New Soil and Land Development major to benefit students, industry

The proposed Bachelor of Science degree in Soil and Land Development at NC State will give students new learning opportunities and will help meet the needs of the land development industry by producing a new generation of soil scientists.

A new major in the Department of Soil Science will create opportunities for students interested in real estate development – and could be a boon for the industry. Soil and Land Development, a Bachelor of Science degree under proposal by the Department, will help the Department meet the needs of the consulting industry that focuses on land development. And, despite the slump in the housing market, this new major couldn’t come soon enough. “Consultants had been telling us for at least 10 years that we were not turning out enough graduates to meet the needs of their industry,” says Dr. Mike Vepraskas, Professor of Soil Science and one of the architects of the proposed degree program. “This major was developed to attract more students into the field of soil science and train them for land development work,” Vepraskas says. “While the timing for starting this major could not be worse, we hope that in a short time the real estate development industry will get back on its feet.” This major will be the first of its kind in the United States, he says. The Department hopes to offer it by August 2009 and enroll about 20 students within the first year. The major’s land development concentration is designed for students to pursue MBA degrees and move into management positions. As undergraduates the students will broaden their education with elective courses in accounting, agricultural engineering, business, communication, forestry, geology and natural resources. “This is also important for recruiting new majors,” Vepraskas says. “High school students should be able to conjure up images of people working outdoors to evaluate land to build houses, office buildings and subdivisions. The term ‘soil science’ is largely unknown to most high school students, and we want to remedy that.” The possibilities are exciting. “With a Soil and Land Development major,” Vepraskas says, “the Department will be able to train students for three very diverse careers: real estate development, agriculture and environmental protection.”