Master of Agriculture Degree

Overview:

The Master of Agriculture degree program is an interdisciplinary, non-thesis, graduate program. The interdisciplinary nature of the program should be particularly attractive to non-traditional students from the public and private sectors seeking professional development or employment as agricultural professionals. The program should be attractive to those same individuals who do not require a significant level of specialization in a research-oriented program.

The program requires a minimum of 36 hours of degree credit and a capstone special problem. General knowledge of research, statistical, and business methodologies is essential, thus a core of nine hours in these methodologies is required.

All 13 departments and schools within the College of Agriculture and their faculty may participate in the program. A student, with the recommendation of his or her Graduate Advisory Committee, must establish a program of study within a home department, chosen from the departments in the College of Agriculture:

School of Renewable Natural Resources
School of Human Ecology
School of Human Resource Education and Workforce Development
Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness
Department of Agronomy & Environmental Management
Department of Animal Sciences
Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Department of Dairy Science
Department of Entomology
Department of Experimental Statistics
Department of Food Science
Department of Horticulture
Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology

A student will choose a primary area and a secondary area of study. The primary area will represent a coherent field of study (e.g. animal or human nutrition, plant or animal genetics, agricultural economics, or value added processing). The secondary area, as an adjunct to the primary area, will consist of interdisciplinary coursework with a thematic thrust.

The objective is to address the needs of individuals seeking currency and professional development in a non-research oriented graduate program. The program is especially attractive to non-traditional students who may or may not be residents on the LSU campus. The M.Agri. degree is also attractive to traditional students whose focus is less specialized and more interdisciplinary in nature, and who will seek career employment or are already employed as agricultural professionals in agribusiness, consulting, or extension.

Requirements:

A student, with guidance from a Graduate Advisory Committee, will design an individualized curriculum drawing from all graduate level courses offered in residence or by distance learning through the departments and schools in the College of Agriculture, LSU, and other participating colleges and universities.

The individualized program of study for each student will be developed in consultation with and approved by the student's Graduate Advisory Committee. The committee will include the student's major advisor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty such that the requirements of the LSU Graduate School for graduate committees are satisfied.

The degree is a non-thesis degree requiring a special project. Thirty-six hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned including a maximum of three hours of credit for the special project. The curricular requirements include:

• The program will have a primary area and a secondary area of study.

• The primary area will be a minimum of 18 hours of earned credit in a coherentfield of study.

• The secondary area, as an adjunct to the primary area, will be a minimum of 12 hours of earned credit in interdisciplinary coursework designed to achieve the targeted needs of the student.

• At least 18 hours of classroom coursework and/or special problem credit hours at the 7000 level or above

• A minimum core requirement of nine credit hours in research, statistical, and business methodology must be earned. (This core requirement and the special project may be a separate part of the program or may be included within the primary and secondary areas.)

• The student's major professor and program of study must be established in a home department or school in the College of Agriculture.

• The special project must focus on the student's primary area of study and must culminate in a scholarly report of value in the public domain. (The public domain consists of conference presentations, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station publications, and articles in technical, popular, or refereed journals.)

• The student must pass a final exam consisting of a presentation of the special project and a comprehensive oral exam. At the discretion of the student's advisory committee, a written exam may be required.

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