Soil Science (PhD)
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 3 | ||
| Seminar 1 | |||
| Doctoral Supervised Research 2 | |||
´Ç°ùÌý³§³§°äÌý895 | Doctoral Dissertation Research | ||
| Core Courses | 34 | ||
| Soil Physics | |||
| Soil Chemistry | |||
| Soil Microbiology | |||
| Soil Fertility | |||
| Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification | |||
| Elective Courses | tbd | ||
"Elective Course" will be determined in conjunction with the academic committee | |||
| Total Hours | 72 | ||
- 1
Students must take at least one credit of ³§³§°äÌý801 Seminar.
- 2
Students are required to take a minimum of two credits of ³§³§°äÌý893 Doctoral Supervised Research ´Ç°ùÌý³§³§°äÌý895 Doctoral Dissertation Research.
Additional Requirements
All Doctoral students must demonstrate competence in the five soil science sub-disciplines listed below.
- Soil Chemistry
- Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
- Soil Genesis and Classification
- Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry
- Soil Physics
The required competencies can be achieved by any combination of the following:
- relevant course work from previous undergraduate and/or graduate degree programs;
- prior professional experience in the major sub-discipline(s); and
- graduate courses included in the student’s Plan of Work (POW) for their current degree program.
- Completion of at least 72 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree
- If the student has an MS degree from another institution, a maximum of 18 hours of relevant graduate credit from that degree may be applied toward this minimum, upon the recommendation of the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee, and the minimum required will be 54 semester credit hours
- If a student completes an MS degree at NC State and continues for a doctoral degree without a break in time, up to 36 relevant credit hours taken while in master’s status may be used to meet minimum requirements for the doctoral degree. If there is a break in time between completing the master’s (at NC State) and beginning the doctorate (at NC State), the allowance is limited to 18 hours. Either allowance may include those 400-level courses taken as an approved part of the MS degree.​
- Completion of preliminary written and oral examinations must be completed within six calendar years from the date of admission
- Successful completion of an original research program
- Success completion of the final oral examination
- Completion of a non-credit exit seminar
Faculty
Professors
Area of Research: Environmental Soil Physics
Area of Research: Environmental Soil Science
Area of Research: Soil Science Education
Area of Research: Soil Biogeochemistry
Area of Research: Soil Ecology and Management
Area of Research: Soil Fertility
Area of Research: Soil Physics & Hydrology
Area of Research: Urban Soil & Water Management
Area of Research: Soil Biology & Soil Science Education
Area of Research: Soil Fertility & Watershed Management
Area of Research: Soil Microbiology & Ecology
Area of Research: Wetland Soils & Pedology
Associate Professors
Area of Research: Soil Fertility & Nutrient Management
Area of Research: Soil Microbiology
Assistant Professors
Area of Research: Plant-Microbe Interactions & Nutrient Transport
Area of Research: Soil Science
Area of Research: Nutrient Management and Animal Waste
Area of Research: Environmental Soil Chemistry
Area of Research: Soil Management
Area of Research: Pedology
Area of Research: Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Practice/Research/Teaching Professor
- Robert E. Austin
Area of Research: Geospatial Information and Analytics in Soils, Agriculture and Environmental Science