Teaching Requirements

The Soil Science Graduate Program requires its MS and PhD students to teach as part of their degree program. This requirement is satisfied primarily by serving as Teaching Assistants in the service courses Soil Science – SSC 112 Principles of Soil Science and SSC 201 Soil Science Laboratory, or other courses as assigned. Students who are teaching are required to enroll in 1 credit of SSC 685/885 Supervised Teaching during the semester(s) that they teach.  

This requirement applies to all MS and PhD students, whether on-campus or off-campus. Off-campus graduate students benefit from teaching in a variety of ways and will be expected to work with their advisory committee to develop a suitable activity to satisfy the requirement and receive credit. 

All MS students are required to teach one section during their two years in the program and satisfy one credit of SSC 685.. This will be scheduled in the second or third semester of the student’s program, depending on program needs.

All PhD students are required to teach two sections during their three years in the program and complete two credits of SSC 885.  Whenever possible, we will try to provide PhD students with placement in an upper division or graduate course for their second experience.  This will not be possible in all cases.  Teaching assignments will be made in the student’s second, third, or fourth semester, depending on program needs.

Off-campus MS and PhD students will work with their advisor and the DGP to determine a suitable activity to gain credit for SSC 685 or 885. This could include assisting as a TA in an online class, designing and delivering an educational workshop, active teaching at other schools, demonstrating that teaching activities are already part of their work, or other mutually agreeable arrangements.

Students are encouraged to pursue additional opportunities for instructional experiences beyond the requirement. Students who teach after satisfying this requirement will receive an additional stipend for that semester. 

Master of Soil Science students are not required to teach. However, those who are in the on-campus program may teach if they desire. For more information, contact the Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs. 

Assignments will be made by the Director of Soil Science Graduate Programs in consultation with the instructors of SSC 112 and 201 and the student’s advisor.