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| Department of Food Science |  |
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Admission into Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy Degree Programs |
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| The LSU Graduate school requires that students have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) or 79 (internet-based) and a cumulative undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on 4.0 scale or 80 on a 100 point scale. Students must send official grade transcripts to the LSU Graduate School and submit a statement of purpose or interest in a specific area of food science in the application materials. The statement of purpose serves as the writing sample for food science applications. The requirements for admission in food science are minimum of 150 on the verbal test and 150 on the quantitative test for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). . The ETS code for sending GRE and TOEFL to LSU is 6373. Three (3) letters recommending the student for graduate studies that describe the student’s ability to complete an advanced degree must be sent to the graduate coordinator in the Food Science Department. Students must apply online to the LSU Graduate School at: http://www.lsu.edu/gradapply. The Graduate School sends the application documents to the Food Science Department after all materials have been received. The graduate faculty members in Food Science evaluate the credentials of each student and determine the admission of each student into a food science graduate program. Students who meet the minimum requirements for admission may not be accepted if a graduate faculty member does not want to accept the student. Students should be very specific in describing the desired area of research and area of specialization in their application so the department graduate faculty members can make appropriate decisions. The areas of research of Food Science faculty members can be seen at: http://www.lsu.edu/foodscience/Faculty.html. Each student must have an interest compatible with the research being conducted by the faculty member chosen as the major professor for their program because the student must write a thesis or dissertation on the completed research project. Students are admitted for both fall and spring semesters, but this depends upon the availability of space in the program of each individual professor. Financial assistance is on a competitive basis so early applications are encouraged. Each professor determines the availability of space and financial assistance for the graduate students in his/her program. The deadline for admission for fall semester is in April and for spring and summer semesters are October of the previous year. GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN FOOD SCIENCE Graduate students should read and be thoroughly familiar with the regulations as found in the LSU General Catalog and the LSU Graduate Bulletin. Note especially schedules and deadlines contained in these resources. The information in this handbook is not intended to provide all answers to all questions which may arise but rather to underline some of the information in the above resources and to supplement in reference to procedures pertaining to the Department of Food Science. If additional information is required, the student should contact the Food Science Graduate Coordinator, their Major Professor, or the School of Graduate Studies. In order to aid the student in understanding the information contained in this guide, the following brief glossary is provided: Graduate Coordinator: Serves as the student's interim advisor until his/her Major Professor and/or Graduate Committee is formed, informs students and the Department Head of any shortcomings or needs for improvement, relays information from the Graduate School to the Department, maintains graduate student records and serves on the Departmental Graduate Program Committee. Graduate Program Committee: Members of the Department faculty who serve as the Department Admissions Committee and make recommendations to the Department Head to encourage consistency in the establishment of the students' Programs of Study. This committee will also act as an interim advisory committee to guide students in their initial selection of courses. Major Professor/Advisor: The chair of the Advisory Committee who bears the major responsibility in the day-to-day supervision of the student's research. This may be a full member or an associate member of the graduate faculty. Graduate Advisory Committee: A committee which establishes and supervises the Program of Study and research project for a graduate student on behalf of the Department. Each student has a separate committee. The Graduate Advisory Committee has three (for MS) and at least four (for Ph.D.) members. At least two members must be from the Department of Food Science. At least one member must be a full member of the graduate faculty and from the Department of Food Science. Any declared minors or areas of concentration require representation on the Advisory Committee, either from among the first three (MS) or four (Ph.D.) members or by additional appointments. Minors also require approval by the Head of the Minor Dept and Minor representative. Members of the Graduate Advisory Committee who are not either full or associate members ofthe graduate faculty may be appointed as adjunct members (see Department Head regarding these appointments). Examination Committee: The Examination Committee (ordinarily the Graduate Advisory Committee plus one additional member assigned by the Graduate School for Ph.D. students) conducts evaluations of General Exams and Final Exams of Theses or Dissertations. Exams are open to other members of the faculty but without vote. Program of Study: A summary of the specific courses to be taken by the graduate student in pursuit of their graduate degree. This is established by the student and approved by their Major Professor and Graduate Advisory Committee. >Appendix I of this handbook contains checklists of program requirements. Appendix II contains a list of forms required, where to get them and where they are submitted after approval. Appendix III is a check-out list for when the degree is complete. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS Specific courses required of a graduate student will depend on their academic background as well as their proposed research area. These requirements will be recommended and approved by the student's Major Professor and Graduate Advisory Committee. The ultimate responsibility, however, for one's academic program is the student's. For this reason, it is important for students to establish their committees as early as possible (i.e. preferably during their first semester). Requirements in addition to those indicated below will apply to students with declared minors or areas of concentration. New Students: All incoming students must meet with their major professor and determine the coursework for the semester. The student and major professor are expected to meet with the selected committee members the first semester to determine the necessary coursework and research plan for the graduate student. Louisiana State University Department of Food ScienceMaster of Science (M.S.) requirements 1. Courses The LSU Graduate School requires 30 hours of course credit, 6 of which may be thesis credit, for an M.S. degree. Half or more of the courses must be at the 7000 level. Students must demonstrate competency in core areas of food science, including food chemistry, food preservation, food composition and analysis, and food microbiology. Competency may be demonstrated through previous course credit in one or more of these areas or through a comprehensive examination given by the instructor in this area.
