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Soil Science
Introduction
The thin skin of soil that mantles the land surface of the earth is a complex and fascinating chemical, physical and biological system. Far from being mere dirt beneath your feet, it is teeming with life. In fact there are vastly more living organisms in the area under the soles of your shoes than there are people on earth. Because soil is the interface where plants, animals, water, air and rocks meet and interact, soil science is a highly interdisciplinary subject and of key importance to many professions including agriculture, environmental and natural resource management, urban and regional planning, and engineering. The fragility of many of Australia's soils is well known and soil scientists are working to manage major degradation issues such as erosion, salinity, acidification and soil structure decline, while at the same time developing new ways to enhance and sustain the soils agricultural productivity. In addition soil scientists are playing an increasing role in waste management programs, solving soil contamination problems and reconstructing damaged ecosystems.
Explore our Living Soils website
Explore Oz Soils, our interactive introduction to soil science.
Why Study Soil Science at UNE?
UNE is one of Australia's leading providers of undergraduate soil science education, with over 150 students taking soils units each year and lecturers with expertise in soil chemistry, soil physics, soil biology and pedology. In addition to teaching into interdisciplinary units we provide a sequence of specialised soil science units to take the student from the basics of how soils function to solving complex real-world soil management problems. We also supervise research students undertaking projects in a diverse range of fields including plant nutrition and fertiliser management, soil biological health, soil water management, soil structure, soil carbon dynamics, organic agriculture, soil contamination, and mine site rehabilitation. Because of the central role of soil in many environmental and agricultural issues we work closely in our teaching and research with staff and students from other disciplines at UNE as well as with government agencies and industry.
Courses
Undergraduate
Advanced Diploma in Agriculture - not offered to new students in 2011
Bachelor of Agriculture
Bachelor of Agriculture/Bachelor of Business
Bachelor of Agriculture/Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Animal Science
Bachelor of Engineering Technology
Bachelor of Environmental Science
Bachelor of Environmental Science/Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of GeoScience
Bachelor of Livestock Science - no longer offered
Bachelor of Natural Resources - no longer offered
Bachelor of Natural Resources/Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning - not offered to new students in 2011
Bachelor of Rural Science
Bachelor of Science
Diploma in Agriculture
Postgraduate Research
Doctor of Philosophy
Master of Resource Science
Master of Rural Science
Postgraduate
Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources
Graduate Certificate in Rural Science
Graduate Diploma in Natural Resources
Graduate Diploma in Rural Science
Master of Agriculture
Master of Environmental Management
Master of Natural Resources
Master of Science in Agriculture
Professional Doctorate in Science - no longer offered
Units
SOIL220 - Introduction to Soil Science
SOIL310/510 - Environmental Soil Science
SOIL311/511 - Soil and Nutrient Cycles
SOIL431/531 - Interactive International Soil Science
Careers
Career opportunities for graduates with expertise in soil science exist in a wide range of areas associated with land management, including:
- Agricultural enterprises
- Environmental management for mines, etc
- Environmental and agricultural consultancies
- Government agencies (eg Department of Primary Industries, Department of Environment and Conservation)
- Catchment Management Authorities, Landcare etc.
- Research organisations (CSIRO, universities)
Facilities
UNE has excellent laboratories for soil science research. Analytical facilities include ICP-OES, ion chromatograph, Carlo-Erba-MS CNS analyser, NIRS, GC-MS and HPLC. We have a range of field and laboratory equipment for measuring soil structure, soil mechanical properties, and soil water (neutron probes, TDR, capacitance probes, pressure plates, etc). There is a state of the art glasshouse complex, and because of our rural location students have ready access to university owned research properties, the closest of which are adjacent to the campus.
Contacts
For general and administrative enquiries:
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For further information about studying soil science contact: