Are you interested in the complexity, fragility and potential of plants and soil? Together, plants and soil provide an essential resource for all terrestrial life. This is the only degree programme in the UK that focuses on this important and fascinating world.
This programme is studied on campus.
Doing a Plant and Soil Science degree at the University of Aberdeen will provide you with both core and advanced understanding of this exciting subject area. The knowledge and skills that you gain could open up a world of career opportunities for you, for instance in playing a vital role in informing the debate on climate change and global food security.
The Plant and Soil Science degree provides many opportunities:
Each year you take a selection of compulsory courses and optional courses that can be chosen from those on offer across the institution. The first two years lay a foundation for the more specialised third and fourth years.
In year 1 you will take eight courses made up of compulsory and elective options. One of the required courses is Ecology and Environment. In addition you will attend a summer field trip to Bettyhill in the north of Scotland where Plants and their Habitats in Northern Scotland is studied.
Plus 45 credit points from courses of choice.
You are required to choose 60 credits from Sustained Study, Discipline Breadth or Sixth Century courses across levels 1 and 2.
This course, which is prescribed for level 1 students and optional for level 2 students, is studied entirely online and covers topics relating to careers and employability, equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing. During the course you will learn about the Aberdeen Graduate Attributes, how they are relevant to you and the opportunities available to develop your skills and attributes alongside your University studies. You will also gain an understanding of equality and diversity and health, safety and wellbeing issues. Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Enhanced Transcript as ‘Achieved’ (non-completion will be recorded as ‘Not Achieved’). The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across a number of weeks and it will be available to you throughout the academic year.
A walk through the evolutionary tree of life, examining the amazing diversity of major groups of organisms from plants through fungi to invertebrates.Learn about how each group of organisms arose, their characteristics, and how they achieved success.
Practical activities provide hands on experience of materials demonstrating the diversity of plants and invertebrates.
You will be assessed by a combination of laboratory reports, on which you will get detailed feedback to help you develop your skills, and an exam.This course will take you on a journey through the physical workings of the Earth, the interactions between species and their environments and then on to the effects humans are having on the planet and thoughts on the future.
Teaching by staff with different subject specialisms who give both variety and immediacy to course material.
Exposure to the problems we are facing both now and in the future which means that students can make informed choices in their everyday lives.
A range of ‘wet’ and computer-based practicals enhance the classroom teaching and develop generic scientific skills.
The week-long residential course is based at the University’s Bettyhill field station in the far north of Scotland. The location is stunning and, for many students, a new experience of unfamiliar plant communities.
You are introduced to representatives of the local flora. We teach skills in recognising key features of plant species and how to identify them.
You are encouraged to consider the reasons why and where plant species are found within the northern landscape and how plant communities can be sampled.
In year 2 compulsory courses include Ecology and Plants, People and the Environment. You will select elective courses to contribute towards enhanced study.
Plus 75 credit points from courses of choice.
You are required to choose 60 credits from Sustained Study, Discipline Breadth or Sixth Century courses across levels 1 and 2.
The course will help you consolidate and develop skills in experimental design, sampling, analysis, presentation, and interpretation of data. You will be encouraged to seek to improve your academic writing and develop other transferable skills.
Each week, there is one 1-hour introductory lecture. In two 2-hour sessions when will work through a series of computer-based data tasks, using relevant and realistic biological and environmental themes.
Teaching is informal and friendly. During sessions, staff and demonstrators will chat to you about your progress and provide help.
Assessments are two online multiple-choice tests (each 25%) and an individual project (50%).
A range of practical and workshop classes will enable you to consider information from lectures in more detail and develop ideas.
A range of types of continuous assessment allow you to consolidate learning throughout the semester.
Weekly opportunities to practice writing skills needed for the exam and regular feedback provided on writing exercises.
Detailed feedback on practical assignments will help you develop essential scientific writing skills
You will use Peerwise to write multiple choice questions, requiring thorough engagement with taught material and developing an extensive set of questions for use in revision
A course in which several researchers explore both core and emerging issues in the plant sciences, focusing in particular on the inter-dependence of plants, people and environment. Students are encouraged to develop a range of important generic and applied skills, through lectures, practicals and tutorials. Five of the practicals contribute 50% of the course mark. An exam contributes 50% of the overall course grade and consists a choice of short, structured questions.
Courses at this level include Global Soil Geography, Ecosystem Processes, Soils for Food Security, Environmental Analysis. In addition to your taught courses, in third year there is a strong element of practical laboratory training and fieldwork, plus visits to research institutes, conservation and environmental protection agencies and commercial companies.
