Soil Science, B.S.

University of Wisconsin Madison

United States of America, Madison

University Rank:#110

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Duration4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

USD 39,354 / Year

Next IntakeSeptember 7, 2022

Soil Science, B.S.

About

The Department of Soil Science provides undergraduate and graduate education in the environmental, agricultural, and natural resource aspects of soils. Areas of emphasis include soil ecology; soil erosion management; soil fertility and plant nutrition; soil physical and chemical characterization; biogeochemistry; urban soils; soil carbon; soil health;soil contaminants; waste management; pedology; and land use analysis.

Soils are a critical natural resource in environmental protection, food and fiber production, turf and grounds management, rural and urban planning, and waste disposal. All of these facets are integrated into the department's course offerings and research programs. Soil science majors prepare for professional, technical, consulting, and project positions in environmental sciences, ecology and restoration, crop and timber production, soil informatics, soil conservation, environmental pollution control, turf and grounds management, and land-use planning. Please contact the department for further information on career opportunities.

Students completing an undergraduate major in soil science earn a bachelor of science degree. A problem-solving "capstone course" that integrates knowledge gleaned from a diversity of courses is required.

(Conduct Research and Analyze Data) Sociology encompasses both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Quantitative methods are used in market research, opinion polling, sales, government, and countless other applications and allow researchers to recognize trends and patterns and produce social statistics. Qualitative research skills provide an in depth understanding of interactions, communications, worksite practices, and social worlds. Advanced sociological research methods require graduate‐level training beyond the scope of our undergraduate major, but we expect that all undergraduate majors will be able to conduct small-scale research using surveys, interviews, experiments, textual analysis or observations in which they formulate a research question, collect data, analyze results, and draw conclusions.
(Critically Evaluate Published Research) Sociology graduates will be able to read and evaluate published research as it appears in academic journals and popular or policy publications. They will be able to identify the research methods used, assess the quality of the sample, assess the quality of measurements and procedures, evaluate the links between the data and the interpretations, identify possible threats to the validity of the results, and provide an overall assessment of the trustworthiness of the research results. They will be able to read and evaluate a set of research articles on the same broad issue and be able to draw summarize the research findings across multiple issue.
(Communicate Skillfully) Because the sociology major involves a large amount of reading, writing, and discussion, majors learn how to convey ideas effectively in writing, presentations, and everyday conferences and meetings. Sociology majors write papers and make oral presentations that build arguments and assess evidence in a clear and effective manner.
(Critical Thinking about Society and Social Processes) Sociological inquiry involves learning to look beyond the surface of issues to discover the "why" and "how" of social order and structure. Sociology majors develop strong analytical skills and learn to solve problems and identify opportunities. They are able to consider the underlying social mechanisms that may be creating a situation, identify evidence that may adjudicate between alternate explanations for phenomena, and develop proposed policies or action plans in light of theory and data.
(See Things from a Global Perspective) Sociologists learn about different cultures, groups, and societies. They examine both variation and universality across places and through history. They are aware of the diversity of backgrounds and experiences among residents of the United States. They understand the ways events and processes in one country are linked to those in other countries.
(Prepare for Graduate School and the Job Market) An undergraduate major in sociology provides an excellent foundation for work and graduate study in a wide range of fields including law, business, social work, medicine, policy research, public health, public administration and, of course, sociology. With the aid of faculty and staff, students use their social research skills to identify opportunities for employment or further study , assess their qualifications for these opportunities, and identify strategies for gaining the necessary knowledge and experience to improve their qualifications. Students are encouraged to develop and maintain portfolios of their written work and educational experiences to aid them in preparing applications.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

English Requirements

IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 80

English Program Requirements

Freshman applicants educated in non-English speaking countries must submit an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) score, unless English was the primary language of instruction in all four years of secondary school.

All English proficiency exams should be sent electronically, directly from the testing service.

We do not superscore any English Proficiency exam and score reports cannot be older than two years from the time you apply.

