Twin Cities campus

This is archival data. This system was retired as of August 21, 2023 and the information on this page has not been updated since then. For current information, visit catalogs.umn.edu.

 
Twin Cities Campus

Soil Science Minor

Soil, Water, & Climate
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Program Type: Undergraduate free-standing minor
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2024
  • Required credits in this minor: 21 to 23
  • This program requires summer terms.
This minor provides a strong background in basic soil sciences, covering such topics in conservation and land use management, soil chemistry and fertility, soil physics and hydrology, and soil genesis and morphology. Students completing the minor meet the minimum requirements for employment with the Natural Resources Conservation Service as a soil conservationist. They are also prepared to take the Fundamentals of Soil Science - Professional Soils Scientist in-Training Examination.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Minor Requirements
Minor Courses
SOIL 2125 - Basic Soil Science [PHYS, ENV] (4.0 cr)
ESPM 3221 - Soil Conservation and Land-Use Management (3.0 cr)
ESPM 3612W - Soil and Environmental Biology [WI] (4.0 cr)
SOIL 4511 - Field Study of Soils (2.0 cr)
ESPM 3131 - Environmental Physics (3.0 cr)
or ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology (3.0 cr)
or FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
SOIL 3416 - Plant Nutrients in the Environment (3.0 cr)
or LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy (3.0 cr)
Electives
2 credit minimum; alternate courses listed above may be included as electives.
SOIL 3521 - Soil Judging (1.0 cr)
or SOIL 3993 - Directed Study (1.0-4.0 cr)
or ESPM 4021W - Problem Solving: Environmental Review [WI] (4.0 cr)
or ESPM 4601 - Environmental Pollution (3.0 cr)
or SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology (3.0 cr)
or LAAS 5515 - Soil Formation: Earth Surface Processes and Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
or FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
or ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
or SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils (3.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View sample plan(s):
· Soil Science Sample Plan

View checkpoint chart:
· Soil Science Minor
View PDF Version:
Search.
Search Programs

Search University Catalogs
Related links.

College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

TC Undergraduate Admissions

TC Undergraduate Application

One Stop
for tuition, course registration, financial aid, academic calendars, and more
 
