Master of Science
The Master of Science in Soil Science is a research degree that requires the successful completion of a research problem and the submittal of a written thesis that documents the research. The requirements for the degree and graduation are:
- Core requirements completed
- Completion of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours
- At least one credit, but not more than two, of SSC 601 – Seminar
- Minimum of two credits and no more than six credits of SSC 693 or SSC 695 – Research
- No more than six credits of 400-level undergraduate courses may be counted toward the 30 credit hour requirement and they may not come from the major field
- Serve as a Teaching Assistant in the equivalent of one section of SSC 201 Soil Science Laboratory
- At least 18 credit hours must be letter grade courses (i.e., A, B, C, etc) at the 500 and 700 level earned while the student is in the graduate program and these must be NC State courses or inter-institutional courses
- Successful completion of a research project
- A non-credit exit seminar
- All requirements must be completed within six calendar years after the student frist enrolls in a graduate course applicable to the program
Core Requirements for the Master of Science Degree
The table below shows the core requirements for all Soil Science graduate students. All MS students are required to demonstrate competence in four of the five core courses and to complete at least 1 credit of SSC 601 Seminar. The required competencies can be achieved using relevant course work from a previous graduate degree program and/or completing these courses at NC State. In rare cases, relevant professional experience may be considered. When a student’s Advisory Committee agrees that prior coursework, or in rare cases relevant professional experience, satisfies one or more competencies, a written request must be submitted to the Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs for approval.
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SSC 511 | Soil Physics | 4 |
| SSC 521 | Soil Chemistry | 3 |
| SSC 532 | Soil Microbiology | 4 |
| SSC 541 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| SSC 551 | Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification | 3 |
| SSC 592 | Soil Mapping – concurrent with 551 | 1 |
| SSC 601/801 | Seminar | 1 |