Master's Programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Agricultural and Natural Resources Programs

The Master of Science degree is offered in Agriculture Science, Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science, Ranch Management and Range and Wildlife Management. Both thesis and graduate research projects are available. The former requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate course work plus 6 credit hours of thesis. The graduate research project requires the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours of graduate work, including a 3 credit hour special problems course that requires a research paper shorter than a thesis. The Thesis option requires the completion of 6 semester hours of graduate level statistics courses, except in the Animal Science program which requires the completion of 3 semester hours of graduate level statistics courses. The Research Project Option requires completion of a 3 semester hour statistics course. Research projects are available in all majors in agriculture, except the wildlife program. The Courses Only option in the Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Environmental Sciences, requires completion of 36 hours of coursework with a written comprehensive exam, followed by an oral defense in the final semester for a Master of Science degree.

Admission to the program requires a baccalaureate degree with adequate course work in the field of interest and a score of at least 284 (verbal plus quantitative) on the GRE Aptitude Test with an undergraduate grade point average of a 3.0 or better, or a GRE of 294 (verbal plus quantitative) with an undergraduate grade point average of 2.6 to 2.99. Students must be accepted by a graduate faculty member who agrees to guide the student's program and serve as the major adviser. A student may be required to take a preliminary examination to determine proficiency and background preparation.

Individuals with Pre-existing Health Conditions

Working with animals can be pose certain risks to individuals with pre-existing health conditions, especially if those conditions are exacerbated by exposure to certain allergens, pathogens, or physical demands. Please see examples provided here in the document Individuals with Pre-existing Health Conditions.