Soil Science
Source: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate/soil-science Parent: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate
06.04.02 In Russian
Level of education Master
Type of instruction Full-time
Duration 2 years
Programme description
The master’s programme 'Soil Science' is designed to train high calibre competitive experts in soil and land resources to provide regional market services to: solve problems in the field of soil ecology, land use and environmental protection; and solve complex soil problems in the sphere of interaction between nature and society.
The academic programme aims to cover a wide range of disciplines in the field of experimental work in laboratories, and field methods of investigation of soil regimes, which are widely used in practice in assessing the environmental state and planning measures for soil and environmental protection.
Main courses
- Methodological Principles of Modern Soil Science
- Theory of Soil Forming Process
- Transformation of Toxic Compounds in Soils
- Digital Representation of Soils and Topsoil
- Ecological Physics of Soils
- Ecological Functions of Soil Organic Matter
- Ecological and Agroecological Potential of Soils
- Land Use and Soil Assessment Regulations in Russia
- Current Problems of Palaeopedology
- Biological Processes in Soil
- Computer Technologies in Science and Education
- Cadastral Evaluation of Agricultural and Other Lands
- Soils of the World
- Soils of the Leningrad Region
Our advantages
- The programme provides fundamental education in: Earth sciences (geology, geography, ecology); life sciences (biology); and soil science. Students also have an opportunity to work with the cutting-edge scientific equipment in laboratories and resource centres of the St Petersburg University Research Park
- Students carry out a variety of research projects in the field of modern soil science and related sciences. There are extensive contacts with academic institutions and other potential employers. Joint research projects are carried out with leading foreign universities and companies. There is an opportunity to be engaged in projects supported by grants from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research
- Students have summer field practice in various regions of Russia and the world. Practical training and internships take place at the bases of St Petersburg University and partner organisations: environmental organisations; the Belogorye Nature Reserve; the Nizhnesvirsky Nature Reserve; Agrophysical Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; and the V.V. Dokuchaev Central Museum of Soil of the Russian Academy of Sciences
- All students take part in the organisation and holding of the international student conference ‘Dokuchaev Conference for Young Scientists’. Here, they test their research works; publish their papers in the conference digest; receive skills in public speaking, communication and discussion in the student scientific environment; and skills in organising large conferences
Main areas of research
- Genesis, mapping, geography and classification of soils
- Humic substances of soils
- Pollution of soils
- Cadastral valuation of soils
- Micromorphology of soils
- Palaeopedology
- Urban soils
- Soil fertility theory
- Physics of soils and subsoils
- Soil chemistry
- Humic preparations
Career opportunities
The graduates can work as soil scientists, soil ecologists, soil assessment experts, specialists in the field of land cadastre, soil meliorators, specialist in land management, agronomist.