2. Research Students must submit an oral and written research proposal to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee must be chosen and approved by the Department Head and Graduate Coordinator within one year of enrollment into the graduate program. The first graduate seminar for credit should be an oral presentation that gives an introduction and brief literature review on the proposed research area and an outline of the proposed research to be conducted for the M.S. Students must have submitted 1 manuscript to a scientific journal and presented their research at 1 national meeting before graduation. 3. Food Science Seminars Students are expected to attend all departmental seminars (graduate, faculty, and invited speakers) whether enrolled for credit or not. 4. Teaching Experience Students are encouraged to assist a professor in a course of interest for at least one semester. 5. Specialization Choosing a minor degree area and an industry or governmental internship are encouraged. 6. Written Exit Exam A comprehensive examination is required because it is used as a departmental assessment tool, but is not used to determine competence by the student. 7. Final Examination Students must present a public oral seminar on the thesis research before the final exam. The final exam is a closed comprehensive examination with the Advisory Committee on food science topics and the completed research topic. 8. Time Table The expected time for a student to complete the M.S. degree is 1½ to 2 years. The requirements will be monitored through a checklist for each student by the major professor, advisory committee, and departmental graduate coordinator. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) requirements1. Courses Ph.D. students must complete 60 hours of course credit, 9 of which may be thesis credit. Half or more of the courses must be at the 7000 level. Students must demonstrate competency in core areas of food science, including food chemistry, food preservation, food composition and analysis, and food microbiology, and the courses required for M.S. students.
2. Research Students must submit an oral and written research proposal to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee and Program of Study that lists the proposed coursework must be approved by the Department Head, Graduate Coordinator, and Graduate School by the end of the second semester of enrollment into the Ph.D. program. The first graduate seminar for credit should be an oral presentation that gives an introduction and brief literature review on the proposed research area and an outline of the proposed research to be conducted for the M.S. Students must have 1 manuscript accepted for publication by a scientific journal, submitted an additional manuscript to a scientific journal, and presented their research at 2 national meetings before graduation. 3. Food Science Seminars Students are expected to attend all departmental seminars (graduate, faculty, and invited speakers) whether enrolled for credit or not. 4. Teaching Experience Students are required to assist professors in course(s) of interest for at least two semesters. 5. Specialization Choosing a minor degree area and an industry or governmental internship are encouraged. 6. Written Qualifying Examination and Oral General Examination These must be completed within 3 years of enrollment into the Ph.D. program. The written qualifying examination will use the same pool of questions as the M.S. exit examination and precedes the oral examination. Each advisory committee member may also submit written questions for the candidate to answer. The passing of the comprehensive written examination and oral examination on food science by the student are determined by the Advisory Committee. 7. Final Examination Students must present a public oral seminar on the thesis research before the final exam. The final exam is a closed comprehensive examination with the Advisory Committee on the completed research topic. 8. Time Table The expected time for a student to complete the Ph.D. degree is 2½ to 3 years. The requirements will be monitored through a checklist for each student by the major professor, advisory committee, and departmental graduate coordinator. Application for Degree and Final Examination: Early in each semester or summer term there is a deadline for submitting the"Application for Degree" to the Graduate School. When Ph.D. students intend to graduate during a given semester, they should complete and submit their "Application for Degree" form, listing all course work that applies toward the degree. Forms can be found on the LSU Graduate School Forms Site . The student has the responsibility for scheduling the location, date and time when all committee members can attend. The exam should be scheduled for three hours (including an Exit Seminar during the first half-hour) and may not be scheduled between semesters. The "Request for Final Examination" form must be submitted by the Major Professor and Department Head at least three weeks prior to the proposed exam date and by the current semester deadline if the student is a candidate for a degree (see the current "Academic Calendar" for pertinent dates/deadlines). Two originals of this form are forwarded to the Graduate School, one copy to each Exam Committee member and one copy to the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator must also receive an announcement of the Exit Seminar for posting and distribution. The student's exam-ready dissertation should be distributed to the Examination Committee two week prior to the exam date. Students present their dissertation research in an Exit Seminar (20-25 min.), prior to the exam. The Final Exam is a comprehensive oral exam that will evaluate the dissertation, the student's ability to understand, explain and defend the dissertation as well as evaluate the students broader knowledge of the major field (and minor field, if applicable). Outcomes of the Final Examination, as well as, acceptance of the dissertation rest with the Final Examination Committee. If satisfactory, the acceptance of the Final Exam is made at the end of the exam. The dissertation may be accepted at this time but if revisions are recommended, the approval of the dissertation will be delayed until those revisions are made. The Major Professor is responsible for providing a copy of the "Exam Outcome Summary" to the Graduate Coordinator and the student. After the committee has approved the final version of the dissertation, required copies must be submitted to and accepted by the Graduate School. One bound copy must also be prepared for the Major Professor and one bound copy for the Department of Food Science. Additional copies for committee members are optional. Interdepartmental Degrees Students have the option of completing a Food Science graduate degree with one or more minors (in various Departments) or an interdepartmental degree with an area of concentration in either Toxicology or Nutrition. Minors require approval by the Head of the Minor Department as well as representation on the Graduate Advisory Committee. For more information on the requirements for these declarations, contact the Graduate Coordinator for guidance. Appendix I MS Program Requirements: Ph.D. Program Requirements: Appendix II
Appendix III The following are the final requirements for completion of graduate degrees in the Department of Food Science: |
Telephone:225-578-5207 Fax:225-578-5300 |
LSU Department of Food Science South Campus Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70803 |