Plus 30 credit points from courses of choice.
You are required to choose 30 credits from Discipline Breadth or Sixth Century courses across levels 3 and 4.
In a series of cases studies, you will learn how to analyse and interpret biological data to a level which will allow you to design, at least, the first stages of your level 4 honours project.
You will also choose from4-6 topics in advanced data handling techniques also pertinent to level 4 honours projects.
The course is intensive but allows you to work largely at your own pace with considerable assistance from 3-4 staff and 5-6 demonstrators.
Field based course that takes you across northeast Scotland exploring an ancient tropical rainforest, hill farming in action, survey techniques and soil formation.
A long tradition of soil science teaching at the University of Aberdeen assembled into lectures and field trips delivered by senior academics.
Your assessments are geared towards developing practical skills. This includes a field log book to teach survey techniques, a presentation on a particular soil that requires research akin to detective work and a quiz on soil classification. An exam will also assessed.Terrestrial ecosystems play a pivotal role in modulating the fluxes of energy and matter at the Earth’s surface, including the cycling of carbon, nutrients and greenhouse gases. Understanding the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems is critical for understanding environmental challenges such as global warming, biodiversity loss, sustainable development and pollution. This course develops principles of systems ecology and biogeochemistry, focusing on the fundamental role played by living things in regulating key ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling, nutrient dynamics, trophic transfers, and land-atmosphere exchange of greenhouse gases.
.
This advanced soil science course provides additional teaching of physical, chemical and biological properties of soils in the context of food security. You will learn a variety of processes that affect soil productivity, accompanied by practical sessions that will teach relevant analytical methods. The wide range of soil processes taught will be brought together at the end of the course to provide a working knowledge of agronomy, including the interactions between crops and specific chemical or physical properties of soils.
· The mixture of applied science and theoretical work places you in an valuable position for understanding the procedures and applications in modern environmental science
· A number of laboratory classes allows you to familiarise yourself with the current analytical instrumentation in environmental science
· The course uses examples of environmental issues allowing you to understand the problem, how the analysis was conducted and the implications of the results
The main assessment in this course is a practical write up that is written in the style of a scientific paper giving you an opportunity to perfect this style of writing
Lectures, workshops, excursions and computer-based sessions provide a diverse set of learning opportunities relating to plant physiology and adaptations to their environment.
A grant writing and grant review exercise on a topic of your choosing within plant physiology and interactions with the environment develops specialist knowledge and your capacity for creative, independent and critical thinking, problem identification and problem solving. Participation in a grant review panel helps you to develop confidence and oral communication skills.
In a computer-based practical you will develop an understanding of how landscape modelling informs our understanding of plant-environment interactions.
In year 4, the Honours year, you will carry out a research project as well as writing an extended essay and completing advanced courses of your choosing.
Either BI4017 SBS Honours Essay (Semester 1) OR BI 4517 SBS Honours Essay (Semester 2).
Plus 45 credit points from courses of choice.
You are required to choose 30 credits from Discipline Breadth or Sixth Century courses across levels 3 and 4.
This independent research project develops your skills in scientific inquiry and critical analysis, as well as important generic skills, including presentation and time management.
Projects are field-, lab- and/or desk-based, developed on a topic of your interest under the direction of a supervisor.
Training in skills needed to perform your project is provided by world-leading researchers and their teams.
Workshops and drop-in sessions provide training in data analysis and thesis production.
This skill set will be appropriate for advanced study in the field of biological science or other careers where the generic skills that you will develop are highly valued.
Current issues in biological and environmental sciences will be discussed in weekly seminars. Student-led group presentations will enable students to critically examine ecologically or environmentally-relevant topics of their choice, and also discuss the wider societal scientific and societal ramifications of these issues with their peers. Students will have the opportunity to develop their analytical and science communication skills through a debate, written policy brief (modeled on the UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology’s “POSTnotes”) and an individually-produced short film.
You research a topic and write an extended essay, developing specialist knowledge and refining your synthesis and evaluation skills.
You choose your topic from a list that includes fundamental and cutting-edge issues, providing you with flexibility and an opportunity to pursue your interests.
An introductory workshop reminds you of good practice in writing an extended essay and a meeting with your essay supervisor provides you with feedback on your essay plan. You also have the opportunity to submit a draft essay for comments from your essay supervisor.
You research a topic and write an extended essay, developing specialist knowledge and refining your synthesis and evaluation skills.
