Courses
The online catalog includes the most recent changes to courses and degree requirements that have been approved by the Faculty Senate, including changes that are not yet effective. Courses showing two entries of the same number indicate that the course information is changing. The most recently approved version is shown first, followed by the older version, in gray, with its last-effective term preceding the course title. Courses shown in gray with only one entry of the course number are being discontinued. Course offerings by term can be accessed by clicking on the term links when viewing a specific campus catalog.
Soil Science (SOIL_SCI)
101 Organic Gardening and Farming 3 Principles and production practices of organic gardening and farming. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
201 [BSCI] Soil: A Living System 3 Biological, chemical, and physical properties of soils; fundamentals of soil ecology, soil-water-plant relations, soil fertility, and soil genesis.
202 [BSCI] Introductory Soil Science Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 201 or concurrent enrollment. Hands-on experience with biological, chemical, and physical properties/processes of soils including: sampling and evaluating, working with data, and exploring methodology.
302 [M] Introduction to Agroecology 3 Agroecological crop production through case study analyses and applications of ecological principles in traditional and modern farming systems. Recommended preparation: SOIL SCI 201. (Crosslisted course offered as SOIL SCI 302, AFS 302.)
303 Organic and Sustainable Agricultural Certifications: From Principles to Practice 2 Principles and practical requirements for certification under the USDA National Organic Program and other certifications focused on sustainable agricultural practices.
360 World Agricultural Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: 3 units of [B] or [BSCI] GER or UCORE categories. Study of agro-environmental characteristics of world agriculture; historical and contemporary features of world food production. (Crosslisted course offered as CROP SCI 360, SOIL SCI 360.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
368 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: 3 credits of [BSCI] or [PSCI] UCORE. Introduction to geographic information systems applied to landscape data; geographic coordinate systems and projections, make maps and use geodatabases.
374 Introduction to Remote Sensing 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: 3 credits of [BSCI] or [PSCI] UCORE. Physical basis of remote sensing, fundamentals of aerial photography and image analysis applied to agriculture, forestry, wildland management problems.
412 Seminar 1 May be repeated for credit. Current literature and reports on research or special topics. (Crosslisted course offered as CROP SCI 412, SOIL SCI 412.)
414 Environmental Biophysics 2 Physical environment of living organisms (temperature, humidity, radiation, wind); heat and mass exchange and balance in plant and animal systems. Recommended preparation: Introductory biology, physics, and calculus. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
415 Environmental Biophysics Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 414 or concurrent enrollment. Experimental methods and procedures in environmental measurements; temperature, wind, radiation, and humidity measurements in biological environments. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
416 Soil Processes in the Earth's Critical Zone 3 Soil geochemistry and processes; theory and applications with a focus on reactions at the solid, liquid, and gaseous interface between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of soils (e.g. SOIL SCI 201 or equivalent; CHEM 106; PHYSICS 102). (Crosslisted course offered as SOE 416/516, SOIL SCI 416/516.) Credit not granted for both SOE/SOIL SCI 416 and SOE/SOIL SCI 516. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
441 Soil Fertility 3 Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 201. Nutrient management impacts on crop productivity, soil and water quality; mineral requirements; soil testing; plant analysis; inorganic and organic fertilizers.
442 Soil Fertility Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 441 or concurrent enrollment. Laboratory exercises and methodology for characterization of soil fertility and chemistry including CEC, acidity, carbon, nitrogen, and plant nutrients. Recommended preparation: CHEM 220.
443 Soil Management for Sustainable and Organic Farming Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 201. Principles and practices of agricultural soil management to support soil health; sustainable methods for organic and non-organic production.
443 (Effective through Fall 2024) [M] Soil Management for Sustainable and Organic Farming Systems 3 Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 201. Principles and practices of agricultural soil management to support soil health; sustainable methods for organic and non-organic production.
452 The Landscape of Soil 3 (2-3) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 201. The study of soils as natural bodies, including morphology, formation, and classification. A five-day field trip is required.
468 GIS Spatial Analysis 4 (2-6) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 368. Geographic information systems applied to analysis of landscape data; maps, geographic coordinate systems and projections, geodatabases. Credit not granted for both SOIL SCI 468 and 568. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
478 Advanced Organic Farming and Gardening 2 Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 101. Advanced training in organic certification and planning for organic farming.
479 Organic Farm and Garden Field Management 2 Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 478. Advanced training in production management for organic farms and gardens.
480 Practicum in Organic Agriculture V 1-6 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 12 credits. Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 478 or concurrent enrollment. Applied principles and practices of organic agriculture; immersion and participation in all required farming/gardening activities.
495 Research Experience V 1-4 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 12 credits. Course Prerequisite: Not open to graduate students. Planned and supervised undergraduate research experience. (Crosslisted course offered as CROP SCI 495, HORT 495, SOIL SCI 495.)
498 Professional Internship V 1-6 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 9 credits. Course Prerequisite: By instructor permission. Planned and supervised professional work experience. S, F grading.
499 Special Problems V 1-4 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Independent study conducted under the jurisdiction of an approving faculty member; may include independent research studies in technical or specialized problems; selection and analysis of specified readings; development of a creative project; or field experiences. S, F grading.
