Advanced Study Option
This option is specifically designed for those students that plan to attend graduate school. While all of the options in the department prepare students for graduate study, this option requires the completion of advanced levels of math and the basic sciences such as chemistry, physics, and botany. It also requires the completion of original research and presentation of the results in written form and in an oral or poster format.
| University and College Requirements (44 credits) | Credits |
| Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures (WRA) | 4 |
| Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities (IAH) | 8 |
| Integrative Studies in Social and Behavioral Sciences (ISS) | 8 |
| PLB 105 - Plant Biology | 3 |
| PLB 106 - Plant Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| CEM 151 - Principles of Chemistry I | 4 |
| CEM 152 - Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| CEM 161 - Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| CEM 251 - Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CEM 252 - Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| MTH 132 - Calculus I | 3 |
| EC 201 - Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 |
| Departmental Requirements (51 credits) | |
| CSS 101 - Introduction to Crop Science | 3 |
| CSS 110 - Computer Applications in Agronomy | 2 |
| CSS 192 - Professional Development Seminar I | 1 |
| CSS 210 - Fundamentals of Soil and Landscape Science | 3 |
| CSS 302 - Principles of Weed Science | 3 |
| CSS 330 - Soil Chemistry | 2 |
| CSS 340 - Applied Soil Physics | 2 |
| CSS 350 - Plant Genetics | 3 |
| CSS 360 - Soil Biology | 3 |
| CSS 470 - Soil Resources | 3 |
| CSS 480 - Soil Fertility and Management | 3 |
| CSS 488 - Agricultural Cropping Systems | 3 |
| CSS 492 - Professional Development Seminar II | 1 |
| CSS 499 - Undergraduate Research | 3 |
| BMB 401 - Basic Biochemistry | 4 |
| ENT 404 - Insects: Success in Biodiversity | 3 |
| PLB 301 - Introductory Plant Physiology | 3 |
| PLP 405 - Plant Pathology | 3 |
| STT 421 - Statistics I | 3 |
| One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits) | |
| CSS 441 - Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| CSS 451 - Biotechnology Applications for Plant Breeding and Genetics | 3 |
| PLB 316 - Experiments in Plant Biology | 4 |
| Electives (20 credits) | |
Suggested Course Sequence
| CEM 151 | 4 | CEM 152 | 3 |
| CEM 161 | 1 | EC 201 | 3 |
| CSS 101 | 3 | MTH 132 | 3 |
| CSS 110 | 2 | WRA | 4 |
| CSS 192 | 1 | Elective | 2 |
| PLB 105 | 3 | ||
| PLB 106 | 1 | ||
| 15 cr. | 15 cr. | ||
| IAH 201 | 4 | CEM 252 | 3 |
| CEM 251 | 3 | CSS 330 | 2 |
| CSS 210 | 3 | CSS 340 | 2 |
| PLB 301 | 3 | IAH | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | ISS 2xx | 4 |
| 16 cr. | 15 cr. | ||
| BMB 401 | 4 | CSS 350 | 3 |
| CSS 302 | 3 | PLP 405 | 4 |
| CSS 360 | 3 | STT 421 | 3 |
| ISS 3xx | 4 | Elective | 6 |
| 14 cr. | 16 cr. | ||
| CSS 470 | 3 | CSS 441 or CSS 451 | 3 |
| CSS 480 | 3 | CSS 488 | 3 |
| CSS 492 | 1 | Elective | 9 |
| CSS 499 | 3 | ||
| ENT 404 | 4 | ||
| 14 cr. | 15 cr. | ||
Suggested Elective Courses
| Fall Semester | ||
| CSS 201 - Forage Crops | 3 | |
| CSS 211 - Advanced Crop Production | 2 | |
| CSS 404 - Forest and Agricultural Ecology | 3 | |
| CSS 404L - Forest and Agricultural Ecology Laboratory | 1 | |
| CSS 406 - Seed Production and Technology | 3 | |
| CSS 440 - Soil Biophysics | 3 | |
| CSS 452 - Watershed Concepts | 3 | |
| CSS 455 - Pollutants in the Soil Environment | 3 | |
| CSS 499 - Undergraduate Research | 3 | |
| EEP 260 - World Food Population and Poverty | 3 | |
| GEO 203 - Introduction to Meteorology | 3 | |
| GEO 206 - Physical Geography | 3 | |
| GEO 206L - Physical Geography | 1 | |
| GEO 306 - Environmental Geomorphology | 3 | |
| GEO 324 - Remote Sensing of the Environment | 4 | |
| GEO 325 - Geographic Information Systems | 3 | |
| GLG 302 - Geology of Michigan | 3 | |
| HRT 211 - Landscape Plants I | 3 | |
| HRT 213 - Landscape Maintenance | 2 | |
| HRT 213L - Landscape Maintenance | 1 | |
| HRT 486 - Biotechnology in Agriculture | 3 | |
| RD 430 - Law and Resources | 3 | |
| RD 320 - Resource Management and Planning | 3 | |
| RD 415 - Environmental Impact Assessment | 4 | |
| RD 444 - Pesticides, People and Politics | 3 | |
| ZOL 446 - Environmental Issues and Public Policy | 3 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CSS 135 - Crop Scouting and Investigation | 2 | |
| CSS 151 - Seed and Grain Quality | 2 | |
| CSS 409 - Forest Hydrology | 3 | |
| CSS 431 - World Soil and Plant Resources | 3 | |
| CSS 494 - International Agriculture | 1 | |
| CSS 499 - Undergraduate Research | 3 | |
| EEP 255 - Ecological Economics | 3 | |
| EEP 255 - Environmental Economics | 3 | |
| GEO 324 - Remote Sensing of the Environment | 4 | |
| GEO 405 - Weather Analysis and Forecasting | 4 | |
| GLG 412 - Glacial Geology and the Record of Climate Change | 4 | |
| HRT 204 - Plant Propagation | 2 | |
| HRT 214 - Landscape and Turfgrass Operations | 2 | |
| HRT 218 - Landscape Irrigation | 3 | |
| HRT 219 - Landscape Computer Aided Design | 2 | |
| PLB 335 - Plants Through Time | 3 | |
| RD 201 - Environmental and Natural Resources | 3 | |
| RD 324 - Water Resource Management | 3 | |
| RD 452 - Watershed Concepts | 3 | |
Academic Advising
For questions regarding course requirements, substituting or waiving required courses, independent study courses, and planning your semester schedule of courses, contact a Crop and Soil Sciences academic advisor:
James Crum
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
160C Plant and Soil Sciences
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1325
phone: (517) 355-0271 ext. 1134
e-mail: crum@msu.edu
Taylor Johnston
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
384F Plant and Soil Sciences
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1325
phone: (517) 355-0271 ext. 1164
e-mail: johnsto4@msu.edu
Karen Renner
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
482 Plant and Soil Sciences
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1325
phone: (517) 355-0271 ext. 1233
e-mail: renner@msu.edu
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