Handbook for Graduate Students in Soil Science

I. WELCOME

Department of Soil Science

Dokuchaev's description of the Russian Chernozem in 1883, the birth of pedology, preceded North Dakota statehood (1889) and the founding of North Dakota's Agricultural College (1890) by only a few years. Yet North Dakotan's appreciation of soil is deep seated, as evidenced by the coat of arms of North Dakota bearing the motto "Strength from the Soil."

The North Dakota Agricultural College (AC) included soil as part of the subject matter of its agricultural courses from its founding in 1890. The first course name to specifically relate to soils was 'soil physics' listed in the 1899-1900 catalog. The first reported response of wheat yield to commercial fertilizer in North Dakota was in 1903 by Schollander. A 'soils emphasis' became an option for a degree in the Department of Agronomy in 1925 or 1926. Charles Kellogg brought one of the first pedology courses taught in the United States to the AC in 1932. Kellogg was on the faculty from 1930 to 1933 and left to become Chief, Division of Soil Survey, Bureau of Chemistry and Soils, USDA. There he produced the first edition of the American Soil Survey Manual. In 1950 the 'Soils Train' of six cars toured North Dakota with a variety of soils-related displays, including soil monoliths. Soil Science became an independent department in 1959 and the AC became North Dakota State University (NDSU) in December 1960. By the mid- 1960s NDSU was producing a steady stream of advanced as well as baccalaureate degrees in soils. In 1974 Soil Science became home to the office of the North Dakota State Climatologist. The Land Reclamation Research Center (LRRC) was part of the Department in the 1980s.

Today, the Department offers Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Soil Science. Specialized academic and research training is available in Management and Conservation, Genesis, Chemistry, Physics and Climatology. Additional information can be obtained on our home page at the NDSU website, http://www.ndsu.edu/soils.

University

North Dakota State University is a land-grant institution with current enrollment of over 12,000 students. The University also serves several thousand people throughout the state in continuing education and extension programs. There are 41 doctoral and professional programs, 51 master's degree programs and 105 bachelor's degree programs at NDSU. The web page www.ndsu.edu/ndsu/main/directory/bldg_list.php will help you get around the NDSU campus. NDSU also participates in the Tri-College University consortium with neighboring Minnesota State University-Moorhead (more than 7,900 students) and Concordia College (about 2,900 students). NDSU has approximately 1,500 staff members and 800 faculty and academic staff.

Community

Fargo, North Dakota's largest city, was recently named one of the most desirable places in the country to live by Money magazine. With more than 166,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead community and about 500,000 people in the service area, Fargo-Moorhead is among the largest metropolitan centers between Minneapolis and Seattle and was recently named an All-American City. Visit Fargo's Chamber of Commerce's Web page www.fmchamber.com/community/qualityoflife.html.