Soil and Crop Science - AS
If you enjoy spending time in nature and getting your hands dirty, soil and crop sciences could be a field that offers both fun and fulfillment. Experts in soil, plant, and environmental sciences are in high demand. As climate change and its effects have become a global focus, the need to identify and adopt more responsible, sustainable practices in land management and crop production has increased. Today’s soil scientists are solving worldwide problems related to soil conservation, water quality, waste management, and food production.
In an associate program in Soil and Crop Sciences, you will receive hands-on instruction about natural resources and food and fuel production that could lead to a career as an environmental researcher, crop advisor, or greenhouse technician. This degree is transferable to universities offering a bachelor’s degree in Soil and Crop Sciences.
Otero College, in cooperation with Colorado State University - Fort Collins, has developed a two-year Associate of Science degree track with an emphasis in Agriculture in three different areas: Agriculture Business, Animal Science, and Soil and Crop Science. Upon successful completion, the degree, and all classes associated with the degree, will transfer seamlessly into the CSU-Fort Collins College of Agricultural Science where a student can earn a bachelor’s degree with an additional 60 hours of credit.
Students should work closely with their advisor and contact their transfer institution choices for more specific transfer information.
The first year of a Soil and Crop Sciences program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses your first year is proven to greatly increase the likelihood of crossing the graduation stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts & Humanities, History, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences.
Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of the soil, plant, and water resources will grow and deepen. Coursework will include Introduction to Soil Science, Agricultural Economics, World Interdependence – Population and Food. After completing a 60 credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers bachelor’s degrees.
| Required Courses that Fulfill General Education Requirements (35 Credit Hours) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Course Number and Title | |
| (Written) Communication | 6 | ENG 121/1021 English Composition I and ENG 122/1022 English Composition II OR 122/1022 English Composition II and a GT Pathways approved CO3 course |
| Mathematics | 4 | MAT 121/1340 College Algebra OR MAT 125/1400 Survey of CalculusOR higher calculus |
| Arts & Humanities | 6 | PHI 113/1013 Logic and one additional AH course |
| History | 3 | One GT Pathways History course (GT-HI1) |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences | 3 | AGE 102/1102 Agriculture Economics |
| 3 | AGR 260/2106 World Interdependence: Population and Food | |
| Natural & Physical Sciences | 10 | BIO 111/1111 General College Biology I with laband CHE 101/1011 Introduction to Chemistry I with labOR CHE 107/1007 Fundamentals of Chemistry OR BIO 111/1111 General College Biology I with lab |
*See your advisor for alternative restricted electives. The above courses are included in the articulation agreement with Colorado State University - Fort Collins. Ag Science articulation agreements also exist for New Mexico State University, West Texas A&M, Okla. Panhandle State University, and Northwestern Okla. State University. Please see your advisor for the correct course of study and articulation agreement specific to your transfer university.
Otero College has multiple transfer articulation agreements for agriculture degrees between Otero and public 4 year universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
The following public four-year institutions will accept your completed Soil & Crop Science AS degree from Otero College.
Colorado State University-Ft. Collins
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West Texas A&M University
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Oklahoma Panhandle State University
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New Mexico State University
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