Skip to main content
UW-Stevens Point students participating in a field lab.

College of Natural Resources Soil Science and Land Management Degree

Major

Learn How to Manage Soil to Maintain Environmental Quality and Human Health

Learn the skills and knowledge to work in all areas of soil and land conservation with a degree in Soil Science and Land Management.

Why study Soil Science and Land Management at UW-Stevens Point?

Soil Science and Land Management graduates have a 90% placement rate and are hired to conduct field sampling programs, improve agriculture efficiency, protect surface waters, map soils, and more.

Alumni Map

Alumni Map

Where are they now?

UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resource alumni live and work worldwide! Check out our map if you are interested in exploring job or networking opportunities close to home.

If you would like to add your information to our interactive alumni map, please fill out the form below.

previous slide
next slide

WHAT TO EXPECT

Your degree prepares you to become a Certified Professional Soil Scientist, Crop Adviser, or Soil Tester. Soil Science and Land Management graduates find positions in various careers. They may work in the private sector or for county, state, and federal agencies. Their job titles include: 

  • Soil Conservationist
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Agricultural or Crop Consultant
  • Soil Scientist
  • Wetland Specialist
  • On-site Evaluator
  • Horticulturalist
  • Stormwater Specialist
  • Land Use Planner
  • Natural Resource Manager

GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS

Discover your passions, build your resume, and make friends along the way! Whether it is joining a student organization, working at one of our centers, or participating in research at one of our three field stations, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved.

  • Read the CNR Reporter, a weekly newsletter with information on upcoming presentations, student organization meeting times, and other important happenings on and around campus.

GAIN EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

You will gain additional hands-on experiences in all areas of natural resource management during a required summer field experience generally taken between your sophomore and junior years. Choose between an intensive, six-week, hands-on summer field experience at our Treehaven residential facility or our European Environmental Seminar, where students learn how European natural resource management compares to the United States.

A required internship provides additional real-world experiences ahead of graduation. Faculty members will work closely with you to find the right experience. Students have interned with organizations and companies in the public and private sectors; some examples are listed below. 

Public Sector Internships:

  • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • US Fish and Wildlife Service
  • US Forest Service
  • Lake County Stormwater Management Commission
  • Marathon County Land Conservation District
  • Ozaukee County Land and Water Management Department
  • Wood County Land Conservation Dist.
  • Sawyer County Zoning and Conservation

Private Sector Internships:

  • Advanced Crop Care, Inc.
  • Ag Source Cooperative Services
  • Allied Cooperative: Pest Pros
  • BKS Environmental Associates
  • Del-Monte Foods
  • Faulks Bros. Construction
  • Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Area
  • Heartland Co-op
  • Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc.
  • Lady Bug IPM
  • Marshfield Soil and Forage Analysis Laboratory
  • Nature Care Ecological Consulting and Services
  • Polenske Agronomic Consulting/Tilth Agronomy
  • Sentry World Golf Course
  • Stantec Environmental Consulting
  • Western States Reclamation
  • Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

MEET YOUR FACULTY AND STAFF

The faculty members within the Soil and Waste Resources discipline bring a wide array of knowledge and experience to our indoor and outdoor classrooms at UW-Stevens Point.
Alyssa Gunderson

Alyssa Gunderson

  • Associate Faculty Associate
  • Soil and Waste Resources
  • College of Natural Resources
715-346-3760
Daniel Keymer

Daniel Keymer

  • Associate Professor
  • Soil and Waste Resources
  • College of Natural Resources
715-346-2616
Rob Michitsch

Robert Michitsch

  • Professor of Soil and Waste Resources
715-346-4190
Jacob Prater

Jacob Prater

  • Associate Professor
  • Soil and Waste Resources
  • Discipline Coordinator
  • College of Natural Resources
715-346-4180

Bryant Scharenbroch

  • Associate Professor
  • Soil and Waste Resources
  • College of Natural Resources
715-346-3704