501 Seminar 1 May be repeated for credit. Presentation of research information.
502 Advanced Topics in Soils V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Interpretation, presentation, and discussion of current research on soils, uses, and management.
503 Advanced Topics in Soil Analysis V 1-3 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 6 credits. Course Prerequisite: By department permission. Soil research techniques; application of modern instrumentation to soil analysis.
505 Teaching Practicum 1 May be repeated for credit; cumulative maximum 4 credits. Supervised experience in classroom teaching; classroom preparation for lectures, discussions, laboratories; preparation and grading of exams. S, F grading.
506 Research Presentations 2 Course Prerequisite: Admission to the Crop Science or Soil Science graduate degree program. Learn and practice skills needed to prepare and effectively present scientific information orally to a range of audiences in a variety of formats and technologies. (Crosslisted course offered as CROP SCI 506; SOIL SCI 506.)
508 Environmental Spatial Statistics 3 Theoretical introduction and practical training in spatial data analysis for graduate students in the environmental sciences. Required preparation must include undergraduate statistics through applied multiple regression. (Crosslisted course offered as SOIL SCI 508, STAT 508.) Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
511 Science Writing Workshop 2 Instruction, tools, and peer review support to write graduate research proposal or journal article. (Crosslisted course offered as CROP SCI 511, ENTOM 511, SOIL SCI 511.)
513 Environmental Soil Physics 3 Physical properties of soils and their relationships to moisture, aeration, and temperature; plant-soil-atmospheric relationships; solute transport and soil salinity. Recommended preparation: SOIL SCI 201 and general physics. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
514 Environmental Biophysics 2 Physical environment of living organisms (temperature, humidity, radiation, wind); heat and mass exchange and balance in plant and animal systems. Recommended preparation: Introductory biology, physics, and calculus. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
515 Environmental Biophysics Laboratory 1 (0-3) Course Prerequisite: SOIL SCI 514 or concurrent enrollment. Experimental methods and procedures in environmental measurements; temperature, wind, radiation, and humidity measurements in biological environments. Offered at 400 and 500 level. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
516 Soil Processes in the Earth's Critical Zone 3 Soil geochemistry and processes; theory and applications with a focus on reactions at the solid, liquid, and gaseous interface between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Recommended preparation: Basic knowledge of soils (e.g. SOIL SCI 201 or equivalent; CHEM 106; PHYSICS 102). (Crosslisted course offered as SOE 416/516, SOIL SCI 416/516.) Credit not granted for both SOE/SOIL SCI 416 and SOE/SOIL SCI 516. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
521 Physical Chemistry of Soils 3 Chemical equilibrium and kinetics of soil solution speciation, mineral precipitation and dissolution, adsorption and partitioning reactions, and ion exchange. Soil constituents; soil solutions: mineral equilibria; absorption reactions; acid/base reactions; oxidation-reduction; soil contaminants. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
531 Soil Microbiology 3 (2-3) Biology and significance of organisms inhabiting soil and their role in nutrient cycling, ecosystem function, agriculture, and bioremediation. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
533 Advanced Vadose Processes 2 Methods and models for water, heat, vapor and solute transport in the vadose zone; transfer functions to describe solute transport; non-linear parameter estimation; fate and transport of water, heat, and solutes in the vadose zone; hydrological and geochemical processes in unsaturated subsurface materials. Recommended preparation: upper division or graduate course in soil physics or chemistry.
541 Soil-Plant-Microbial Interactions 3 Soil-plant-microbial relationships to plant nutrition, plant health, and environmental cleanup; rhizosphere chemistry and microbial ecology. Required preparation must include two upper-division courses in biology, microbiology or soils.
544 Nitrogen Cycling in the Earth's Systems 3 Nitrogen dynamics in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems; nitrogen transformations in natural and managed systems and responses to human activities. (Crosslisted course offered as BIOLOGY 544, SOIL SCI 544.)
547 Soil Fertility Management 3 Philosophy of fertilizer recommendations based on soil and plant tissue testing; principles of fertilizer manufacture, placement and use. Required preparation must include introductory soils and upper-division soil fertility courses. Cooperative: Open to UI degree-seeking students.
568 GIS Spatial Analysis 4 (2-6) Geographic information systems applied to analysis of landscape data; maps, geographic coordinate systems and projections, geodatabases. Credit not granted for both SOIL SCI 468 and 568. Offered at 400 and 500 level.
600 Special Projects or Independent Study V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent study, special projects, and/or internships. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor before enrolling in 600 credit, which cannot be used toward the core graded credits required for a graduate degree. S, F grading.
700 Master's Research, Thesis, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their master's research, thesis and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 700 credit. S, U grading.
702 Master's Special Problems, Directed Study, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Independent research in special problems, directed study, and/or examination credit for students in a non-thesis master's degree program. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 702 credit. S, U grading.
800 Doctoral Research, Dissertation, and/or Examination V 1-18 May be repeated for credit. Course Prerequisite: Admitted to the Soil Science PhD program. Independent research and advanced study for students working on their doctoral research, dissertation and/or final examination. Students must have graduate degree-seeking status and should check with their major advisor/committee chair before enrolling for 800 credit. S, U grading.