Overview
The Master of Science in Food and Animal Sciences degree is offered with two options, thesis or non-thesis. The thesis option requires a minimum of twenty-six (26) credit hours of course work and a thesis of four (4) credit hours. The candidate for the degree must complete eighteen (18) credit hours of core courses: AGSC 5060, AGSC 5110, AGSC 5120, AGSC 5440, AGSC 5550 AGSC 5610, AGSC 5620 and twelve (12) credit hours maximum of electives. The non-thesis option requires a minimum of thirty-five (35) credit hours of course work. The candidate for the degree must complete seventeen (17) credit hours of core courses: AGSC 5060, AGSC 5110, AGSC 5350, AGSC 5440, AGSC 5550, AGSC 5610, AGSC 5620; and eighteen (18) credit hours maximum of electives. These courses must be approved by the advisor and department head.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree with a major in one of the Agricultural Sciences or related areas, a minimum quality grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 point scale, and a minimum score of 290 on the GRE (verbal and quantitative) or 370 on the MAT for unconditional admission. Higher GPA from the accredited colleges and universities or GRE scores may be used to compensate for some minor deficiencies in admission requirements.
Program of Study/Admission to Candidacy
The degree candidate must file a program of study after completing at least nine semester hours of graduate credit, but before completing fifteen hours of graduate credit. The program lists the courses which will be used to satisfy degree requirements, as well as detailing how other requirements will be met. The student may later change the program of study with the written approval of the Department and the Graduate School.
When the candidate files the program of study, he or she may also apply for admission to candidacy. The candidate must have a grade point average of 3.0 or above and successfully defended the thesis proposal (thesis option) or successfully passed the written and oral comprehensive examinations (non-thesis option) to be eligible for admission to candidacy.
Degree Requirements
Thesis Option
Each student must pass Research Methods (AGSC 5110) and Statistics for Research (AGSC 5060), must have a thesis advising committee appointed, and must be advanced to candidacy before enrolling in Thesis Writing (AGSC 5120).
The candidate must submit a thesis on a topic approved by the major advisor. Upon completion of the thesis, the candidate must satisfactorily pass an oral examination conducted by the Thesis Examination Committee. Students choosing the thesis option will require 30 hours of course work which will include four (4) credit hours of thesis research.
Non-Thesis Option
This option is for students who would like to focus on training in specialized areas to meet the needs of employers in food and animal health-related industries, specialized field such as food engineering, food safety and quality, product development and sensor sciences, agricultural product processing, marketing organizations, teaching, agricultural extension services, and various state and federal government agencies. This program is not recommended for students who have any aspirations toward pursuing a Ph.D. degree.
Students choosing the non-thesis option will be required to take a minimum of 35 hours of course work which will include AGSC 5350 - Independent Study of Contemporary Issues and Problems. The graduate student with guidance from his or her major advisor will identify contemporary issues and problems in food and animal sciences, conduct a comprehensive literature review, write a report in a format of a review paper and make an oral presentation to his or her advisory committee.
Comprehensive Examination
Upon completion of core and concentration required courses including AGSC 5350, students choosing the non-thesis option must take a comprehensive written and oral examination administered by the student’s advisory committee and other faculty members representing appropriate subject matter areas. The student’s major advisor will serve as chairperson of the committee conducting the examination.
If a student fails the comprehensive examination, one retake will be allowed. Should the student again fail, a third and final examination may be taken upon completion of additional course work (minimum of 6 hours) to be selected by the student’s advisory committee.
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