Master of Science Program: The Master of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences is designed to prepare students for higher positions in the food industry. The program provides a subject matter core of courses in food microbiology, sanitation, food processing, epidemiology, food law, HACCP applications, human diseases, and other quality control areas facing the food industry. The Master of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences program requires a total of 30 hours of graduate-level work. Each student will complete one three-hour special problem in which a technical paper will be developed. This requirement may be satisfied by an approved thesis project in the Poultry or Food Science department. No more than a total of nine hours of thesis, special problems and internships are recognized for degree requirements with no more than a total of six hours of special problems and internships. Each special problem course should be limited to three hours of credit. An oral examination over all course work and the special problem project or thesis is required. The student’s advisory committee will outline the total program of study and will also determine if any course deficiencies should be addressed. An applicant must meet all of the requirements for admission to the Graduate School. The program’s steering committee provides guidelines for student admission and establishes degree requirements. The student and the Program Coordinator, with approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, select a major adviser. The major adviser, in consultation with the student, will recommend additional faculty members to serve on the student’s advisory committee, including one member from the program steering committee. Graduate Certificate in Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology: The Graduate Certificate in Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology is a 15-credit hour program developed collaboratively with the University of Arkansas, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University and South Dakota State University as part of the Great Plains AG*IDEA Consortium. Admission to the certificate program will follow the University of Arkansas Graduate School requirements. There are three core areas that correspond with three core courses: 1) feedstock production, 2) processing/conversion/utilization, and 3) sustainability (economics, life cycle analysis and environment). Students seeking the graduate certificate will take nine credit hours of core courses, and six credit hours of elective courses either in the Conversion Track, the Feedstock Track or the Sustainability Track.

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