1. (1) Any person who desires to obtain a license as a professional soil scientist shall submit an application to the commissioner, along with the required application fee and all required documentation, including proof that the applicant:

   1. (a) Has graduated from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor of Science degree or higher in soils, agronomy or a closely related field. The applicant shall have successfully completed a minimum of fifteen (15) semester hours of course work in soil science as required by T.C.A. § 62-18-208(a)(1);

   2. (b) Has at least three (3) years of soil science professional experience. Any combination of the following kinds of education and experience qualify towards accumulating the required (3) years:

      1. 1. Masters of science degree in soils, agronomy or a closely related field and two

2. (2) years of professional experience;

   1. 2. Doctorate degree in soils, agronomy or a closely related field and one (1) year of professional experience; or,

   2. 3. Each year of teaching or soil science research by persons teaching upper-level soil science courses at the college or university levels; provided, that such teaching or research can be demonstrated to be of a sufficiently responsible nature to be equivalent to a year of professional experience.

      1. (c) Has passed the fundamentals examinations administered by the Council of Soil Science Examiners (CSSE). The commissioner shall waive the examination requirement for licensure as a soil scientist for an applicant who makes written application to the commissioner not later than July 1, 2011, and who otherwise meets the requirements of this rule.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 62-18-208 and 62-18-211. Administrative History: Original rule filed April 20, 2011; effective July 19, 2011. Amendment filed July 25, 2014; effective October 23, 2014. Amendments filed September 27, 2018; effective December 26, 2018.