAN ONE SUBJECT AREA
Horticultural Science
fall STOCKSCH 270 Sustainable Soil and Crop Management 3
fall STOCKSCH 320 Organic Vegetable Production 3
fall STOCKSCH 505 General Plant Pathology 3
spr STOCKSCH 510 Management and Ecology of Plant Diseases 3
fall STOCKSCH 530 Plant Nutrition 4
fall STOCKSCH 575 Environmental Soil Chemistry 4
spr STOCKSCH 580 Soil Fertility 3
Plant Biotechnology
fall/spr BIOLOGY 284 General Genetics Lab 2
spr BIOLOGY 379H Genomics and Bioinformatics 3
fall BIOLOGY 383H Gene and Genome Analysis 4
fall STOCKSCH 530 Plant Nutrition 4
fall STOCKSCH 587 Phyto/Bioremediation 3
Plant Pathology
fall/spr MICROBIO 310 General Microbiology 3
fall/spr MICROBIO 312 Microbiology Laboratory 3
fall STOCKSCH 505 General Plant Pathology 3
spr STOCKSCH 510 Management and Ecology of Plant Diseases 3
fall STOCKSCH 523 Plant Stress Physiology 3
Soil Science fall GEO-SCI 519 Aqueous Envrn Geochemistry 4
fall GEO-SCI 563 Glacial Geology 4
spr GEO-SCI 587 Hydrogeology 4
spr NRC 568 Wetland Soils 2
fall STOCKSCH 270 Sustainable Soil and Crop Management 3
fall STOCKSCH 515 Microbiology of the Soil 3
fall STOCKSCH 575 Environmental Soil Chemistry 4
spr STOCKSCH 580 Soil Fertility 3
spr STOCKSCH 585 Inorganic Contaminants/Soil,Water,& Sedimnt 3
fall STOCKSCH 587 Phyto/Bioremediation 3
Total Major Requirements 53-59
SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS
Basic Mathematics 3-6
Biological Science 13
Chemistry 8
Ecosystems Studies 3-4
General Science 6
Integrative Experience 3
Junior Year Writing 3
Experimental Techniques Course or Independent Study 2-4
Restricted Electives 12
Total Core Requirements 14
Total Major Requirements 53-59
Grand Total for Plant and Soil Sciences 67-73