2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Core Requirements | ||
| ALS 1234 | CALS First Year Seminar | 1 |
| or SPES 1004 | First Year Seminar | |
| ALCE 3634 | Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking | 3 |
| or ALCE 3624 | Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing | |
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| ENSC 1015 | Foundations of Environmental Science | 3 |
| or ENSC 1016 | Foundations of Environmental Science | |
| HORT 2304 | Plant Biology | 3 |
| PPWS 2104 | Plants, Genes, and People | 3 |
| PPWS 4104 | Plant Pathology | 4 |
| Subtotal | 23 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| BCHM 3114 | Biochemistry for Biotechnology and the Life Sciences | 3-4 |
| or BCHM 4115 | General Biochemistry | |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 1046 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 2535 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2545 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 2536 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2546 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CSES 2444 | Agronomic Crops | 2-3 |
| or HORT 2224 | Horticulture Science and Industry | |
| CSES 4144 | Plant Breeding and Genetics | 3 |
| CSES 4344 | Crop Physiology and Ecology | 3 |
| Subtotal | 21-23 | |
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select 15 credits from the following courses: | 15 | |
| Ecological Agriculture: Theory and Practice | ||
| Biochemical Calculations | ||
| Genomics | ||
| General Biochemistry | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Cell Function and Differentiation | ||
| Evolutionary Genetics | ||
| Chemical Ecology | ||
| Foundations of Precision Agriculture | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Soils | ||
| And | ||
| Soils Laboratory | ||
| Or | ||
| Soils in the Landscape | ||
| Agriculture, Global Food Security and Health | ||
| Soil Microbiology | ||
| Applied Concepts in Precision Agriculture | ||
| Principles and Practice of Agroforestry | ||
| Forage Crop Ecology | ||
| Plants, Places, and Cultures in a Global Context | ||
| Environmental Factors in Horticulture | ||
| Greenhouse and Controlled Environment Agriculture Management | ||
| Medicinal Plants and Herbs | ||
| Mysterious Mushrooms, Malicious Molds | ||
| Weeds That Shape Our World | ||
| Microbial Forensics and Biosecurity | ||
| Plant Problem Diagnosis | ||
| Biological Invasions | ||
| World Crops: Food and Culture | ||
| Topics: StudyAway: Production, Culture and Social Aspects US Agriculture | ||
| Up to 3 credit hours can be selected from the following courses: | ||
| Study Abroad (1-3) | ||
| Field Study (1-3) | ||
| Independent Study (1-3) | ||
| Undergraduate Research (1-3) | ||
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| Select free electives to fulfilfill 120 total credit hours required. | 16 | |
| Subtotal | 16 | |
| Pathways to General Education | ||
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | ||
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| Select three credits in Pathway 1a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 2 | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | ||
| AAEC 1005 | Economics of the Food and Fiber System | 3 |
| or ECON 2005 | Principles of Economics | |
| Select three credits in Pathway 3 | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | ||
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1036 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking | ||
| MATH 1025 | Elementary Calculus (5F) | 3 |
| or MATH 1225 | Calculus of a Single Variable | |
| MATH 1026 | Elementary Calculus (5F) | 3 |
| or MATH 1226 | Calculus of a Single Variable | |
| STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics (5A) | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | ||
| Select three credits in Pathway 6d | 3 | |
| Select three credits in Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | ||
| Select three credits in Pathway 7 (may be double-counted with another Pathways concept) | 3 | |
| Subtotal | 45 | |
| Total Credits | 120-122 | |
Upon having attempted 60 credits (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing and credit by examination), "satisfactory progress" toward a BS PLSC degree will include passing the following:
SPES 1004 First Year Seminar : Any University approved First Year Experience (FYE) Course
A sequence of two foreign language courses (Classical or ASL) is required unless two years of the same high school foreign language or 6 transfer credits of the same foreign language are completed. These credits do not count toward graduation requirements.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| MATH 1025 | Elementary Calculus | 3 |
| SPES 1004 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIOL 1106 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 1036 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1046 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| MATH 1026 | Elementary Calculus | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CHEM 2535 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2545 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| ENSC 1015 | Foundations of Environmental Science | 3 |
| HORT 2224 or CSES 2444 | Horticulture Science and Industry or Agronomic Crops | 2 |
| PPWS 2104 | Plants, Genes, and People | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ALCE 3624 or ALCE 3634 | Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Writing or Communicating Ag and Life Sciences in Speaking | 3 |
| CHEM 2536 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 2546 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| HORT 2304 | Plant Biology | 3 |
| STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| AAEC 1005 or ECON 2005 | Economics of the Food and Fiber System or Principles of Economics | 3 |
| BCHM 3114 or BCHM 4115 | Biochemistry for Biotechnology and the Life Sciences or General Biochemistry | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CSES 4144 | Plant Breeding and Genetics | 3 |
| PPWS 4104 | Plant Pathology | 4 |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CSES 4344 | Crop Physiology and Ecology | 3 |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Restricted Electives | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 4 | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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