CSS UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Degree Requirements

Undergraduate students associated with the Crop and Soil Sciences Department most often study in one of the following major fields of our college:

• Environmental Sciences (with specializations in soil science or environmental stress managment)
• Plant Sciences (with specializations in crop science or agronomy)
• Science of Earth Systems (with a specialization in soil science)
• International Agriculture (with a specialization in agronomy)
• General Studies (with a specialization in sustainable agriculture)

We encourage our students to take advantage of the tremendous flexibility our college allows in choosing courses. However, we also encourage them to consider the national Certification Program of the American Society of Agronomy. To qualify as a Professional Crop Scientist, one must have a total of 30 semester hours of credit in: crop management (at least 15), pest management and plant protection (at least 6), and soil science (at least 6). A certified Professional Soil Scientist must have a total of 24 credit hours in: soil science (at least 15) and plant and soil biology (at least 6). A certified Professional Agronomist must have a total of 30 credit hours in: crop management (at least 6), soil science (at least 6), and pest management and plant protection (at least 6). Additional courses are required in basic science, mathematics, and communication, and the current standards can be found at the Certification Web Page. The college requires that students meet the distribution requirements of the college (39 credits, see CALS requirements), the requirements of their major, and have a total of 120 credits for graduation.

The Department Teaching Leader or an advisor in our department can provide you with a list of specific courses at Cornell that meet these requirements.