The graduate program in agriculture is designed to further the professional competence of those individuals engaged in production agriculture, careers in agricultural and related businesses and industries, and/or agricultural education and extension.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

1. An undergraduate degree in agriculture or a related field.
2. Earned a minimum grade point average of 2.5 (4.0 scale) on all previous college studies or a 2.8 on the last sixty semester hours of course work applicable to the baccalaureate degree.
3. Score 800 or more on the Graduate Record Examination on the combined Verbal and Quantitative sections or score 950 or 1000 points on the Graduate Management Admissions Test based on the following formulas:

200 X (overall GPA) + (GMAT score) >= 950
200 X (advanced hours GPA) + (GMAT score) >= 1000
4. Applicants from non-English speaking countries must present a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

For application forms or further information, write or call:
Graduate Studies Office
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77341-2478
Phone: (936) 294-1971

   This degree is designed to be a broad-based degree including thirty-six hours of course work. Eighteen 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. Twelve semester hours are designated as electives and can be taken in agriculture or from a related field. It may include courses in vocational education. The degree is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and capabilities in several fields of agriculture.

Required Courses:

AGR 535 Advanced Principles of Livestock Management	3 hours
AGR 536 Contemporary Issues in Agribusiness	3 hours
AGR 570 Food and Fiber Crops	3 hours
AGR 575 Statistical Methods in Agriculture	3 hours
AGR 594 Studies in Horticultural Science	3 hours
AGR 635 Techniques and Interpretation of Research	3 hours
AED 576 Personal Leadership and Organizational Dynamics	3 hours
Agricultural Mechanization (500 level)	3 hours
Electives (may be 400 (6 hours), 500 or 600 level)	12 hours

   The Agribusiness Option is designed to provide a specialized Master's degree in the area of agribusiness. The curriculum includes 12 hours of Agribusiness, 6 hours of research interpretations and statistics, 12 hours of general business courses and 6 hours of electives. The electives can be chosen from the College of Business Administration, the Agribusiness program, or from graduate courses in other areas of professional agriculture. Applicants without an undergraduate Agribusiness or Business-related degree will be required to complete up to 15 hours of undergraduate stem work.

Required Courses:

AGR 536 Contemporary Issues in Agricultural Business	3 hours
AGR 560 Agricultural Policy	3 hours
AGR 567 International Agriculture	3 hours
AGR 575 Statistical Methods in Agriculture	3 hours
AGR 635 Techniques and Interpretation of Research	3 hours
Graduate Electives from the College of Business Administration	12 hours
Electives: From Department of Agricultural Sciences or College of Business Administration	9 hours

A thesis option is available for either of these options and must have prior approval by the chair of the thesis committee. Degree candidates must pass a comprehensive examination over all graduate course work. A degree program in Agricultural Mechanization is available through departmental approval.

AGRICULTURE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

AGR 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 efficiency 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 in breeding and reproduction, nutrition, and modern management techniques of livestock enterprises. Includes a review of current research and issues and possible effect on future practices.

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 567 INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE. Distribution, quality and utilization of agricultural resources; variation in population density; world trade in agriculture; comparative advantage; national and international policies related to agriculture; and future trends and prospects.

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 of 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 providedsan 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 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, application of information to specific situations.

AGR 698,699THESIS.