Master of Applied Science (MAS) Degree Program

Admissions Process    Application    Degree Requirements    Delivery Methods   
Specified Curricula   Courses    Contact     Extended Education and Outreach

The Master of Applied Science degree is a practitioner degree for individuals directly involved in agriculture and natural resource related industries. In contrast with traditional graduate degrees which emphasize research and are primarily campus-based programs, the Master of Applied Science degree addresses the advanced educational needs of working science professionals. The Master of Applied Science degree is also designed to accommodate distance education technologies. The degree is interdisciplinary and sufficiently flexible to meet the specific educational goals of individuals employed in applied life sciences. As an interdisciplinary degree the Master of Applied Science program is not housed within an individual department and is administered by a faculty committee selected from many departments.

Because there are no proscribed areas of study within the Master of Applied Science, students are able to individualize, with approval of their supervisory committee, their particular curriculum programs to best meet their own career objectives. Academic advisors are in the following departments: Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication; Agricultural Economics, Agronomy and Horticulture; Animal Science; Entomology; Food Science and Technology; Natural Resources; and Plant Pathology. A unique aspect of this Master's program is the Degree Project.The Degree Project replaces the traditional Master's Thesis and is specifically intended to be immediately of value in the student's workplace or career advancement.

The program provides a general background in several areas of agriculture and allows for professionals to:

• enhance or add areas of expertise;
• advance in their field;
• network throughout the state and other locations;
• fulfill personal and professional goals;
• schedule courses around work.