Plant Science – Sustainable Agriculture Concentration
Sample Course Sequence
UConn Graduation Requirements – including major and Common Curriculum requirements – can be found at UConn’s Undergraduate Catalog.
Students normally average 15 credits per semester over a 4-year period (fall/spring only) to meet the 120 academic credits required.
First Year
Fall Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 2100 – Environmental Sustainability of Food Production in Developed Countries (TOI 2, 4) | 3 |
| PLSC 1120 – Introduction to Plant Science | 4 |
| CHEM 1122 or 1124Q or 1127Q – General Chemistry | 4 |
| ENGL 1007 or 1010 or 1011 – First Year English | 4 |
| UNIV 1800 OR 1810 – First Year Experience course | 1 |
| Total Credits: 16 | |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 2500E – Principles and Concepts of Agroecology (TOI 4) | 3 |
| Major Elective (Recommended: PLSC 1150 – Agricultural Technology and Society (TOI 2, 5)**) | 3 |
| BIOL 1108 – Principles of Biology II | 4 |
| TOI/Gen Ed | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credits: 16 | |
Second Year
Fall Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 3610 – Organic and Sustainable Vegetable Production | 4 |
| PLSC 2110W – Sustainable Plant Pest Management Communication | 1 |
| Elective | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed or Elective or Foreign Language* (Recommended Elective: ECON 1201 – Principles of Microeconomics) | 3 |
| Total Credits: 14 | |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 2120 – Environmental Soil Science | 3 |
| PLSC 2125 – Soils Lab (TOI 6L) | 1 |
| Major Elective (Recommended: PLSC 3840 – Integrated Pest Management) | 3 |
| TOI | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed or Elective or Foreign Language* | 3 |
| Elective (Recommended: ARE 1150 – Principles of Applied and Resource Economics) | 3 |
| Total Credits: 16 | |
Summer Session (optional): PLSC 3081 – Summer Internship Experience1 – 0 credits
Third Year
If considering Education Abroad, the Spring semester of the junior year is recommended in some majors.
Fall Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 3990 – Field Study Internship | 3 |
| PLSC 3620 – Soil Fertility | 3 |
| PLSC 3810 – Fundamentals of Plant Pathology | 3 |
| PLSC 3820 – Ecology and Control of Weeds OR PLSC 3830 – Horticultural Entomology | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed or Elective | 3 |
| Total Credits: 15 | |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 3550 – Urban Systems Construction and Maintenance | 3 |
| Major Required/Related Elective | 3 |
| Major Elective (Recommended: PLSC 3440 – Small Fruit Production) | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed | 3 |
| TOI/Gen Ed (Recommended: STAT 1100Q) | 4 |
| Total Credits: 16 | |
Fourth Year
Fall
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 3820 – Ecology and Control of Weeds OR PLSC 3830 – Horticultural Entomology | 3 |
| Major Elective (PLSC 3410 – Woody Plants: Common Trees, Shrubs, and Vines) | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective (2000 or above) | 3 |
| Elective (2000 or above) | 3 |
| Total Credits: 15 | |
Spring Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| PLSC 4210 – Plant Physiology: How Plants Work | 3 |
| Major Required/Related Elective | 3 |
| Major Required/Related Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 |
| Total Credits: 15 | |
*Required if student has not met the University requirement of 3 years of a single foreign language in high school.
**Only offered in the spring of even years
1Internships may be done in the Fall or Spring semester. For internships done in the summer, students may enroll in PLSC3081 Summer Internship Experience (for 0 credit) in the summer, and in the subsequent fall enroll in PLSC 3990 Field Study Internship for credit and submission of report. Students should discuss options with major advisor.
Students can elect to enroll in Summer/Winter sessions. Course options can be found at the Summer Session and Winter Session sites.
Students interested in Education Abroad should discuss options (semester, winter or summer) with major advisor.
All students beginning in Fall 2025 will be taking courses that fall into six Topics of Inquiry (TOIs) and three Competencies, while students who matriculated prior to Fall 2025 will continue to follow the General Education Curriculum. Transfer students will have the option to follow either the TOI requirements or the General Education Curriculum. Please consult with your advisor if you have questions.