Background Information
This certificate program will offer a course of study that enables students to obtain the minimum 15 credit hours of soil science courses that are required to become licensed soil scientists.
Licensed Soil Scientists evaluate land quality, and thereby determine a property's suitability for residential developments that enhance economic growth and minimize environmental impacts. Fourteen other states have a licensing or registration program for soil scientists.
Graduates of this program will identify lands where new residential developments are most appropriate to maintain a community's public health and environmental quality. This program is unique among those with environmental interests, because it trains students to identify how lands can best be used to benefit North Carolinians while also preserving wetlands and water quality. Our students will recognize that environmental sustainability does not always require preservation.