The soil affects our lives every day. We rely on it to grow our food and cleanse our water, as a depository for many of our wastes, and as a foundation for our homes and cities. Worldwide, soil degradation is viewed as one of our most pressing environmental problems. A major in soil science allows students and graduates to make practical use of several sciences, including ecology, microbiology, chemistry and physics to address issues involving land use, water and air quality, landscape design, crop production, and waste management. Knowledge of soils is a key to understanding the complex environmental and agricultural issues facing us today and in the future.
Positions are available in the United States and overseas.
Employers in the private sector generally offer salaries higher than do local, state or federal government agencies. All freshman applicants are considered within a competitive admission process for Autumn, Winter, and Summer quarters for the Columbus campus. The GEC is a body of courses designed to assure that each student becomes acquainted with the basic areas of academic study. In addition, all students in the School of Natural Resources complete Integrated Natural Resources Management and a University capstone course. In fact, Ohio State is consistently ranked among the country's best institutions for overall academic reputation.