Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences Graduate Program
Soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences (SEAS) graduate programs are designed to prepare students for professional careers in research, teaching or application of basic concepts of soil, environmental, and atmospheric sciences to air-plant-soil-water and other environmental problems.
Atmospheric science students participate in an area of research such as dynamic and physical meteorology, general circulation, global climate change, severe storms, remote sensing and applied climatology with emphasis on environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The program has a specialized computer data library that includes extensive long-term global and local observational records to support thesis and dissertation research. There are opportunities for joint research programs with the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Environmental science students may participate in research examining environmental quality, hydrology, watershed management and water quality emphasis areas. The program has extensive analytical equipment and facilities for chemical, biological and physical analysis of water and earth materials as well as access to field sites to conduct research in agricultural, urban and undisturbed environments in various regions of the state of Missouri.
Soil science students participate in one of the following emphasis areas: environmental quality, pedology, soil chemistry and biochemistry, soil physics and conservation, or soil fertility and soil-plant relationships. Equipment for chemical, microbial and physical analysis of soils is maintained by the School of Natural Resources. Access to additional chemical analysis equipment, computing facilities, digital imaging equipment, field facilities, greenhouse space, radiochemistry and scanning electron microscopes is available within the University.
Master's Degree
Candidates for the M.S. degree must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college. Appropriate undergraduate majors in preparation for graduate studies in soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences include: agronomy, atmospheric science, biochemistry, biology, botany, chemistry, earth science, engineering, environmental science, forestry, geology, mathematics, microbiology, physics and soil science.
Degree Requirements
The degree program must include 30 hours of graduate credit, with at least 15 hours of these being in 8000- or 9000-level courses. Not more than 12 hours of the minimum 30 hours are permitted for research, problems, special investigations and special readings. A minimum of one credit hour of graduate seminar must be included in each student's graduate program.
All students enrolled in graduate programs are required to participate in a supervised teaching activity.
Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 (A=4.0) in all course work presented for the degree.
For an atmospheric science emphasis, appropriate atmospheric science courses must be selected and approved in consultation with the student's advisor and graduate thesis committee.
For a soil science emphasis, at least 12 credit hours of soil science courses at the 7000, 8000 and 9000 levels, exclusive of problems and thesis research, must be included in the student's graduate program.
For an environmental science emphasis, at least six credit hours of environmental science courses at the 7000, 8000 and 9000 levels, exclusive of problems and thesis research, must be included in the student's graduate program. Courses can be selected from the following list:
- Atmospheric Science 7520 Environmental Biophysics
- Environmental Science 7305 Environmental Soil Physics
- Environmental Science 7306 Environmental Soil Physics Laboratory
- Environmental Science 7312 Environmental Soil Microbiology
- Environmental Science 7318 Environmental Soil Chemistry
- Environmental Science 7320 Hydrologic and Water Quality Modeling
- Environmental Science 8400 Solute Transport in the Vadose Zone
- Environmental Science 8500 Chemistry of the Vadose Zone
- Forestry 7390 Watershed Management and Water Quality
- Forestry 8390 Physical Hydrology
- Soil Science 7308 Soil Conservation
- Soil Science 7313 Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
- Soil Science 7314 Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition Laboratory
- Soil Science 7320 Genesis of Soil Landscapes
- Soil Science 9414 Advanced Soil Fertility
- Soil Science 9422 Pedology
For an environmental science emphasis, an additional six credit hours must be selected from courses listed above or from the following departments: biochemistry, biological engineering, biological sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geography, geological sciences, and natural resources. Selection of these courses will be determined in consultation with faculty members serving on a student's thesis committee.
A thesis, which is a research report of original research on a specialized soil, environmental or atmospheric science problem conducted by the student, must be presented to the student's graduate committee and successfully defended.
Doctoral Degree
Degree Requirements
The curriculum is developed by a doctoral program committee and requires a minimum of 72 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. At least 15 hours of course work in the degree program must be at the 8000 and 9000 levels, exclusive of research, problems and independent study experiences. A minimum of two credit hours of graduate seminar must be included in each student's graduate program.
All students enrolled in graduate programs are required to participate in a supervised teaching activity. After successfully completing the required course work with a GPA of 3.0 (A=4.0) or better, students must pass a comprehensive examination administered by their doctoral program committee. At least 12 credit hours of soil science courses at the 7000, 8000 and 9000 levels, exclusive of problems and thesis research, must be included in the student's graduate program in soil science.
A dissertation, which is a comprehensive report of original research on a specialized soil or atmospheric science problem conducted by the student, must be presented to the committee and successfully defended.
Learn More
For additional information contact Peter Motavalli, SEAS director of graduate studies, 333 ABNR Building, Columbia, MO 65211, 573-884-3212.
Graduate Assistantships
Assistantships which are currently open:
- MS Graduate Assistantship: Forest Soils/Soil Chemistry (PDF)
- MS Graduate Research Assistantship: Watershed Model Simulation for Grazing Management Systems with Agroforestry and Grass Buffers (Word)
- M.S. Graduate Research Assistantship: Soil Quality as Influenced by Agroforestry and Grass Buffers on Grazed Pasture Watersheds (Word)
