The Master of Science, Thesis Option

The thesis M.S. is research oriented and requires a student to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate course work to receive the degree along with other requirements that may be specified by the department. The program is designed to (1) enhance the understanding of an area of science beyond the baccalaureate level, and (2) attain scientific research skills. Candidates for the M.S. degree are considered “novice” researchers and are expected to require considerable guidance in choosing and executing their thesis research projects. However, upon completion of the MS, the students are expected to have developed some capacity to conduct independent research. The expected duration of the Thesis Option program is ~24 months.

Core Courses: 8 Credits
Area of Concentration (AGEC): 12 Credits
Elective Courses: 4 Credits (Any discipline 500 level or above)
Thesis: 6 Credits
Admission to Candidacy
Passing of the Final Oral Examination

Course and Credit Requirements for the Master of Science, Thesis Option

To earn a thesis degree, a minimum of 30 graduate credits are required comprising 20 core courses, which include 6 credit hours of 700 level research 6 credit hours of research, 2 credit hours of seminar, 3 credits hours of Quantitative Methods or equivalent (AGEC 0615 ) and an additional 9 credit hours of AGEC coursework as well as 6 credit hours of electives. All courses must be approved by the Advisory Committee. Following the completion of 15 credits, students are required to be admitted to Candidacy. In addition to the course work outlined above, students must present 1) an acceptable thesis on a selected research project and 2) pass a Final Oral Examination based on the document as determined by the Advisory Committee.

Advisory Committee
A Major Advisor will be assigned to the student by the department head if the student has not already identified one. The Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Dean of Graduate Programs encourage the formation of an Advisory Committee during the first semester of your graduate studies. In consultation with the Major Advisor, the Advisory Committee should be selected and is comprised of three members (including the Major Advisor). At least two must be in the area of the student’s research interest. Together with the Major Advisor, the student will identify a research problem (subject matter to study) and prepare a research proposal for subsequent approval by the committee. It is the student’s responsibility to contact each prospective committee member to see if he/she will serve on the Advisory Committee. It is recommended that the student obtain the written approval of each committee member. After the approvals are received, the Department head, College and Graduate School deans are to be notified of the committee members. The Major Advisor serves as chairperson of this committee and will convene meetings at his/her discretion.