Animal Science Major, MS

Requirements

The program requires the student to write a thesis based on original research and complete 24 credit hours of graduate coursework, plus 6 credit hours of ANSC 500 . Coursework must include the following:

• At least 14 credit hours in courses numbered at or above the 500 level.
• At least 1 credit hour of Teaching/Extension experiential learning.
• At least 3 credit hours in statistics chosen from courses approved for use in the intercollegiate graduate statistics program.
• 1 credit hour of research ethics coursework (preferably in the first year).
• 3 credit hours of graduate-level multi-systems physiology coursework (approved by the student’s advisory committee).
• ANSC 696  each spring term for first- and second-year students (maximum 2 credit hours).

The remainder of coursework will be selected by the student in consultation with the major professor and advisory committee. A majority of coursework must be completed at the University of Tennessee.

The major professor, an animal science faculty member at the rank of assistant professor or above, chairs the student’s graduate advisory committee. The student and major professor select the other members of the advisory committee which should contain at least two other faculty members at the rank of assistant professor or above, one of whom may be outside the Animal Science Department. The student’s advisory committee assists in the planning of course work and may require specific courses in addition to those required by the Animal Science graduate program. The student’s graduate advisory committee also aids in formulating an appropriate research project and assesses achievement of other degree requirements, including the research proposal and thesis defense.

Students are expected to choose their graduate advisory committee in their first semester, present proposed coursework and research plan to the committee before the beginning of the second semester, and present a written research project proposal to the committee no later than the third semester of matriculation.

 

Five-Year BS/MS Program - Animal Science Major, MS

For qualified students, the Department of Animal Science offers an accelerated 5-year BS-MS degree program with a BS major in Animal Science and a thesis-based MS major in Animal Science. Central to this program is that a qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of graduate level courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the BS degree and the MS degree. Students are typically considered for conditional admission to the program during, or immediately following, their third year of undergraduate study at UT.  Because the MS program requires that a student write a thesis based on original research, efforts related to developing and starting a research-based project in consultation with a graduate advisory committee (that meets MS committee requirements) is required immediately following their third year of undergraduate studies.

To be considered for conditional admission to the program:

1. A student must be a declared Animal Science major with a minimum GPA of 3.4, must have completed at least 15 credit hours in Animal Science, and must have completed at least 90 credit hours of the 120 credit hours of coursework required for the BS degree with a major in Animal Science.
2. A student must provide three letters of recommendation and complete a personal interview with individuals comprising the Graduate and Undergraduate Committees in the Department of Animal Science. 
3. A student must obtain a commitment from an Animal Science graduate research faculty member to serve as their graduate mentor-advisor (i.e., major professor) and at least two other graduate research faculty members to serve on their graduate advisory committee.

Applicants are required to have completed at least 6 credit hours from the following Animal Science core courses (i.e., ANSC 320, ANSC 330, ANSC 340, ANSC 380 or their Honors counterparts). The Department may consider other relevant factors such as an applicant’s work experience and level of maturity before conditionally admitting a student to the BS-MS program. Conditional admission of a student into the 5-year BS-MS program must be approved by the Department of Animal Science, Herbert College of Agriculture, and the Graduate School. Students will be typically informed of the outcome of their application before the beginning of their fourth year of undergraduate study.

Any graduate course that is to be counted towards both the BS degree and the MS degree must be approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee, the departmental Graduate Director, the Herbert College of Agriculture, and by the Graduate School. These courses must be identified, in consultation with the graduate advisory committee members. The form “Animal Science Conditional Admission 5 Year BS-MS” is available from the Graduate Director and must be completed, signed by the student, the student’s graduate advisory committee, the Graduate Director, and Herbert College of Agriculture before submitting to the Graduate School for approval and processing.

