Texas Tech University

A Degree in Plant & Soil Science

Plant & Soil Science

Go green with majors that start from the ground up. Whether you're interested in owning your own business, working to protect natural resources, learning how to grow turfgrass, working towards soil and water management, producing crops, or learning how to develop new varieties of crops, our majors can help you achieve your goal. If you're interested in the science, business, and production of our earths most valuable resources, our department can give you a well-rounded education and experience. The flexibility to enter a variety of career fields is endless! We strive to create a positive learning environment for our students on campus and at a distance. We have state of the art facilities and dedicated faculty that equip our students for regional and global professions. We don't want you to just get an education, but we want to make your experience with Texas Tech and the Department of Plant and Soil Science feel like home.

Why Major in Plant and Soil Science?
You may be interested in majoring in our department if:

  • You want to grow and develop plants for better human nutrition, greater insect/disease resistance, or aesthetic qualities
  • Help improve our environment by using plants, soil and water to modify our surroundings
  • Understand the various roles our natural resources play in our everyday lives

Degree Program
We are a comprehensive academic department conducting research and offering coursework and academic programs in all areas of the plant and soil sciences. We offer two undergraduate degrees Horticultural and Turfgrass Sciences and Environmental Crop and Soil Sciences. Each major having its own emphasis areas, they are as follows:

Horticultural & Turfgrass Sciences

With a degree in Horticultural and Turfgrass Sciences, you can turn a love of plants and fresh air into a lucrative career. Manage golf courses and athletic fields. Own your own nursery. Provide environmental consulting. Develop shade-tolerant strains of grass. Design environmental plantings for urban areas. Manage a commercial orchard, greenhouse, or botanical garden. Design, install and maintain Interiorscapes. The opportunities are endless.

  • Horticultural Biotechnology
  • Environmental Horticulture
  • Plant Protection
  • Horticultural Science
  • Turfgrass
  • Viticulture and Enology

Environmental Crop & Soil Sciences

Crop production agriculture has greater impact on environmental quality of air, soil, and water than any other human activity. Thus, proper management of cropping systems will yield marked environmental benefits and enhanced sustainability of this all-important industry. In Environmental Crop and Soil Sciences, students will learn ways to improve crop response to environmental conditions, improve efficiency of resource use for crops, reduce use of water resources, evaluate productivity and efficiency of cropping systems, conserve soil and water for future generations, and more. In other words, students will learn to improve environmental quality by improving management of soils and cropping systems.

  • Crop Biotechnology
  • Crop Protection
  • Cropping Systems Management
  • Environmental Soil and Water Science
  • Forage and Grazing Systems

Career Opportunities for Graduates
The number of job openings in the agricultural industry annually exceeds the number of available qualified graduates. A variety of career choices are available to you:

  • Agribusiness
  • Business Management
  • Communications
  • Conservation
  • Crop Consulting
  • Crop Duster
  • Crop Protection
  • Education
  • Environmental Consulting
  • Extension
  • Extension Service
  • Fruit and Vegetable Production
  • Sports Turf Maintenance
  • Golf Course Superintendent
  • Government
  • Greenhouse Operations
  • Horticulture Journalist
  • Industrial Representative
  • Land Management
  • Landscape and Lawn Maintenance
  • Landscaping
  • Management
  • Marketing and Sales
  • Nursery and Greenhouse Production
  • Parks and Recreation Management
  • Pesticide Specialist
  • Plant Biotechnology
  • Plant Breeding
  • Plant Genetics
  • Public Gardens And Arboreta
  • Research
  • Research Aide
  • Retail/Wholesale Operations
  • Sod Production
  • Soil Mapping and Conservation
  • Sports Stadium Manager
  • Teaching and Research
  • Turfgrass Scientist
  • Urban Horticulture
  • Vegetation Manager
  • Vineyard Management
  • Wholesale Growers
  • Winemaking and Vineyard Management
  • Zoo Horticulture

Faculty Make The Difference

With 26 faculty members and around 200 students, it's not hard to figure out that there is a personalized uniqueness to our department. Faculty to student ratio is low, making our faculty personable and hands-on. We're committed to providing a quality educational experience in a very personalized environment with dedicated and friendly faculty. The Plant and Soil Science faculty share expertise in Horticulture, Crop Science, Viticulture and Enology, Entomology, Turfgrass, Fiber and Biopolymer Science, and many more. We hope that our dedication to hands-on involvement is why you will make Plant and Soil Science your home.