2008-09 Undergraduate Catalog
Majors
Majors must complete core requirements that stress a balance between the fundamentals of science and a foundation in the humanities, social sciences, business, and natural science. A capstone experience through which a student will gain employment skills needed to solve environmental and agricultural problems is required.
Specializations include soil, water and land use (with an accent on natural resources and the environment); environmental soil and water management (with an accent on agricultural and other applied aspects of soil and water science); physical sciences (with an accent on microbiology, botany, and/or biological sciences); and business (with accent on economics, business administration, or entrepreneurship).
Students may prepare for professional schools by selecting appropriate elective courses.
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Electives are chosen with the student's adviser. There are four specific areas of specialization: soil, water and land use, environmental soil and water management, physical sciences and biological sciences. The student is encouraged to take electives from a range of course groupings that include biology, building construction, chemistry, earth science, environmental science, hydrology, mathematics, physics, policy, production systems, programming and statistics.
Areas of specialization in the soil and water science major are not restricted to the four areas above; other specializations can be developed.
| Soil and Water Science |
| College: Agricultural and Life Sciences |
| Degree: Bachelor of Science |
| Hours for the Degree: 120 |
| Minor: Yes |
| Combined-Degree Program: Yes |
| Website: soils.ifas.ufl.edu/academics/undergraduate.html |
Majors must complete core requirements that stress a balance between the fundamentals of science and a foundation in the humanities, social sciences, business, and natural science. A capstone experience through which a student will gain employment skills needed to solve environmental and agricultural problems is required.
Specializations include soil, water and land use (with an accent on natural resources and the environment); environmental soil and water management (with an accent on agricultural and other applied aspects of soil and water science); physical sciences (with an accent on microbiology, botany, and/or biological sciences); and business (with accent on economics, business administration, or entrepreneurship).
Students may prepare for professional schools by selecting appropriate elective courses.
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Critical Tracking and Recommended Semester Plan
Semester 1:
- 2.0 UF GPA required for semesters 1-5
- 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking coursework for semesters 1-5
-
Complete 1 of 5 critical courses, excluding labs: CHM 2045/2045L,
CHM 2046/2046L, MAC 2311, BSC 2010/2010L, PHY 2004/2004L
Semester 2:
- Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
Semester 3:
- Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
Semester 4:
- Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
Semester 5:
- Complete all critical-tracking courses, including labs
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
Recommended semester plan
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| BSC 2010 and 2010L Integrated Principles of Biology 1 (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-B) | 4 |
| CHM 2045 and 2045L General Chemistry 1 (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-P) | 4 |
| Composition (GE-C, WR) | 3 |
| Elective | 4 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| CHM 2046 and 2046L General Chemistry 2 (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-P) | 4 |
| MCB 2000 and 2000L Microbiology (3) and Laboratory (1) | 4 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) | 3 |
| Elective | 2 |
| Total | 16 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (GE-M) | 4 |
| Humanities (GE-H) or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) | 3 |
| ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (3) (GE-S) or AEB 3103 Principles of Food and Resource Economics (4) (GE-S) | 3-4 |
| AEE 3033C Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Elective | 2 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| PHY 2004 and 2004L Applied Physics 1 (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-P) | 4 |
| SOS 3022 and 3022L Introduction to Soils in the Environment (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-P) | 4 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| CHM 3120 and 3120L Introduction to Analytical Chemistry (3) and Laboratory (1) | 4 |
| SOS 4451 Soil and Water Chemistry | 3 |
| SOS 4231C Soil, Water and Land Use | 3 |
| Approved electives (see list) | 5 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| SOS 4715C Environmental Pedology | 4 |
| AEE 3030C Effective Oral Communication (or equivalent) | 3 |
| Approved electives (see list) | 6 |
| Total | 13 |
| Summer | Credits |
| SOS 4905 Individual Work or SOS 4941 Full-time Practical Work Experience in Soil and Water Science | 1-3 |
| Approved electives (if needed, see list) | 2-1 |
| Total | 3 |
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| SOS 4602C Soil Physics (GE-P) | 3 |
| SOS 4303C Soil Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| Approved electives (see list) | 10 |
| Total | 16 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| SOS 4244 Wetlands | 3 |
| Approved electives (see list) | 10-11 |
| Total | 13-14 |
Approved electives: include at least two of these courses
| ALS 3133 Agricultural and Environmental Quality | 3 |
| SOS 2007 The World of Water | 3 |
| SOS 2008 Humans, Soils and Environmental Impact | 3 |
| SOS 3023L Soil Judging | 2 |
| SOS 4116 Environmental Nutrient Management | 3 |
| SOS 4223 Environmental Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| SOS 4233 Soil and Water Conservation | 3 |
| SOS 4245 Water Resource Sustainability | 3 |
| SOS 4307 Ecology of Waterborne Pathogens | 3 |
| SOS 4720C GIS in Soil and Water Science | 3 |
| SOS 4905 Individual Work | |
| SOS 4909 Honors Project | |
| SOS 4932 Special Topics in Soil and Water Science |
Electives are chosen with the student's adviser. There are four specific areas of specialization: soil, water and land use, environmental soil and water management, physical sciences and biological sciences. The student is encouraged to take electives from a range of course groupings that include biology, building construction, chemistry, earth science, environmental science, hydrology, mathematics, physics, policy, production systems, programming and statistics.
Areas of specialization in the soil and water science major are not restricted to the four areas above; other specializations can be developed.