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Description of Programs
The Department of Animal Sciences offers major programs
of study toward master's and doctoral degrees in a
variety of disciplines including animal nutrition,
biochemistry and molecular biology, microbiology, behavior,
growth biology, meat science and muscle biology, quantitative
genetics and reproductive biology. The Department also
formally participates in interdepartmental graduate
minor programs in cell and molecular biosciences, ecology
and environmental sciences.
Graduate Degrees Offered
Graduate programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy
(Ph.D.) degree provide advanced education and technical
training in preparation for careers in public and private
sectors related to animal science and technology, food
science and technology, animal biotechnology, agribusiness
and university-level research and education. The doctoral
program emphasizes original, scholarly research and
includes significant advanced course work. A minimum
of 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree and
a dissertation describing original research are required.
There is no foreign language requirement, but knowledge
of a foreign language may be recommended by the student's
advisory committee.
The Master of Science (M.S.) degree program requires
a minimum of 30 hours of graduate-level course work
and includes significant training in research. Students
pursuing the M.S. degree achieve specialization in
a particular discipline through course work and completion
of an original research project under the supervision
of a faculty advisor. All M.S. candidates must complete
and defend a written thesis based upon results of their
research.
The Master of Agriculture (M.Ag.) degree program
consists largely of course work and prepares students
for careers in secondary education, agribusiness and
other professions not requiring specialized training
in research. A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level
course work is required and, while the M.Ag. degree
does not require completion of original research and
submission of a thesis, expectations for academic excellence
and intellectual rigor are not different from those
of the M.S. program. Students pursuing this degree
option are expected to engage in and report on some
form of structured scholarly activity conducted under
the supervision of the major professor and advisory
committee. Examples of such mentored scholarly activity
might include, but need not be limited to, completion
of a field trial, writing a comprehensive literature
review or professional paper on a focused scientific
subject, development and validation of a novel laboratory
procedure, or development of educational resources
(software, Web-based resources, classroom/laboratory/extension
manuals, etc.). Conversion from the M.S. program to
the non-thesis Master of Agriculture (M.Ag.) program
is not permitted except in extraordinary cases and
upon written approval of the major professor, all advisory
committee members and the department chair.
Regardless of the degree option being pursued or
whether a student has been awarded a departmental research
assistantship, all graduate students are expected to
demonstrate a high degree of visibility and citizenship
in the department and contribute to departmental teaching,
research, extension/outreach and(or) administrative
activities. Classroom /laboratory teaching is not the
sole means of fulfilling this requirement for service
to the department, nor is it a formal requirement for
conferral of a graduate degree. Appropriate types and
levels of service are identified and judged accordingly
by the major advisor based on needs of the department
and consideration of student interest and capabilities.
Candidates for all degree programs are expected to
bring to their programs a high degree of self-motivation
and maturity which will enable them to benefit from
the highly individualized and special relationship
which ideally develops between student and major advisor.
Assistantships
Graduate research assistantships
are not viewed as compensation for services rendered,
but rather as stipends awarded competitively to
eligible students on the basis of academic merit,
research potential and sustained scholarly achievement.
Assistantship stipends are currently $15,000 and
$18,000 per year for M.S. and Ph.D. students,
respectively, and include complete waiver of out-of-state
and resident tuition. The Department is able to
support a limited number of its M.S. and Ph.D.
students on departmental research assistantships
throughout the year. Students can start a graduate
program any semester, but assistantships are awarded
semiannually on a competitive basis as available.
Prospective students wishing to be considered
for assistantship support beginning in the fall
semester must have completed their application
to the graduate program by March 1, and by September
1 in order to be considered for assistantship
support beginning in the spring semester. U.S.
citizens receive priority consideration for assistantship
support, and continuation of financial assistance
is dependent upon satisfactory performance and
progress toward degree requirements. Also, because
of statutory restrictions on research expenditures
from state appropriations and federal formula
funds, students enrolled in the non-thesis M.Ag
degree program are ineligible to receive departmental
research assistantships. However, a number of
faculty also support graduate students with unrestricted
grant funds or other monies, in which case financial
support is negotiated directly between the student,
their major professor and the department chair.
Admission Requirements
The Department of Animal Sciences makes admissions
decisions based on the compatibility of the applicant's
goals with departmental resources, the availability
of spaces for new students, and a holistic evaluation
of the applicant's potential for success in the program.
Other considerations will routinely include standardized
test scores, grades and(or) grade point averages, and
letters of recommendation; and might also include writing
samples, research or applied experience, and(or) interviews.
To be considered for admission, the applicant must
satisfy the following requirements:
1. The applicant must hold a bachelor's degree in
an agricultural, biological or related life science
from an accredited U.S. institution, or the equivalent
from an international institution.
2. The applicant must be in academic good standing
at the institution last attended.
3. The successful applicant normally will have a
grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on all undergraduate
course work, or of at least 3.0 on the last 60 semester
hours of undergraduate course work. Applicants who
hold a graduate degree normally should have a minimum
GPA of 3.0 in all graduate work.
4. The applicant normally will have a combined verbal
plus quantitative GRE score of 1000, with no individual
verbal or quantitative GRE scores of less than 400.
5. Applicants whose native language is not English
must submit TOEFL scores of at least 550 on the written
test, or 213 on the computer-based test. Applicants
who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited
institution whose instruction is in English may be
exempted from this requirement.
Application Procedures
Prior to making formal application,
prospective applicants are strongly encouraged
to directly contact faculty members in the Department
whose areas of research specialization are compatible
with their interests, and inquire about availability
of openings for new graduate students in their
programs. Prospective graduate students should
apply directly to the
Auburn University Graduate School, indicating
the degree program (M.Ag., M.S. or Ph.D) to which
they are applying and designating "Animal Sciences"
and area of specialization on the electronic application
form. Applicants should arrange for official academic
transcripts and standardized test (GRE and, if
applicable, TOEFL) reports to be sent directly
to the Auburn University Graduate School, Hargis
Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849; phone: 334/844-4700.
Applicants are required to submit a letter of purpose/intent
to the Department's Graduate Program Officer that indicates
the applicant's area of interest and the basis of his/her
motivation for undertaking a graduate degree program.
Also, applicants are required to have three letters
of recommendation forwarded to the Graduate Program
Officer from individuals who can attest to the applicant's
scholarly aptitude, and provide insight into the applicant's
qualifications and potential for success as a scientist/educator
following completion of a graduate program.
Contact for More Information
Dr. Russell B. Muntifering
Professor and Graduate Program Officer
Department of Animal Sciences
108 Upchurch Hall
Auburn University, AL 36849-5415
phone: 334/844-1533
FAX: 334/844-1519
e-mail: rmuntife@acesag.auburn.edu
Web Page: http://www.auburn.edu/~muntirb/ |
