Crop and Soil Sciences (BS): Crop Biotechnology
The Bachelor of Science in Crop and Soil Sciences with a concentration in Crop Biotechnology is a program that trains the next generation of plant scientists primarily focused on crop improvement. Through hands-on classes, students will learn how crops develop and improve as a result of biotechnology through increased food quality and quantity once introduced into agricultural production systems. Plant breeders graduating from this program will develop the seeds used by the next generation of food producers.
Contact Person
Undergraduate Programs Office
Crop & Soil Sciences Department
2234 Williams Hall
Campus Box 7620
919-515-5820
cropsoil-undergraduate-office@ncsu.edu
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation | |||
| ALS 103 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 | |
| or ALS 303 | Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | ||
| Mathematics & Natural Sciences | |||
| MA 131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 | |
| MA 231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B | 3 | |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| BIO 181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 | |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 | |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 | |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 | |
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 | |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 | |
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 | |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 | |
| PY 131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 | |
| BCH 351 | General Biochemistry | 3 | |
| Communication/Advanced Writing | |||
| COM 110 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| or COM 112 | Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| Communication Methods and Media | |||
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | |||
| Communication for Business and Management | |||
| Communication for Science and Research | |||
| Required Courses within Major | |||
| ARE 201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 | |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 | |
| CSSC 290 | Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences | 1 | |
| CS 213 | Crop Science 1 | 3 | |
| CS 214 | Crop Science Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| CS 413 | Plant Breeding | 3 | |
| CS 211 | Plant Genetics | 3 | |
| PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| PB 480 | Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | 3 | |
| SSC 200 | Soil Science 1 | 3 | |
| SSC 201 | Soil Science Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| Concentration Electives | |||
| Foundation Elective (select one): | 3 | ||
| Technology in Society and Culture | |||
| Seeds, Biotechnology and Societies | |||
| Technology in Society and Culture | |||
| Contemporary Science, Technology and Human Values | |||
| Biotechnology Elective | 4 | ||
| Experiential Learning (select one): | 3 | ||
| Professional Internship Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | |||
| Research Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | |||
| Restricted Electives | 13 | ||
| General Education Program (GEP) Courses | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Free Electives | |||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) 2 | 6 | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.
Biotechnology Elective
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEC 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIO 572 | Proteomics | 3 | |
| BIT 100 | Current Topics in Biotechnology | 4 | |
| BIT 200 | Early Research in Biotechnology | 4 | |
| BIT 210 | Phage Hunters | 3 | |
| BIT 211 | Phage Genomics | 2 | |
| BIT 295 | Special Topics in Biotechnology | 1-3 | |
| BIT 462/562 | 2 | ||
| BIT 463/563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BIT 465/565 | Real-time PCR Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 467/567 | PCR and DNA Fingerprinting | 2 | |
| BIT 468/568 | 2 | ||
| BIT 471/571 | RNA Interference and Model Organisms | 2 | |
| BIT 473/573 | Protein Interactions | 2 | |
| BIT 474/574 | Plant Genetic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 476 | Applied Bioinformatics | 2 | |
| BIT 477 | Metagenomics | 2 | |
| BIT 478/578 | 2 | ||
| BIT 479/579 | High-Throughput Discovery | 2 | |
| BIT 480/580 | Yeast Metabolic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 481/581 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| BIT 492 | External Learning Experience | 1-6 | |
| BIT 493 | Special Problems in Biotechnology | 1-6 | |
| BIT 495 | Special Topics in Biotechnology | 1-3 | |
| BIT 501 | Ethical Issues in Biotechnology | 1 | |
| BIT 502 | Biotechnology Networking and Professional Development | 1 | |
| BIT 510 | Core Technologies in Molecular and Cellular Biology | 4 | |
| BIT 569 | 2 | ||
| BIT 590 | Independent Study in Biotechnology | 1-3 | |
| BIT 595 | Special Topics | 1-6 | |
| CH 572 | Proteomics | 3 | |
| CHE 463 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| CHE 563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| MB 210 | Phage Hunters | 3 | |
| MB 211 | Phage Genomics | 2 | |
| PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| PO 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 |
Restricted Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEC 360 | Ecology | 4 | |
| BIO 330 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 414 | Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIT 476 | Applied Bioinformatics | 2 | |
| BIT 481/581 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| CS 211 | Plant Genetics | 3 | |
| CS 216 | Southern Row Crop Production - Cotton, Peanuts, and Tobacco | 3 | |
| CS 218 | Southern Row Crop Production - Corn, Small Grains and Soybeans | 3 | |
