Curriculum

Crop and soil science is integral to the advancement of food and fiber production now and into the future. As you engage with the coursework in the Oregon State Ecampus CSS bachelor’s program, you’ll learn to solve real-world, sustainable living problems in urban, agricultural, forest, rangeland and other natural systems.

Degree requirements

A minimum of 180 quarter credits — at least 60 of which must be upper-division credits — are required to graduate with your crop and soil science degree, including:

• OSU's Baccalaureate Core (general education)
• Major requirements: Crop and soil science
  • Specialization requirement: One of three options

Honors degree online

As an undergraduate degree-seeking student, you can apply to earn an honors degree online in your academic major. Earning this prestigious degree gives you the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on research, complete a comprehensive thesis experience and engage in co-curricular activities.

Specialization options

You can focus your studies as an Oregon State crop and soil science student by selecting one of the program’s specialization options. Please note: The program's soils research track is not available online.

Soil science

The online curriculum in the soil science option focuses on topics including water quality and management, organic crop production, erosion and sedimentation, land use and reclamation, and soil health and sustainability. Visit OSU’s academic catalog for the soil science option’s complete curriculum details.

Agronomy

The agronomy option coursework will help you explore and learn ways to facilitate sustainable crop production through the in-depth knowledge of plants, soils, production equipment, economics, politics and more. Visit OSU’s academic catalog for the agronomy option’s complete curriculum details.

Plant breeding, genetics and genomics

Online coursework for this option takes an interdisciplinary approach to applied plant breeding. You’ll gain fundamental knowledge in plant breeding and genetic analysis through the study of topics like plant physiology, seed biology, plant propagation, biological data sciences and more. Visit OSU’s academic catalog for this option’s complete curriculum details.

Sample course topics

• Principles of soil science
• Soil morphology and classification
• Weed management
• Crop production
• Seed science and technology
• Plant pathology
• Insect pest management
• Irrigation principles and practices
• Agricultural and food management
• Plant ecology
• Seed production
• Plant breeding

Additional program features

Experiential learning

All students in the crop and soil science program are required to complete a 3-credit internship or research project as a form of experiential learning. Learn more about this requirement on the College of Agricultural Sciences website.

Transfer credit

Some of the degree requirements can be transferred from other colleges and universities. Please note that a minimum of 45 credits of the last 75 must be completed at Oregon State (online or on campus) to meet the academic residency requirement.

Previously earned credits will need to be reviewed upon admittance to OSU for appropriate articulation. Additional information about transferring credits is available through OSU’s Transfer Credit Central.

Add a minor

As an Oregon State Ecampus student, you can add a minor to your degree program. OSU boasts a diverse offering of minors online. Combine your crop and soil science degree with a minor in agricultural business management, or pursue a minor in natural resources to create an even more powerful résumé fit for today's job market.