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Graduate Program

SOCS offers graduate Program leading to Ph.D. degrees in Soil Science. SOCS graduate students enroll in several SOCS courses as part of their program. Which reflects the multi-disciplinary characteristics of the SOCS program in general.

 

Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science

Soil Science Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences

King Saud University

 

The Degree:     Ph.D. in Soil Science

 

Program Objectives:

 Graduate study program at Soil Science Department, College of Agriculture aims to prepare well qualified students to carry out the required academic and applied research programs in soil and environmental sciences under Saudi Arabian conditions. Therefore the aims of the program are as follows: 

1-     Activate scientific research in soil science related to Saudi Arabian conditions with emphasis on the following:

-         Arid and semi-arid soil characteristics studies.

-         Proplems of irrigated agriculture and sustainable soil management practices

-         Evaluation of arid lands quality for agriculture land use.

-         Soil, water and plant relations for conservation of water and other agriculture inputs.

-         Maximizing the use of new technologies such as remote sensing, GIS and biofertilizer in soil science studies.

 

2- Preparation of scientifically qualified students in soil science to serve the     Kingdom development plans such as:

     -Academic staff for education and scientific research at the           universities and  agriculture institutes.

     -Scientific staff capable of supervising applied research at research institutions.

 

3- Creation of new opportunities for cooperation between Ph.D. soil graduates working at research institutions and the university through cooperative applied research programs.

 

Admissions:

 1- Admission is open to all qualified students who hold Master degree in soil science or other related specialization from King Saud University or other qualified university.

2-Students should pass personal meeting (interview) with the department graduate committee.

 3- The student is required to have TOEFL score of 450 or other equivalent English language examination or M.Sc. degree from non-Arabic university with English study language. 

 

Degree requirements and study program:

 1- The study leading to Ph.D. in Soil Science is basically by dissertation and some courses. The program requires a minimum of 22 units, see attached, in which 6 units may be taken from the M.Sc. level not studied before.

2- The department decides the study plan for the students at the    beginning of the1st level according to the minor specialization.

3-  A comprehensive exam is required

4- Preparation of dissertation (700 level) in the student specialization  that are original and specific.

 

  Couses Plan        Courses List          Courses Dscription       

  

Graduate Courses Plan                                                     

FIRST LEVEL: 

No.

COURSE No. & SYMBOL

COURSE TITLE

UNITS

1

621 SOSC

Soil Physical Chemistry

3(3+0)

2

652 SOSC

Soil Classification and Evaluation

3(2+1)

3

… SOSC

Dep. selects  one course from the courses list

3

 

Total

 

9

 

SECOND LEVEL: 

No.

COURSE No. & SYMBOL

COURSE TITLE

UNITS

1

690 SOSC

Selected Topics in Soil Science

2(2+1)

2

691 SOSC

Seminar (1)

1(1+0)

3

… SOSC

Dep. selects 2 courses from the courses list

6

 

Total

 

9

 

THIRD LEVEL:

No.

COURSE No. & SYMBOL

COURSE TITLE

UNITS

2

692 SOSC

Seminar (2)

1(1+0)

3

… SOSC

Dep. selects one courses from the courses list

3

 

Total

 

4

 

THE FOLLOWING LEVELS: 

No.

COURSE No. & SYMBOL

COURSE TITLE

UNITS

1

700  SOSC

  Thesis

 

 

Courses List Selection ,  Ph. D. in Soil Science , Department of Soil Science,   

COURSE No. & SYMBOL

COURSE TITLE

UNITS

622 SOSC

Chemistry of Soil Organic Matter                                             

3(2+1)

623 SOSC

Chemistry of Soil Colloids                                

 

3(2+1)

631 SOSC

Organic Manure and Biofertilizers                                            

3(3+0)

651 SOSC

Applications of Remote Sensing in Soil

3(2+1)

661 SOSC

Transport Processes in Soil Environment                                                          

3(3+0)

662 SOSC

Soil, Water, Plant Relationships                                    

3(3+0)

671 SOSC

Soil Biochemistry                                                                     

3(2+1)

672 SOSC

Bioremediation of Environmental Soil Pollutants            

3(3+0)

Any graduate courses offered at KSU which the department of soil science approved to meet student's specialization need.

