General Department Information

Home   General Department Information   ERSC Major   SS Major   Faculty   Fee Committee   Club   Soil Humor
 

Earth and Soil Sciences Department
Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo 93407
(805) 756-2261 , Fax 805-756-5412
Contact by E-Mail - lwallrav@calpoly.edu

Lisa Wallravin is our new Department ASC, Administrative Support Coordinator.

 

Enrollment:

 About 130 students are regularly enrolled in the Earth and Soil Sciences Department. Our undergraduate Soils program, the largest in the United States, has been honored as the number one Soil Science Department in the United States by the National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists.

 

Demand for Graduates:

 Last year there were numerous job opportunities for each Earth and Soil Science graduate. We expect continued opportunities in agricultural careers, land management consulting, and environmental fields.

 

Curriculum:

 The program integrates biology, ecology, geology, math, chemistry, and physics into the disciplines of Earth and Soil Sciences. Concentrations in Land Resources, Environmental Management, and Environmental Science and Technology are available.

 

Faculty:

 Currently, there are six full time faculty and two part time with expertise in most specialties recognized by the Soil Science Society of America.

 

Facilities:

 Facilities include laboratories with modern analytical equipment, a greenhouse, and a computer room. Faculty and students in the department have access to several thousand acres of agriculture, forest, and range areas on lands owned by Cal Poly and the U.S. Forest Service.

 

Scholarships:

College of Agriculture students may apply for numerous scholarships.

  • Dr. Arnold M. Dean -- minimum of 1 @$300-$1000
  • Lisle R. Green Memorial -- 2 @ $1300
  • Omer L. and Claudia L. King --1 @ $1175
  • Lambert -- minimum of 1 @ $300
  • Cal Poly Memorial Scholarship in Honor of Thomas Ruehr -- 05 @ $250

 

Senior Projects and Applied Research Projects:

 Earth and Soil Science students conduct a variety of projects including laboratory, greenhouse, and field studies. Every graduate must complete a senior project that has been designed and carried out in coordination with a faculty advisor prior to graduation.

 

Graduate Program:

 The Earth and Soil Sciences Department faculty offer a Master of Science degree in Agriculture with a Specialization in Soil Science. For more information contact the Graduate Coordinator in the College of Agriculture Dean's Office at (805)756-2161.

 

Careers:

 The Earth and Soil Science program prepares the students for careers in agricultural production, soil and water conservation, site analysis and resource planning, analytical laboratory analysis, soil survey, and environmental remediation and improvement. Graduates in all concentrations pursue careers as team members whose aim is to evaluate, monitor, and provide solutions to complex endeavors, including agricultural production projects, land use management and planning, and environmental remediation projects. Graduates in the Land Resources concentration may pursue agricultural careers by choosing to add a minor in Agribusiness, Water Science, or Plant Protection.