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¸£Àû±ÆÕ¾ Catalog 2025-2026

Soil Science (PhD)

Degree Requirements

Required Courses18
Soil Physics
Soil Chemistry
Soil Microbiology
Soil Fertility
Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification
Seminar 1
Doctoral Supervised Teaching 2
Elective Courses
"Elective Courses" will be determined in conjunction with the academic committee
Total Hours72
1

PhD students must take at least one credit of ³§³§°äÌý801 Seminar.

2

PhD students are required to serve as a TA in two sections of the appropriate assigned courses for a total of 2 credits.

Additional Requirements

Successful completion of the PhD in Soil Science requires 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​
  • The preliminary written and oral examinations
  • An original research program
  • A doctoral dissertation
  • The final oral examination
  • A  non-credit exit seminar

Faculty

Professors


  • Area of Research: Environmental Soil Physics

  • 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: 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
  • Reid Longley

  • 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