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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCESThe success of all great civilizations has been closely linked to their ability to feed, clothe and provide shelter for their population. Modern western society relies on a complex array of high tech agricultural production systems, multi-faceted marketing programs, and an understanding of social, political, environmental and economic conditions that influence global trade. Advancements and innovations in technology have allowed our society to flourish and prosper. The Department of Agricultural Sciences consists of two major programs of study, Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Specific requirements for each degree offered are outlined under the respective program headings. For more information on the Department of Agricultural Sciences, please visit our website – https://www.shsu.edu/agr. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSIONMS and MA ProgramsProspective students must submit to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies an application, official transcript(s) of all previous college work, and a current Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score. The following requirements must be met by prospective students. (Applicants without an acceptable background in agriculture or technology must complete 12 hours of undergraduate stem work earning a minimum GPA of 3.0.)
Students must submit to the Coordinator of Graduate Studies, an application, official transcript(s) of all previous college work, and an acceptable Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score. Applicants with a baccalaureate degree from a recognized, accredited university in the United States who satisfy at least one of the following graduate admission formulas shall be admitted unconditionally into SHSU’s graduate programs:
Applicants who meet all other qualifications but whose combined score using the formulas above is less than 1100 but greater than 950 may apply for conditional admission, subject to review by the MBA Admission committee. The grade point average (GPA) is based on a four-point scale and only courses from the baccalaureate degree granting institution are used for determining graduate admission. Students who are not in good standing at another college or university are not eligible for admission into either the MBA program or the MS in Finance program. International students or students whose native language is not English must submit a GMAT score of at least 450 and a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based exam or a TOEFL score of at least 213 on the computer based exam. International students must submit all required admission materials at least sixty (60) days prior to the start of the admitting semester. All immigration requirements must also be satisfied prior to admission. For application forms or further information, contact: Office of Graduate Studies AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES PROGRAMMASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE
Approximately twenty percent of the US population is involved in occupations directly related to agriculture. From production, banking, and marketing to teaching, processing or service in governmental agencies, many rely on the productivity of modern agriculture in meeting the daily needs of society. The graduate program in agricultural sciences is designed to further the professional competence of those individuals engaged in production agriculture, careers in agricultural and related agencies, businesses and industries, and/or agricultural education and extension. The Agricultural Sciences program maintains four locations with working laboratories. The Agriculture Center is home to the Indoor Arena, Meat Science Lab, Soils Lab, Horse Husbandry Lab, Poultry Science Lab and a state-of-the-art greenhouse. Nearby is the Horticulture Center with two greenhouses, a headhouse and a classroom. The Agricultural Mechanization Center houses the power and machinery, rural electrifi cation, surveying, and metal construction and fabrication labs. The 1600-acre Gibbs Ranch is home to purebred and crossbred beef cattle herds and a meat goat flock along with additional plant, soil and animal resources used for instruction and research purposes. Agricultural Sciences Option:This degree is designed to be a broad-based degree including thirty-seven hours of course work. Fifteen hours will be from agribusiness, agricultural education, agricultural mechanization, animal science, horticulture, and agronomy. In addition, the curriculum includes a course in research methodology and a course in agricultural statistics. Fifteen semester hours are designated as electives and can be taken in agriculture or from a related field. The degree is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and capabilities in several fields of agriculture. Required Courses:
Non-thesis and thesis options are available. The non-thesis option includes the thirtyseven hours listed above followed by written comprehensive exams of all course work. The thesis option must have prior approval by the chair of the thesis committee and includes oral comprehensive exams. Six of the fifteen electives hours are used for research and thesis preparation. Once enrolled in a thesis class, a student must be continually enrolled until graduation. MBA IN AGRI-BUSINESSIn a cooperative effort with the College of Business Adminstration, students may earn an MBA with a concentration in agri-business. To minimize the amount of leveling work required, it is recommended that students wishing to pursue this degree option select an undergraduate major in agribusiness (AGB) and a minor in general business administration (GBA). Students seeking the MBA with the concentration in agri-business must earn a minimum of 24 graduate credit hours from courses offered by the College of Business Administration, to include the MBA core, and twelve graduate credit hours in agriculture courses. To earn the concentration in agri-business, the four (4) graduate electives in the MBA program must be used to take courses from the group of AGR 536, AGR 560, AGR 583, AGR 586, and AGR 598. With approval from the graduate coordinators of the MBA program and agri-business program, a maximum of two 400-level agriculture courses may be used in lieu of two of the 500-level agriculture courses. A description of the graduate agriculture courses and a list of acceptable 400-level agriculture courses can be found in the Department of Agricultural Sciences section of this catalog. Consult with the graduate coordinator for any changes to the list of 400- and 500-level agriculture courses. SENIOR COURSES OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS
AGRICULTURE COURSE DESCRIPTIONSAGR 530 TECHNIQUES FOR JOINING METALLIC AND NONMETALLIC MATERIALS. Principles and techniques of bonding and fusing metallic materials by the electric and oxyacetylene processes. Study of fluxes, chemicals, and oxidants used in joining metal. Joining of non-metallic materials by mechanical and chemical means. AGR 531 MECHANIZED HARVESTING AND HANDLING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. Fundamentals of selection, service, and operation of agricultural harvesting machines. Analysis and development of mechanical systems to feed and care for livestock. Storage and handling facilities for agricultural products. AGR 533 ADVANCED RURAL UTILITIES. Selection and use of electrical equipment as related to effi ciency and economy in agricultural production, processing and storage of feeds, forage crops and grain in connection with livestock enterprises. AGR 535 ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT. Survey of current knowledge and concepts of beef production with emphasis on the stocker/feedlot segment. Includes feeding, management, marketing and disease control of stocker and feedlot cattle. AGR 536 CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS. Analysis and discussion of current issues in agricultural business with appropriate principles and theories. Issues may include marketing, management, finance, policy, international, legal and ethical topics. Student participation is expected via reports throughout the semester or term reports. AGR 560 AGRICULTURAL POLICY. Advanced analysis of government policies and programs important to agriculture. Topics include: the policy making process and leaders, interest groups, organization and functions of federal and state agencies, policies relevant to production agriculture and natural resources, rural development, consumer and food safety, international marketing and food distribution. AGR 562 PRINCIPLES OF CROP PROTECTION. Diagnosis, epidemiology, and control of plant pests. Causative and limiting factors are stressed. Designed for prospective or practicing teachers and technicians in the agro-chemical industry or in federal or state plant pest control agencies. AGR 564 AGRICULTURAL INTERNSHIP. A directed study utilizing industry to develop an understanding of agricultural production and management principles. AGR 570 FOOD AND FIBER CROPS. A study of traditional plant breeding techniques and an overview of contemporary crop improvement methods. The physiology, adaptation, classification, taxonomy, and utilization of major crop species used for production of food and fiber are covered. Genetic and environmental influences on crop quality are discussed. AGR 575 STATISTICAL METHODS IN AGRICULTURE. Applications of statistical methods for making meaningful interpretations of qualitative and quantitative data from experiments in agriculture. Instruction includes sampling and randomization, correlation and regression, analysis of variance and testing of hypotheses of means and variances, and design of experiments in agriculture. AGR 582 NUTRITIONAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INTER-RELATIONSHIPS. Physiological functions of various body processes in domestic animals with emphasis on the metabolic relationships among minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, enzymes, hormones and non-nutritive feed additives and the effect of nutritional antagonists. AGR 586 CAPITAL MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS. This course provides an in-depth understanding of capital marketing, capital budgeting, financial planning, and appraisal principles important in the field of agribusiness. AGR 598 ECONOMICS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION. Agricultural production principles applied to the use of resources; cost analyses of production enterprises; linear programming of enterprises for maximizing returns; elements of depreciation schedules; evaluation for income tax purposes. AGR 614 GRADUATE SEMINAR. This course is designed to provide students a forum for presentation of their graduate project and to provide an opportunity for faculty to present seminars relative to contemporary issues in agriculture. The project is an agreement between student and his/her committee. Course cannot be repeated. AGR 635 TECHNIQUES AND INTERPRETATION OF RESEARCH. A course designed to develop the competencies needed to interpret and utilize agricultural research. Topics will include: the philosophy of the scientific method, formats for agricultural research data, interpretation of data, and application of information to specific situations. AGR 698, 699 THESIS. In addition to the preliminary study of the techniques of research, these courses involve completion of a bibliography, organization of material, selection of a suitable problem, a digest of related literature, selection of appropriate procedures, formulation of a plan of investigating and reporting, collection and organization of data, and the writing of the thesis. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION COURSE DESCRIPTIONSAED 564 ADVANCED PROBLEMS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. A directed individual investigation of advanced problems in Vocational Education. AED 576 PERSONAL LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS. Concepts and practices in planning and presenting materials to agricultural groups. Includes leadership skills, concepts of community development, and dynamics of technological change. VOCATIONAL EDUCATION COURSE DESCRIPTIONSVED 564 ADVANCED PROBLEMS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. A directed individual investigation of advanced problems in Career and Technology Education. VED 585 PLANNING AND ORGANIZING PROGRAMS OF VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE. Placement and educational opportunities for secondary and post-secondary students are studied under various career and technology situations. A historical resume of the guidance movement is presented.
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