How to Send Official Test Scores

Duolingo English Test (DET)

Minimum accepted score: 105+
When submitting your score(s): Search category should be “Undergraduate,” then select “University of Wisconsin–Madison”
Please do not send to offices listed under “Other,” as we are unable to retrieve those scores
The DET should be sent with sub-scores

IELTS

Minimum accepted score: 6.5+
When submitting your score(s): IELTS does not require a code, so please select our account name, “University of Wisconsin, Madison Undergraduate”
Please do not send paper copies of your IELTS scores
We do accept the IELTS Indicator

TOEFL iBT:

Minimum accepted score: 80+
When submitting your score(s): TOEFL test code is 1846
We do not accept “MyBest” score from TOEFL nor any English Proficiency exam
For each TOEFL you submit, we will require the full score report
We do not accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China, but we will accept the iBT Special Home Edition

If you feel that you qualify for an English Proficiency Exam waiver based upon the requirements above, please submit all required transcripts to our office. Other test scores such as ACT, SAT, or AP (Advanced Placement) scores do not meet the requirements for a waiver. Once your transcripts are received in our office (are no longer displayed on your to-do list in your Student Center), we will determine your waiver eligibility. Waivers will not be processed prior to receipt of both the admissions application and transcripts.

Career

This university is a very big place. Even the most well-prepared new students will have moments when they say to themselves, “Uh oh. What have I got myself into going to such a big school? Choosing courses at SOAR was stressful, fun, or both, but after SOAR am I on my own?” The answer is no. Every student has at least one assigned advisor. Over the course of their time at the university, students may have several assigned advisors. That is a good thing; L&S advisors are highly networked, and they always communicate with each other about shared students.

When students read their DARS reports—documents that were developed to help them find their way to a timely graduation, they can feel overwhelmed; it looks like they need 500 credits to graduate. How can they get all those requirements done? Do sociology (or Spanish, or English) majors really have to take biology courses?

In the Sociology Department, we take advising very seriously. We encourage our majors to see the advisor at least once every semester. The advisor will help you summarize the DARS and map your completed coursework onto the goals and timeline for graduation, including the sociology major and L&S requirements. The sociology advisor will have departmental or college news about guest speakers, new faculty, new courses, internships, and scholarships. This advisor will also be able to assist in preparation for, and applications to graduate school, and be able to connect students with faculty whose information about various sociology programs is always the most current. The sociology advisor will also see freshmen and sophomores exploring the major in sociology. See academic advising for more information.

Sociology majors do very well in the job market. The critical, analytic, and quantitative skills they have mastered in the major, along with their commitments to social justice and their understanding of organizations make them desirable job candidates. Every year the department invites sociology alumni to campus for career panels or “speed mentoring.” Current sociology majors get to talk to people only slightly older than themselves who have successfully made the transitions from undergraduate to professional.

Sociology also has an advisor devoted exclusively to careers. This advisor teaches a 1-credit course where students learn the arts of resume building and resume writing, applying for and getting internships, and in which they practice self-reflection activities which lead to insights about what they really want to do after college, and where they learn how to make connections between their academic work and their work in the “real world.” This advisor is also available for one-on-one advising.

Our career advisor also partners with the L&S Career Services office to help you leverage the academic skills learned in your major and liberal arts degree, explore and try out different career paths, participate in internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). See SuccessWorks for more information.

L&S career resources

SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students leverage the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and liberal arts degree; explore and try out different career paths; participate in internships; prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications; and network with professionals in the field (alumni and employers). In short, SuccessWorks helps students in the College of Letters & Science discover themselves, find opportunities, and develop the skills they need for success after graduation.

SuccessWorks can also assist students in career advising, résumé and cover letter writing, networking opportunities, and interview skills, as well as course offerings for undergraduates to begin their career exploration early in their undergraduate career.

Students should set up their profiles in Handshake to take care of everything they need to explore career events, manage their campus interviews, and apply to jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers around the country.

SuccessWorks
Set up a career advising appointment
INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit, targeted to first- and second-year students)—for more information, see Inter-LS 210: Career Development, Taking Initiative
INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Com B General Education Requirement)
Handshake
Learn how we’re transforming career preparation: L&S Career Initiative

Fee Information

Application Fee 60

How to Apply

Every year, we are fortunate to receive thousands of applications from a diverse range of students who are incredibly bright, engaged, and passionate. They have challenged themselves and those around them to make a difference in the world. They know that the University of Wisconsin–Madison is their next step toward something extraordinary—a place where they can lead, make discoveries, tackle key issues, gain knowledge, and establish lifelong friendships.

Starting on August 1 every year, you can begin applying to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The following deadlines pertain to both domestic and international applicants.

Applications and all required application materials must arrive in our office by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on the noted deadline dates.

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received.

We strongly recommend that you apply with an email that is not affiliated with your high school and that you check often. This will ensure that you have continued access to your email account after graduation from high school.

You can apply using either the Common Application or the UW System Application.

Soil Science, B.S.

University of Wisconsin Madison

United States of America, Madison

Go to Official Website