The Master of Science in Soil Science is a research degree that requires the successful completion of a research problem and the submittal of a written thesis that documents the research. The requirements for the degree and graduation are:

• A minimum of 30 semester credit hours;
• At least 20 credit hours must come from 500, 600, 700, and 800 level courses. No more than six credits of 400-level (undergraduate) courses may be counted toward the 30 credit hour requirement and they may not come from the major field.
• The 30 credit hours required in the POW must include at least one credit hour, but not more than two credit hours, of seminar (SSC 601) and must include a minimum of two, but not more than six, credit hours of research (SSC 693 or SSC 695).
• At least 18 credit hours of letter-graded graduate courses (“A,” “B,” “C”, etc.) earned while the student is enrolled in the graduate program must be included in the program. These must be NC State or inter-institutional courses.
• Additional credit hours of seminar and research may be taken in addition to the required 30 credit hours to fulfill continuous registration requirements, but do not need to be listed on the POW.
• All requirements must be completed within six calendar years after the student first enrolls in a graduate course applicable to the program. A non-credit exit seminar is required.