| CS 224 | Seeds, Biotechnology and Societies | 3 | |
| CS 230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 | |
| CS 251 | Production of Forage Crops | 3 | |
| CS 411 | Crop Ecology | 3 | |
| CS 414 | Weed Science | 4 | |
| CS 415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 | |
| CS 418/518 | Introduction to Regulatory Science in Agriculture | 3 | |
| CS 428/528 | Advanced Regulatory Science in Agriculture | 3 | |
| CS 424/524 | Seed Physiology | 3 | |
| CS 430/530 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 | |
| CS 480 | Sustainable Food Production (capstone) | 1 | |
| CSSC 490 | Senior Seminar in Crop Science and Soil Science | 1 | |
| CSSC 495 | Special Topics in Crop and Soil Sciences | 1-6 | |
| ENT 425 | General Entomology | 3 | |
| GN 311 | Principles of Genetics | 4 | |
| GN 312 | Elementary Genetics Laboratory | 1 | |
| GN 421/521 | Molecular Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 423 | Population, Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 | |
| MB 200 | The Fourth Horseman: Plagues that Changed the World | 3 | |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology | 3 | |
| MB 575 | Introduction to Mycology | 4 | |
| PB 200 | Plant Life | 4 | |
| PB 250 | Plant Biology | 4 | |
| PB 295 | Special Topics in Botany | 1-4 | |
| PB 345 | Economic Botany | 3 | |
| PB 346 | Economic Botany Lab | 1 | |
| PB 360 | Ecology | 4 | |
| PB 400 | Plant Diversity and Evolution | 4 | |
| PB 403 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| PB 413 | Plant Anatomy | 2 | |
| PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| PB 495 | Special Topics in Plant Biology | 1-6 | |
| PB 503 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| PB 513 | Plant Anatomy | 2 | |
| PB 570 | Plant Functional Ecology | 3 | |
| PB 575 | Introduction to Mycology | 4 | |
| PP 315 | Principles of Plant Pathology | 4 | |
| PP 495 | Special Topics in Plant Pathology | 1-3 | |
| PP 575 | Introduction to Mycology | 4 | |
| SSC 185 | Land and Life | 3 | |
| SSC 332 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 | |
| SSC 341 | Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management | 3 | |
| SSC 342 | Soil and Plant Nutrient Analysis | 1 | |
| SSC 421 | 3 | ||
| SSC 427 | Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems | 3 | |
| SSC 440/540 | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Soil Science and Agriculture | 3 | |
| SSC 442 | Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry | 3 | |
| SSC 452 | Soil Classification | 4 | |
| SSC 455 | Soils, Environmental Quality and Global Challenges | 3 | |
| SSC 461 | Soil Physical Properties and Plant Growth | 3 | |
| SSC 462 | Soil-Crop Management Systems | 3 | |
| SSC 470/570 | Wetland Soils | 3 | |
| ST 371 | Introduction to Probability and Distribution Theory | 3 | |
| STS 302 | Contemporary Science, Technology and Human Values | 3 | |
| STS 323 | World Population and Food Prospects | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ALS 103 or ALS 303 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences or Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 |
| BIO 181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| MA 131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 |
| Foundation Elective | 3 | |
| CSSC 290 | Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIO 183 or PB 200 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology or Plant Life | 4 |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| MA 231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B | 3 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CS 213 | Crop Science | 3 |
| CS 214 | Crop Science Laboratory | 1 |
| SSC 200 | Soil Science | 3 |
| SSC 201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Restrictive Electives | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| COM 110 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| CS 211 | Plant Genetics | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARE 201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| PY 131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BCH 351 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Restrictive Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Biotechnology Elective | 4 | |
| PB 480 | Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | 3 |
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | |
| Experiential Learning Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CS 413 | Plant Breeding | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Business and Management | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| Restrictive Elective | 4 | |
| Free Elective | 6 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Career Opportunities
The breadth and depth of education and experiences you will gain from our department will set you on a path toward a rewarding career in one of the following specialties:
- Crop Geneticist
- Crops Systems Specialist
- Plant Breeder
- Plant Protection Specialist
- Regulatory Scientist
Learn more about future job prospects, representative salaries, and major employers for each of the above listed careers at go.ncsu.edu/careers
Career Titles
- Food & Drug Inspector
- Landscape Architect
- Soil Conservation Technician
- Soil Conservationist
- Soil Engineer
- Soil Scientist
- Winemaker / Vinter
Learn More About Careers
NCcareers.org
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Focus 2 Career Assessment (NC State student email address required)
This career, major and education planning system is available to current NC State students to learn about how your values, interests, competencies, and personality fit into the NC State majors and your future career. An NC State email address is required to create an account. Make an appointment with your career counselor to discuss the results.