College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Graduate Programs

Programs & Graduate Course Descriptions

The college administers a variety of graduate programs through its various departments. Some courses are offered at the college level. For more information about the programs listed, visit the departmental websites.

Programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources lead to the following graduate degrees:

Master of Science with majors in the Departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education and Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Natural Resources Management.

Master of Agribusiness is designed to meet the growing need for agribusiness professionals with advanced conceptual and quantitative training. The degree program provides a unique blend of analytical and business capability from both the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Rawls College of Business.

Master of Landscape Architecture is a professional Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB)-accredited degree for students with a bachelor’s degree in any field (72 credits including leveling courses and 36 credits required for the M.L.A.), and a post-professional M.L.A. degree for students with a B.L.A. or related professional degree (up to 36 credit hours depending on bachelor’s courses and professional experience). The post-professional M.L.A. encourages specialization and can lead to a Ph.D. in Land-use Planning, Management and Design housed in the College of Architecture.

Doctor of Education with a major in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications.

Doctor of Philosophy with majors in the Departments of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Agricultural Education and Communications, Animal and Food Sciences, Plant and Soil Sciences, and Natural Resources Management.

The graduate program also offers a university-wide interdisciplinary program leading to the Ph.D. degree in Land-use Planning, Management, and Design . A Doctor of Education degree is available from the College of Education for students who wish to have agricultural education as a support area.

Applicants who meet the admission standards of the Graduate School also must receive formal approval from a departmental committee. Admission standards of some departments exceed those of the Graduate School.

Advisory committees for the M.S. and M.L.A. degrees consist of at least three faculty members. Advisory committees for the Ph.D. degree in agricultural and applied economics consist of four or five faculty members. Advisory committees for Ph.D. degrees in the Departments of Natural Resources Management; Plant and Soil Science; and Animal and Food Sciences consist of five faculty members.

A preliminary examination is required of all doctoral students before the end of the second semester of work. The student’s progress will be evaluated and recommendations will be made concerning continuation of graduate studies and leveling work necessary to remove any deficiencies revealed by the examination.

No specific language or tool requirements exist for the graduate programs. However, such requirements may be incorporated when deemed appropriate. Other requirements for the degree programs are specified in other sections of this catalog.

Distance degree programs are offered at the graduate level in agricultural education and horticulture. The Master of Science degrees in horticulture and plant and soil science are detailed in the catalog under the Department of Plant and Soil Science. The Department of Agricultural Education and Communications offers two distance degree programs: Master of Science in Agricultural Education and Doctor of Education in Agricultural Education. The Doctor of Education is delivered as a joint program with Texas A&M University. Both degree programs are referenced in the catalog under the department.

Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics

The department offers Master of Science and Master of Agribusiness degrees, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Department of Agricultural Education and Communications

Contact: Dr. Courtney Meyers, graduate program coordinator, courtney.meyers@ttu.edu

The department offers two Master of Science degree programs, one in agricultural education and one in agricultural communications. These programs may be completed with 36 hours of approved graduate courses or 30 hours of graduate courses plus 6 hours of thesis research. Both degrees are offered resident-delivery or distance-delivered.

The department also offers two doctoral programs to meet unique career goals and personal needs.

Department of Animal and Food Sciences

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences offers flexible degree programs preparing graduates for a wide array of positions in agriculture and allied fields. Students with bachelor’s degrees in a variety of fields are welcome to study in the department.

Department of Landscape Architecture

The department offers a Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.) degree accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board.

Department of Natural Resources Management

The department offers Master of Science, Professional Science Masters, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Department of Plant and Soil Science

The department offers a Master of Science in Horticulture Science (available online); a Master of Science in Plant and Soil Science (available online) with concentrations in crop protection, crop science, fibers and polymers, and soil science; and a Doctor of Philosophy in Plant and Soil Science.

Programs

Intra-institutional Dual Degree

Agricultural and Applied Economics, M.S. / J.D.

Master’s

Doctoral

Graduate Certificates

The director of each certificate, in consultation with the director of graduate studies, will develop and specify a program of study appropriate for each student. If students decide to pursue studies beyond the certificate level, course credit earned toward the certificate can be considered toward a graduate degree.

Graduate certificates are intended to meet the supplemental post-baccalaureate education needs of professionals. A graduate certificate program is a set of courses that provides in-depth knowledge in a subject matter. The set of courses provides a coherent knowledge base.

A student applying for a graduate certificate program will be admitted with a “GCRT” designation. Some certificate programs require the GRE or GMAT, and some do not. To take any graduate course, all prerequisite courses (including undergraduate courses) must be taken and necessary background obtained before attempting the course. A student will be required to have a baccalaureate degree to start a graduate certificate program. There is only one exception to having a baccalaureate degree. If an undergraduate student from Texas Tech University has a 3.0 GPA or better and is within 12 hours of completion of a baccalaureate degree, the student may start taking graduate courses toward a graduate certificate. The student must have a baccalaureate degree to receive a graduate certificate.

Graduate credits earned while the student is enrolled in a graduate certificate program may not be applied toward a graduate degree unless the student completes the GRE or GMA T and enrolls as a fully accredited graduate student. After taking the GRE or GMA T and fulfilling all other admission requirements, a student may use the courses taken for a graduate certificate degree if the courses fulfill the requirements of the program of study for the degree.

Graduate students may pursue a graduate certificate that is outside their graduate program of study. No more than one transfer course (if approved by the advisor of the graduate certificate program and the Graduate School) will be allowed for a graduate certificate program. If a graduate student is in good standing and dropping out of the graduate program, the student may receive a graduate certificate if the necessary courses have been taken. To receive a graduate certificate, a student must have a GPA of 3.0 or better. No grade lower than a C will be accepted.

Courses

PSS - Plant and Soil Science (Graduate Courses)

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