A student that is conditionally admitted to the BS-MS program may complete up to 9 credit hours of graduate level coursework during the student’s undergraduate study and apply those 9 credit hours to satisfy both the BS degree requirements and also the MS degree requirements, provided that these graduate credit hours were approved by both the Department and by the Graduate School. To receive graduate credit for the 9 credit hours listed on the Animal Science Conditional Application form and approved by their graduate advisory committee, and others granting approval by signing that form, the student must complete and submit the Senior Requesting Graduate Credit Form to the Graduate School.  If courses are to be taken during different semesters, the student will need to submit this form per each relevant semester.

Conditional admission into the BS-MS program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MS program. Students in the BS-MS program must apply for admission to the Graduate School and to the MS program during their fourth year of undergraduate study, following the same procedures that all other student applicants follow. A GRE score must be submitted as part of the application for admission into any graduate program in the Department of Animal Science. Students will be fully admitted to the MS program after they have been accepted both by the Graduate School and by the Animal Science MS program. Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate students in the Graduate School.

 

Accelerated MS-DVM Program, Animal Science Major

For qualified students, the Department of Animal Science offers an accelerated MS degree program for individuals pursuing a doctor in veterinary medicine degree. Central to this program is that a qualified veterinary student may have up to 9 credit hours of veterinary medicine courses count toward both the doctor of veterinary medicine degree and the MS degree. To this end, a student may earn the DVM and MS in about five to five-and-a-half years rather than the six to six-and-a-half years that otherwise would be required.

Normally, students would be considered for conditional admission to the program during, or following, their first year of veterinary medicine study at the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine. Because the MS program requires that a student write a thesis based on original research, efforts related to identifying a graduate mentor and starting a research-based project in consultation with a graduate advisory committee (that meets MS committee requirements) are appropriate in and around or following their first year of veterinary study.

To be considered for conditional admission to the program:

1. A student must be a declared Veterinary Medicine major with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must have completed at least one semester of coursework required for the Veterinary Medicine degree.
2. A student must also coordinate the provision of three letters of recommendation and complete a personal interview with individuals comprising the Graduate Committee in the Department of Animal Science and College of Veterinary Medicine.
3. A student must obtain a written commitment from an Animal Science graduate research faculty member to serve as their graduate mentor-advisor (i.e., major professor) and at least two other graduate research faculty members to serve on their graduate advisory committee.

The Department may consider other relevant factors such as an applicant’s work experience and level of maturity before conditionally admitting a student to the MS program. Conditional admission of a student must be approved by the Department of Animal Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Herbert College of Agriculture, and the Graduate School.

The student must have earned a grade of at least a “B” in A - F graded courses in any of the eligible courses to be taken for graduate credit before satisfying all requirements for the DVM degree. Courses to be used for MS graduate credit must be approved by both the individual’s graduate advisory committee and by the Graduate Director. These courses should be identified, in consultation with the student’s graduate advisory committee members and be listed on the Animal Science Conditional Admission Form for the Five Year DVM/MS program. The Animal Science Conditional Admission Form is available from the Animal Science Graduate Program Director and must be completed, signed, and submitted to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Herbert College of Agriculture and the Graduate School for final approval and processing for conditional admission.

There is a maximum limit of 9 credit hours on the number of veterinary medicine-level hours that a student may complete before completing doctor of veterinary medicine and being formally admitted to MS program. A student that is conditionally admitted to the MS program completes 9 credit hours of veterinary credit approved by their graduate advisory committee, and applies those 9 credit hours to satisfy DVM degree requirements which would also be applied to the MS degree course requirements. In cases where veterinary medicine courses that are to be used for the Animal Science MS degree are completed before applicant requests consideration for conditional admission (e.g., animal physiology or other courses), this coursework may be used for MS degree if the individual obtains approval from their graduate advisory committee and the Graduate Director.

Conditional admission into this type of accelerated program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MS program. Students would normally apply for admission to the Graduate School and to the MS program during their fourth year of study in the DVM program, following the same procedures that all other MS student applicants follow. At that time, GRE scores must be submitted as part of the application for admission into any graduate program in the Department of Animal Science. Students will be fully admitted to the MS program after they have been accepted both by the Graduate School and by the Animal Science MS program. Students will not be eligible for graduate assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate students in the Graduate School in the Department of Animal Science Graduate Program.