SOIL 2125 - Basic Soil Science (PHYS, ENV)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Soil 2125/Soil 5125
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Basic physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Soil genesis classification, principles of soil fertility. Use of soil survey information to make a land-use plan. WWW used for lab preparation information. prereq: [CHEM 1015, CHEM 1017] or CHEM 1021 or equiv
ESPM 3221 - Soil Conservation and Land-Use Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course is designed to provide a local and global historical perspective of soil erosion (causes and consequences); develop a scientific understanding of soil erosion processes; and relates various soil conservation and land-use management strategies to real-world situations. Basics of soil erosion processes and prediction methods will be the fundamental building blocks of this course. From this understanding, we will discuss policies and socioeconomic aspects of soil erosion. Lastly, we will focus on effective land-use management using natural resource assessment tools. Case studies and real-world and current events examples will be used throughout the course to relate course material to experiences. prereq: SOIL 2125 or instr consent
ESPM 3612W - Soil and Environmental Biology (WI)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 3612W/Soil 5611
Typically offered: Every Fall
Properties of microorganisms that impact soil fertility, structure, and quality. Nutrient requirements of microbes and plants and mineral transformations in biogeochemical cycling. Symbiotic plant/microbe associations and their role in sustainable agricultural production. Biodegradation of pollutants and bioremediation approaches. prereq: Biol 1009 or equiv, Chem 1021 or equiv; SOIL 2125 recommended
SOIL 4511 - Field Study of Soils
Credits: 2.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Summer
Learn to write soil profile descriptions in the field. Class requires hands-on experience to determine soil texture, color, and horizon designations in the field. prereq: 2125
ESPM 3131 - Environmental Physics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Concepts and principles of classic and modern physics applied to environmental problems arising from interaction between humans and the natural environment. Forms of pollution (e.g., land, water, air). Transport mechanisms. Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Global climate change. Social issues related to environmental problems. prereq: Phys 1101
ESPM 4216 - Contaminant Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Principles of contaminant transport in percolate solution and in overland flow. Hydrologic cycle, percolation/runoff processes, contaminant transport, leachate sampling methods, remediation technologies, scale effects on runoff water quality, tillage technologies, control of sediment/chemical losses. Discussions mostly descriptive, but involve some computations.
FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems. prereq: [[BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009], [[CHEM 1015, CHEM 1017] or CHEM 1021], MATH 1151] or instr consent
SOIL 3416 - Plant Nutrients in the Environment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Fundamental concepts in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Discuss dynamics of mineral elements in soil, plants, and the environment. Evaluation, interpretation, and correction of plant nutrient problems. prereq: SOIL 2125
LAAS 5311 - Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Structural chemistry, origin/identification of crystalline soil clay minerals. Structure of soil organic matter. Chemical processes in soil: solubility, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, oxidation/reduction, acidity, alkalinity. Solution of problems related to environmental degradation, plant nutrition, and soil genesis. prereq: [[Chem 1022 or equiv], Phys 1102, grad] or instr consent
SOIL 3521 - Soil Judging
Credits: 1.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
A field-based course which requires students to apply fundamental knowledge obtained from Basic Soil Science and Field Study of Soils to the description of soils in the field. This course includes an inter-collegiate Soil Judging contest that takes during the course of the class. prereq: An introductory soils course and field studies course.
SOIL 3993 - Directed Study
Credits: 1.0 -4.0 [max 6.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
A course in which a student designs and carries out a directed study on selected topics or problems under the direction of a faculty member; eg, literature review. Directed study courses may be taken for variable credit and special permission is needed for enrollment. Students enrolling in a directed study will be required to use the University-wide on-line directed study contract process in order to enroll. Prereq: Department consent, instructor consent, no more than 6 credits of directed research counts towards CFANS major requirements
ESPM 4021W - Problem Solving: Environmental Review (WI)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Roles of governmental agencies, consultants, and private citizens in EIS process. Students read EIS/EAW, analyze their content/scope, and prepare an EAW and EIS according to Minnesota EQB guidelines. prereq: ESPM 2021 and jr or sr
ESPM 4601 - Environmental Pollution
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course uses the principles of chemistry, microbiology, physics, and toxicology to understand the fate and behavior of environmental contaminants and the pollution of soils, surface waters, groundwater, and sediments. The course is structured around a semester-long risk assessment project that provides a framework for integrating concepts of pollution, contaminant movement, contaminant degradation, human health risk, ecological risk, risk mitigation, environmental remediation processes, and interactions among them. The history of federal regulations concerning environmental contamination is presented in the context of the major episodes of environmental pollution that motivated legislative action. prereq: SOIL 2125, CHEM 1061 and 1062 or equiv, or permission
SOIL 5232 - Vadose Zone Hydrology
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil physical properties/processes governing transport of mass/energy in soils. Emphasizes water/solute transport through unsaturated root/vadose zones, their impact on subsurface hydrology and on water quality. Lectures, hands-on laboratory exercises, discussion of real world problems, problem solving. prereq: [Math 1271 or equiv], [Phys 1042 or equiv]
LAAS 5515 - Soil Formation: Earth Surface Processes and Biogeochemistry
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Basic soil morphology, soil profile descriptions. Pedogenic processes, models of soil development. Soil geomorphology, hydrology, hillslope processes. Digital spatial analysis. Soil classification. Soil surveys, land use. Soil geography. prereq: 2125 or instr consent
FNRM 3114 - Hydrology and Watershed Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: FNRM 3114/FNRM 5114
Typically offered: Every Fall
Hydrologic cycle and water processes in upland/riparian systems. Applications of hydrological concepts to evaluate impacts of forest and land management activities on water yield, streamflow, groundwater erosion, sedimentation, and water quality. Concepts, principles, and applications of riparian/watershed management. Regional/national/global examples. Forest ecosystems. prereq: [[BIOL 1001 or BIOL 1009], [[CHEM 1015, CHEM 1017] or CHEM 1021], MATH 1151] or instr consent
ESPM 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended
SOIL 5555 - Wetland Soils
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ESPM 5555/Soil 5555
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Morphology, chemistry, hydrology, formation of mineral/organic soils in wet environments. Soil morphological indicators of wet conditions, field techniques of identifying hydric soils for wetland delineations. Peatlands. Wetland benefits, preservation, regulation, mitigation. Field trips, lab, field hydric soil delineation project. prereq: SOIL 1125 or 2125 or equiv or instr consent; concurrent registration is required (or allowed) in SOIL 4511 recommended