 

Courses List

        Course  Title                                                               Credits  

621 SOSC

Soil Physical Chemistry                                                3(3+0)

622 SOSC

Chemistry of Soil Organic Matter                             3(2+1)

623 SOSC

Chemistry of Soil Colloids                                        3(2+1)

631 SOSC

Organic Manure and Biofertilizers                             2(2+0)

651 SOSC

Applications of Remote Sensing in Soil                     2(2+0)

652 SOSC

Soil Classification and Evaluation                              3(2+1)

661 SOSC

Transport Processes in Soil Environment                   3(3+0)

662 SOSC

Soil, Water, Plant Relationships                                3(3+0)

671 SOSC

Soil Biochemistry                                                     3(2+1)

672 SOSC

Bioremediation of Environmental Soil Pollutants          2(2+0)

690 SOSC

Selected Topics in Soil Sciences                               2(2+0) 

 m691SOSC

Seminar (1)                                                        1(1+0)      

692 SOSC

Seminar (2)                                                        1(1+0)

S700SOSC

Thesis

 

 

Ph. D. in Soil Science   Courses Description

 621 SOSC Soil Physical Chemistry                                                     3(3+0)    

            The solid-liquid interface in soils. Application of surface charge and electrical double layer in soil system. Chemical reactions in soils.  Kinetic reactions in pure and heterogeneous systems.  Equations to describe kinetic reactions in clay and soil. Thermodynamics of soil solution. Precipitation and dissolution reactions in soils.

622 SOSC Chemistry of Soil Organic Matter                            3(2+1)   

            The nature of organic matter. Molecular structure of organic matter. Classification of organic matter. The processes and factors of humus formation. Functional groups of organic substances. Nature binding of humus substance with mineral components. Adsorption complexes. The role of organic matter in soil formation and soil fertility.

623 SOSC Chemistry of Soil Colloids                                   3(2+1)     

            Introduction to colloidal systems. Properties of soil colloids. Electric potential of clay particles. Equilibrium between attraction and repulsion forces. Interactions of soil colloids, amorphous materials in soils. Silica, Aluminum, and Iron oxides and hydroxides in soils. Organic colloids in soils.

  631 SOSC Organic Manure and Biofertilizers                       2(2+0)         

            Organic manure sources-production methods, types of organic manure and its evaluation factors- affecting their quality- types of Biofertlization proliferation, carriers- preservation and expiry date, efficiency of Biofertilizers.

651 SOSC Applications of Remote Sensing in Soil                  2(2+0)  

            Development of remote sensing systems. Relationship between sensing systems and electromagnetic energy. Sensors and wavelength limits. Satellite data and images and its application in agriculture. Light energy interactions with soil surface, plants, and water. Use of air photograph in natural resources survey. Application of remote sensing data in: Soil spatial variability, farm management, monitoring changes in land use, and soil degradation. 

                                                                

  

652 SOSC Soil Classification and Evaluation                      3(2+1)

            Pedological and artificial systems. FAO system. American system of soil taxonomy and the subsequent developments. Diagnostic characteristics used. Detailed studies of the different levels. Aridisol , Entisol and Mollisol orders. Field applications of soil classification to Saudi soils. Land evaluation systems for different land use. Soil evaluation for irrigated agriculture.  Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Soil Information Systems (SIS). 

 661 SOSC Transport Processes in Soil Environment                3(3+0)

            Transport processes of water, heat, and solutes in soils. Physical and mathematical description of nonsteady transports in unsaturated zone with emphasis on analytical and numerical solutions to water and chemical contaminants transport in soil environment. Detailed study on the convection and hydrodynamic dispersion. The chemical and biological reactions affecting solute movements. The environmental importance of transport processes in soils.

 662 SOSC Soil, Water, Plant Relationships                          3(3+0)

            Soil as medium for plant growth, with emphasis on interactions between soil physical properties and plant growth. Basic environmental variables (temperature, humidity, wind and radiation) and their relations with plant- soil- atmosphere exchange processes. Factors affecting movement of water from soil to plant. Mathematical equations and computer models will be used to study the water movement from soil to plant.

671 SOSC Soil Biochemistry                                                       3(2+1)

            Biodegradation of organic compounds. Enzyme activity of soil microorganisms. Bio-oxidation of inorganic compounds. Relationship between enzyme activity and microbial growth kinetics. Metabolites produced from biological activity of soil microflora. Microbial growth regulators. Microbial polymers and soil properties.

 

672 SOSC Bioremediation of Environmental Soil Pollutants           2(2+0)  

            Soil pollutants and their role in the inhibition of some biological processes in soil. Microorganisms used in bioremidiation. Selection of most active strains. Methods of application. Factors affecting their activity. Rate of Bioremediation of different pollutants. Byproducts and their persistence in soil.  Microbial volatilization of some toxic heavy metals.

 

 690 SOSC Selected Topics in Soil Sciences                                  2(2+0)

            Advanced and current topics in one of the soil science fields (Soil chemistry, soil fertility, plant nutrition, soil pedology, soil physics, soil microbiology, and soil mineralogy). Student registers with one of the staff in the respected field.

 691 SOSC Seminar (1)                                                                   1(1+0)

            Discussion of Advanced research problems in soil science.

692 SOSC Seminar (2)                                                                  1(1+0)

            Discussion of Advanced research problems in soil science.

 

700 SOSC Thesis

 
 
 

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