You choose your topic from a list that includes fundamental and cutting-edge issues, providing you with flexibility and an opportunity to pursue your interests.
An introductory workshop reminds you of good practice in writing an extended essay and a meeting with your essay supervisor provides you with feedback on your essay plan. You also have the opportunity to submit a draft essay for comments from your essay supervisor.
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Combine practice and theory
Typically, one third of your class time is practical and many courses include full-day practical classes and field visits. Most students take at least one residential field trip during their degree; these trips bring the subjects to life and provide the opportunity to make great friendships and get to know staff members.
Research experience
You are actively involved in scientific research throughout your degree. In Year 4, you conduct independent research which can be pivotal to your career choice whether it be in dolphins, water voles, rare plants, tropical forest ecology, climate change in the Arctic, or any one of a diverse range of other exciting topics!
Engaging and inspiring teaching
Our teaching methods are diverse, innovative and based on research on how students learn. For example, we use problem-based learning approaches, creative presentations, peer and self-assessment, presenting posters in public meetings, writing and editing wikis, writing grant proposals, science writing for publication, and the creation of portfolios using multi-media.
Opportunities for Study Abroad and work-related learning
You can take advantage of an optional year-out on a work placement in any of our degree programmes. Study Abroad is encouraged for students in their second year; we have established partnerships with institutions in the USA, Canada, Australia, China and numerous countries in Europe.
Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:
The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, year of study and individual courses.
Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.
The University of Aberdeen immediately caught my attention - it had a unique programme in which soil and plant sciences are combined in a single degree. Aside from fascinating courses and projects in the Herbarium, I really like field courses.
SQA Highers - AABB*
A Levels - BBB*
IB - 32 points, 5 at HL
ILC - 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3 OR AAABB, obtained in a single sitting. (B must be at B2 or above)*
*including good performance in at least two Mathematics/Science subjects.
Further detailed entry requirements for Sciences degrees.
To study for a degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be classified as one of the fee categories below.
For international students (all non-EU students) entering in 2017/18, the 2017/18 tuition fee rate will apply to all years of study; however, most international students will be eligible for a fee waiver in their final year via the International Undergraduate Scholarship.
Most RUK students (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) on a four year honours degree will be eligible for a full-fees waiver in their final year. Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.
Tuition fee rates can be found on our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.
| Fee category | Cost |
|---|---|
| Home / EU | £1,820 |
| All Students | |
| RUK | £9,000 |
| All Students | |
| International Students | £17,200 |
| Students admitted in 2016/17 | |
| International Students | £18,000 |
| Students admitted in 2017/18 |
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
View all funding options in our Funding Database.
Our next Open Day will be on
Find out MoreOur Plant and Soil degree provides you with academic training and transferable skills relevant to both specialist employment and the wider biology graduate job market.
The University of Aberdeen can equip you with a broad range of skills to offer employers. We train students in scientific methodology in the laboratory and in the field. We also incorporate what we call 'graduate attributes' into the whole curriculum, including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, use of specialist IT and time management. Employers now expect a substantial list of skills, knowledge and experience in their graduate recruits and we aim to help you acquire these.
Students in the School of Biological Sciences may have the opportunity to collaborate with external organisations such as the James Hutton Institute or the Scottish Food Security Alliance, for example whilst undertaking an Honours project. Students also work as volunteers in the Cruickshank Botanical Gardens. Such links allow students to become part of professional networks, which can provide opportunities for employment or postgraduate research in plant and soil science.
We have strong local, national and international links to industry, government bodies, charities and other research institutions. You will benefit in several ways:
I chose the Plant and Soil Science degree because the lecturers and advisors I met from the biological sciences department were very engaging and inspirational, and had a wide range of research interests providing diversity within the faculty.
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
We are the only university in the UK to offer an integrated Plant and Soil Science degree because we knew that the two subjects were so important to each other that the connection required study.
Fantastic facilities support our teaching and research, both on and off-campus.
Our research facilities on campus include animal holding facilities, greenhouses, fresh and salt-water aquaria, an insectarium, molecular and analytical laboratories, and a state of the art genomics lab.
We have three field centres in Scotland that support our marine, ecology and conservation work. You have the opportunity to spend time at each of these during residential field courses
The Cruickshank Botanic Garden is situated on our King's College campus. It is used to support both our teaching and research; existing to promote the diversity and importance of plants and their role in the natural world.
Unistats draws together comparable information in areas students have identified as important in making decisions about what and where to study. The core information it contains is called the Key Information Set.
You can compare these and other data for different degree programmes in which you are interested.
