Admission Requirements

Applicants must possess an undergraduate or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution. The applicant should follow instructions for General Requirements for Admission to Graduate Study as shown above.

The applicant should submit the following to the Graduate School:

A cumulative undergraduate G.P.A. of at least 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is required.

The Master of Science degree in Animal Science has as its primary objectives: 1) increasing the number of students currently under-represented in graduate education in the area of Animal Science, 2) preparing students for study toward a terminal degree in the area of animal science in institutions of higher education in the state of Georgia and across the nation, 3) enhancing the scientific and technical knowledge base of students for employment in animal-related industries and associated agencies, and 4) preparing students for leadership roles in a technologically advanced society through study of the unique aspects of animal science, such as animal biotechnology, cell biology, nutrition, and product technology, with an emphasis on small ruminants. Classes are held on the Fort Valley campus.

Students will be required to take 36 semester-hour courses designated to have numbers 5000 or above to satisfy the requirements for the Master of Science degree in Animal Science. Out of the total 36 semester credit hours, 6 credit-hours will be allotted to research and thesis. The combination of graduate level courses will be determined by the graduate advisory committee with input from the graduate student.

Master’s candidates will be required to submit a written and oral presentation of their proposed thesis research project, in consultation with their major professor, for assessment by the graduate committee prior to starting the research. The student will be assessed in their oral presentation for organization, mastery of the subject matter, and presentation effectiveness. The written proposal will be assessed for technical completeness and feasibility.

Each student who will write a thesis is encouraged to focus on a subject for research early in his or her candidacy. With the help of his or her academic advisor, the student must choose three or more advisors as a thesis committee by the time 18 hours of graduate study have been completed. At least one of these advisors must be a faculty member in the student’s graduate degree program. The graduate program department head should approve the three advisors chosen for this purpose, with final approval from the Graduate Dean.

A student can only register for thesis credit (see appropriate listing) when the program coordinator receives official notification from the student’s thesis advisors. If at any time the student wishes to change the constitution of the thesis committee, a request stating the reason for the change must be submitted in writing to the program coordinator, and the change must be approved by the Graduate Dean. If a thesis committee member requests to be removed from the committee, a substitute must be approved by the graduate program department head with the final approval from the Graduate Dean.

A student who has received an “incomplete” on the thesis and has completed all other requirements is required to enroll and pay the required fees for three credit hours in any subsequent semester that he/she returns to remove the incomplete. Such students are ineligible for thesis consultations and use of library facilities during any interim period when they are not officially enrolled.

The thesis is considered complete when it is unanimously approved by the thesis committee, when it is approved by the Dean of the Graduate College, when it is in the format specified in the Fort Valley State University Thesis Template, and when documentation is presented reflecting binding requirements are met and paid for.

Students will be required to present two graduate seminars during their master’s program. The first will be based on a current literature review in their respective area of interest. The second seminar will be based on their thesis research and will be presented to the Animal Science and other faculty before graduation. The Animal Science faculty will evaluate each presentation for technical content, student’s mastery of the subject matter and use of appropriate technology. The student will be required to successfully defend his/her thesis to the thesis committee in order to graduate.

The Master of Science degree in Animal Science provides three options: Animal Products Technology, Animal Nutrition and Reproduction and Cell Physiology. Following are the suggested course sequences for the three options: