Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental and Soil Sciences Major, BS in Environmental and Soil Sciences – Construction Science Concentration


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Herbert College of Agriculture

Advisors
Drumm, Parker, Smith

Many human activities adversely impact soil, water, and environmental quality; and there is a constant need for experts in the technologies required to collect sound information and to provide food, fiber, and shelter in an environmentally-sound manner. The Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Soil Sciences provides students with a strong grounding in basic sciences or engineering fundamentals to prepare them for a broad range of possible careers. Students in this program choose between two general thrusts: Science and Construction Science & Agricultural Systems.

The science thrust provides options for three concentrations: Soil Science, Environmental Science, and Conservation Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability. All provide a very strong basis in the natural sciences, as well as applied areas such as ecology, soil sciences, and natural resource policy. Students also build expertise with modern technologies such as geographical information systems, global positioning systems, and computer applications in natural resource management. Graduates are prepared to work in a wide variety of interesting and challenging career paths and to work with a broad variety of other professionals to solve complex problems. Examples of potential careers include soil and environmental specialists and scientists; state and federal regulatory agency work; private consulting in environmental and agricultural areas; and working with non-governmental organizations with interests in agriculture, environment, and natural resources. Students receiving this degree are also very competitive for placement in graduate programs in environmental and agricultural sciences and technology, as well as law school.

The Construction Science & Agricultural Systems thrust has four concentration options: Agricultural Systems, Construction Science, and Off-Road Vehicle Technology. These concentrations are applied programs highly focused on specific technical areas and are designed to provide the skills required to manage the sophisticated technological systems increasingly essential in today’s world. The four concentrations all provide a strong basic science foundation and add coursework designed to create programs of study emphasizing the application of technology and management in today’s world. Coursework in economics and the management of a small business are also included, along with oral and written communication. The construction science concentration leads to a Minor in Business Administration. These programs provide a rigorous background in math, science, engineering, and applied skills.

The Construction Science concentration is designed to prepare students for entry into the very broad and diverse range of careers related to construction. This leads to construction management opportunities in areas such as residential, agricultural, commercial, highway, and excavation construction. Students in this program typically enjoy the outdoors and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from seeing a project grow from an idea to finished product. This field relies on knowledge from engineering, construction, and business; skills related to teamwork and leadership are important as well. The program is designed to provide a strong background in science and math, adds fundamental concepts from engineering, and exposure to relevant technology and techniques such as CAD, land surveying, and GPS/GIS. The business related coursework in the Construction Science track leads to a Minor in Business Administration. This business background is supplemented with courses addressing construction-specific issues in accounting, finance, and law; issues related to green/sustainable construction practices are also covered. Students are encouraged to identify experiences in construction practice such as internships or part time/summer work; and this is facilitated through the Construction Science Student Club.

uTrack Requirements (for students entering Fall 2013 or later)

Universal Tracking (uTrack) is an academic monitoring system designed to help students stay on track for timely graduation. In order to remain on track, students must complete the minimum requirements for each tracking semester, known as milestones. Milestones include successful completion of specified courses and/or attainment of a minimum GPA. uTrack requirements only affect full-time, degree-seeking students who first entered Fall 2013 or later. uTrack does not apply to transfer students who enter prior to Fall 2015.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Soil Sciences – Environmental and Soil Sciences Major – Construction Science Concentration


Term 1 Hours Milestone Notes
BSET 125   3 MATH 130  or higher or one Arts and Humanities*, Cultures and Civilizations*, or Social Sciences* Elective
GEOL 101 * or GEOL 107  4  
1Cultures and Civilizations Elective * 3  
ENGL 101 * or ENGL 118  3  
MATH 141 * or MATH 151  3-4  
Term 2
PHIL 244  3 MATH 130  or higher
ENGL 102  3  
CHEM 120 * or CHEM 128  4  
MATH 142 * or MATH 152  3-4  
BSET 211   3  
Term 3
2ECON 201 * or ECON 207  4 CHEM 120 * or CHEM 128 * or MATH 141 * or MATH 151 
BSET 222 , BSET 224   6  
STAT 201 * or STAT 207  3  
EF 151 * or PHYS 221  4  
Term 4
BSET 225 , BSET 270   7 CHEM 120 * or CHEM 128 * or MATH 142 * or MATH 151 
2ACCT 200  or ACCT 207   3  
ESS 210   4  
Term 5
BSET 202 , BSET 325 BSET 335  9 No milestones
1Cultures and Civilizations Elective * 3  
2MGT 201   3  
Term 6
BSET 425   3 No milestones
CMST 210 * or CMST 217 * or CMST 240 * or CMST 247  3  
ENGL 295 * or ENGL 360  3  
2FINC 300   3  
1Social Sciences Elective * 3  
Term 7
BSET 355 BSET 430 , BSET 435   9 Apply to graduate
ESS 424   3  
1Arts and Humanities Elective * 3  
Term 8
BSET 486  or 3Technical Elective 3 No milestones
BSET 345   3  
2MGT 300    3  
2MARK 300   3  
TOTAL 120  
* Meets University General Education Requirement .
1 Select from the corresponding University General Education list after consultation with an advisor.
2 Used to meet requirements for the Business Administration Minor .
3 Select from following list: BSET 326 BSET 414 , BSET 434 , BSET 452 , BSET 474 ; ESS 442 , ESS 462 ; IE 304 , IE 405 , IE 423 , IE 427 ; GEOG 411 .

Environment and Soil Sciences Major – Five-Year BS-MS Program


The department offers especially qualified students a Five-Year BS/MS program with a BS degree (major in environmental and soil sciences) and an MS degree (major in biosystems engineering technology). This option is particularly applicable to students in the Construction Science, Off-Road Vehicle Technology, and Agricultural Systems Technology ESS concentrations, but is also available to students in the other ESS concentrations (Soil Science, Environmental Science, and Conservation Agriculture and Environmental Sustainability). The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 9 hours of approved graduate courses for their upper-division undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their BS and MS degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students who intend to complete their MS degree at the University of Tennessee, as other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the BS degree. Significant components of the program are as follows:

  • Students must have an overall GPA of 3.4 in required coursework. Conditional admission to the five-year program may be granted after completion of 65 hours of coursework meeting requirements of the BS degree with at least 15 credit hours of that in technical courses within their concentration. Full admission may be granted after the completion of 96 hours of required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.4 and at least 24 hours of that in technical courses in their concentration.
  • Admission must be approved by the department and the Graduate School. The approval process begins with application to the BSE Undergraduate Program Coordinator. The admission decision will be based on the coursework, level of maturity, letters of recommendation, GRE scores as required by the department, and work experience.
  • Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the BSE Graduate Program Director. Students admitted to the program must also request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit, and must be admitted to the Graduate School within the BSET program following the normal admission process.
  • Students will not be eligible for assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Herbert College of Agriculture