Agronomy Major

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Sue Blodgett, Head
Douglas Malo, Assistant Head
Brent Turnipseed, Teaching Coordinator
Department of Plant Science
Northern Plains Biostress Laboratory
605-688-5123 (Department Head, SAG 219)
605-688-4450 (Teaching Office, SNP 247)
Email: sue.blodgett@sdstate.edu
Email: brent.turnipseed@sdstate.edu
http://plantsci.sdstate.edu

Requirements for Agronomy Major, Bachelor of Science in Agriculture:

System General Education Requirements*: 31-34

Goal #1 Written Communication:
ENGL 101
and
ENGL 201
Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication:
SPCM 101*
or
SPCM 215
or
SPCM 222
Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity:
ECON 201
or
ECON 202
and
SOC 100
or
SOC 150
or
SOC 240
Credits: 6
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity
Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics:
MATH 102
or
MATH 115
or
MATH 120
Credits: 3-5
Goal #6 Natural Sciences:
BIOL 151-151L
and
BIOL 153-153L
or
BOT 201-201L
Credits: 7-8

Institutional Graduation Requirements**: 8-9

Goal #1 Land and Natural Resource Stewardship:
PS 213-213L
^A Credits: 3
Goal #2 Personal Wellness:
GS 143
Credits: 2
Goal #3 Social Responsibility/Cultural and Aesthetic Awareness
Credits: 3

Major Requirements: 59-62

PS 101 - Opportunities in Plant Science Credits: 1 ^A
PS 103-103L - Crop Production and Lab Credits: 3 ^A
PS 213-213L - Soils and Lab * ** Credits: 3 ^A (credits count for IGR #1)
PS 223-223L - Principles of Plant Pathology and Lab Credits: 3 ^A
PS 305-305L - Insect Biology and Lab (COM) Credits: 3 ^A
Or PS 307-307L - Insect Pest Management and Lab Credits: 3
PS 323 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrient Management Credits: 3 ^A
PS 343-343L - Weed Science and Lab Credits: 3 ^A
PS 390 - Seminar (AW) Credits: 1 ^A
PS 494 - Internship Credits: 0.5-2 ^A
Only 1 credit required for program.
ABS 475-475L - Integrated Natural Resource Management and Lab (AW) Credits: 3 ^A
PS 383-383L - Principles of Crop Improvement and Lab (AW) Credits: 3
or BIOL 202-202L - Genetics and Organismal Biology and Lab Credits: 4
or BIOL 371 - Genetics (COM) Credits: 3
BOT 327-327L - Plant Physiology and Lab (COM) Credits: 4
PS 421-421L/521-521L - Soil Microbiology and Lab Credits: 3
And PS 492-592 - Topics Credits: 1-3
Only 1 credit required for program.
or MICR 231-231L - General Microbiology and Lab (COM) Credits: 4
CHEM 106-106L - Chemistry Survey and Lab* (COM) Credits: (3,1)
or CHEM 112-112L - General Chemistry I and Lab* (COM) Credits: (3, 1)
CHEM 120-120L - Elementary Organic Chemistry and Lab* Credits: (3, 1)
or CHEM 108-108L - Organic and Biochemistry and Lab* (COM) Credits: (4, 1)
PHYS 101-101L - Survey of Physics * (COM) and Lab Credits: 4
or PHYS 111-111L - Introduction to Physics I and Lab* (COM) Credits: 4
STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (COM) Credits: 3
ENGL 379 - Technical Communication (AW) Credits: 3
AGEC 354 - Agricultural Marketing and Prices Credits: 3
or AS 285-285L - Livestock Evaluation and Marketing and Lab Credits: 4
or BADM 474 - Personal Selling (COM) Credits: 3

Natural Resources Stewardship Elective: 3-4

Select one of the following courses^A:

ABS 203 - Global Food Systems ** (G) Credits: 3
ABS 482-582 - International Experience ** (G) Credits: (2-4)
3 credits required for program.
BIOL 383 - Bioethics ** (G) Credits: 4
PS 243 - Principles of Geology* ** Credits: 3 ²
PS 307-307L - Insect Pest Management and Lab Credits: 3 ²
PS 310-310L - Soil Geography and Land Use Interpretation and Lab** (G) Credits: 3 ²
PS 362-362L - Environmental Soil Management and Lab ** Credits: 3 ²
PS 446-546 - Agroecology (G) Credits: 3 ²

Plant Science Electives: 13

At least two credits from each of the three areas listed.

Elective Courses: 17

Total Required Credits: 128

Notes:

1 Cannot be used to solely meet area requirements.

2 Can only be used to meet requirements in one section

A Agronomy Major Core Curriculum: A student must have a 2.5 GPA or higher and a grade of C or higher in the courses used to satisfy the Agronomy core curriculum in order to graduate with a major in Agronomy.

Curriculum Notes:

* The 30 credit Board of Regents System General Education Requirements (SGRs) must be completed as part of a student’s first 64 credits.

** South Dakota State University has an 8-9 credit Institutional Graduation Requirement (IGRs).

(G) Globalization Requirement.

(AW) Advanced Writing Requirement.

Students must take the proficiency examination after completing 48 credits. English 101, and a course in each of the General Education areas of social science, mathematics, natural science, and humanities and arts must be taken prior to taking this exam.