Department of Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education
M.S. in Animal Science
Dr. Arthur Parham, Department Chair
Dr. Anne Rodiek, Graduate Program Coordinator
The Valley Advantage
The environment for learning can mean everything in choosing the right graduate program. You may ask yourself, for example, whether the resources at the university you are considering are adequate to provide you with the best possible education in your field. At California State University, Fresno, the answer should be clear beyond doubt: there is no better route to follow than to pursue a graduate degree in Animal Science at an institution located in the world's richest agricultural region, the San Joaquin Valley.
The San Joaquin Valley has been the world's top agricultural producer since the 1940s, with over 220 commercial crops grown throughout the six counties. California is the nation's leading dairy state, producing 20% of all the milk consumed in the nation. Fresno and neighboring Tulare counties are the nation's top producing dairy counties, with milk value in excess of 2 billion dollars annually. The beef industry is also important in California; the state has about 1 million beef cows and ranks in the top 10 states in the U.S. for cattle in feedlots. In addition, California is the second leading state in the nation in horse numbers with about 500,000 horses.
At California State University, Fresno, the Master of Science in Animal Science is a progressive and diverse 30-unit program that will prepare you for successful technical and research-oriented careers in animal science. As a student, you will be prepared for consultation, management, production, research, teaching, and other professional services associated with the livestock industry.
Our purpose is to encourage you to explore career opportunities in a field you find truly fulfilling, learning through a combination of specialized courses, industry experience, and research opportunities. You will extend your professional competence in agricultural research, production, and teaching, and may, as well, prepare yourself to move along to other advanced graduate work in the agricultural sciences.
Support
In addition to faculty support, students in the animal science program have access to several specialized facilities designed to enhance the academic experience. On campus, we maintain horse, beef, dairy, swine, poultry, and sheep units; a meats laboratory; several computer labs; and our new Graduate Research Laboratory for nutrition and physiology research needs. Off campus, the university holds a lease on the 4500-acre San Joaquin Experimental Range, used for grazing livestock and studying range management. Local farms and food producing facilities are often used to conduct research projects. In the agricultural capital of the world, the facilities need to be, and are, top notch.
Additionally, fellowships and grants for graduate students have been made available through the Division of Graduate Studies. Research support is available through projects funded by the California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI), which is located on campus.
Requirements
The Master of Science degree program in animal science requires 12 units of core classes, comprising biometrics, agricultural laboratory techniques, research methods, and communication and seminar. Fourteen units of electives, chosen in consultation with the student's adviser and thesis committee, are used to tailor the degree program to meet the individual student's needs and interests. Elective courses include ruminant and non-ruminant nutrition, environmental physiology, endocrine and reproductive physiology, and meat science and muscle biology. Chemistry, biology, business, food science, or other courses may be included among these electives if applicable for the student's program. Students, in consultation, may elect a thesis (4 units) or comprehensive examination as the culminating experience. In the thesis option, students must conduct an original research project using the scientific method and drawing on a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature.
We have established high standards for the student who expects nothing less than the best education in agricultural and animal science for his or her efforts. Therefore, our admission criteria are also high: grade point average of 3.0 or better over the last 60 units of undergraduate work; GRE scores of 480V/580Q; a 500-word statement of professional goals, and three letters of recommendation.
The Master of Science degree program in Animal Science is designed to not only impart knowledge to students, but to enable graduates to think critically about the important issues facing animal agriculture today and to contribute professionally to the future success of the animal industry.
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