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Graduate Degree Programs

Animal Science (AN SC)

Program Home Page (Opens New Window)

Terry D. Etherton, Head of the Department of Dairy and Animal Science
tetherton@psu.edu

Daniel R. Hagen, Graduate Officer
 drh@psu.edu

324 Henning Building
814-863-3665

Degrees Conferred:

Ph.D., M.S., M.P.S.

The Graduate Faculty


  • Paul A. Bartell, Ph.D. (Virginia) Assistant Professor of Avian Biology
  • Craig R. Baumrucker, Ph.D. (Purdue) Professor of Animal Nutrition/Physiology
  • John W. Comerford, Ph.D. (Georgia) Associate Professor of Dairy and Animal Science
  • Chad Dechow, Ph.D. (Tennessee) Assistant Professor of Dairy Genetics
  • Francisco J. Diaz, Ph.D. (Wisconsin-Madison) Assistant Professor of Reproductive Biology
  • Robert G. Elkin, Ph.D. (Purdue) Professor of Poultry Nutritional Biochemistry
  • Terry D. Etherton, Ph.D. (Minnesota) Distinguished Professor of Animal Nutrition
  • Daniel R. Hagen, Ph.D. (Illinois) Professor of Animal Science
  • Harold W. Harpster, Ph.D. (Michigan State) Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition
  • Kevin J. Harvatine, Ph.D. (Cornell) Assistant Professor of Nutritional Physiology
  • Arlyn J. Heinrichs, Ph.D. (Ohio State) Professor of Dairy and Animal Science
  • Lisa A. Holden, Ph.D. (Penn State) Associate Professor of Dairy and Animal Science
  • R. Michael Hulet, Ph.D. (Texas A&M) Associate Professor of Poultry Science
  • Kenneth B. Kephart, Ph.D. (Penn State) Professor of Animal Science
  • Daniel M. Kniffen, Ph.D. (West Virginia) Assistant Professor of Dairy and Animal Science
  • Wansheng Liu, Ph.D. (Northwestern A&F) Associate Professor of Genomics
  • Edward W. Mills, Ph.D. (Purdue) Associate Professor of Dairy and Animal Science
  • Michael L. O'Connor, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech) Professor of Dairy Science
  • Jon M. Oatley, Ph.D. (Washington State) Assistant Professor of Reproductive Physiology
  • Troy Ott, Ph.D., PAS (Florida) Associate Professor of Reproductive Physiology
  • Joy L. Pate, Ph.D. (New Hampshire) Professor of Reproductive Physiology; C. Lee Rumberger and Family Chair in Agricultural Sciences
  • Paul H. Patterson, Ph.D. (Wisconsin) Associate Professor of Poultry Science
  • Christopher R. Raines, Ph.D. (Kansas State) Assistant Professor of Meat Science and Technology
  • Ramesh Ramachandran, Ph.D. (Maryland) Assistant Professor of Avian Biology
  • Cooduvalli S. Shashikant, Ph.D. (Osmania) Associate Professor of Molecular and Developmental Biology
  • W. Burton Staniar, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech) Assistant Professor of Equine Science
  • Ann W. Swinker, Ph.D. (West Virginia) Associate Professor of Equine Science
  • Gabriella A. Varga, Ph.D. (Maryland) Distinguished Professor of Animal Science
  • Regina Vasilatos-Younken, Ph.D. (Penn State) Professor of Poultry Science

Students may specialize in animal care and management, breeding and genetics, growth and development, lactational biology, nutrition, or reproductive biology. Well-equipped research laboratories and various agricultural animals, as well as small-animal models and wildlife species, are available.

Admission Requirements

Requirements listed here are in addition to general Graduate School requirements stated in the GENERAL INFORMATION section of the Graduate Bulletin. Prerequisite to graduate work is the completion of an undergraduate major in animal science, dairy science, poultry science, or a related biological science.

Scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) are required for admission (average percentile at least 50 percent in verbal, quantitative, and analytical components). The quantitative reasoning component is recommended, but the program will accept scores from the mathematical reasoning component. Students with a 3.00 junior/senior grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale) and with appropriate course backgrounds will be considered for admission on a competitive basis.

Exceptions to admission requirements may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests.

Degree Requirements

The M.P.S. is a professional program designed to prepare individuals for specialist and management positions in county agricultural extension, government, or industry and does not require a thesis. The academic M.S. and Ph.D. programs require a thesis and are designed for those primarily interested in education and research. The requirements of these programs are detailed in the departmental publication "Graduate Student Handbook in Animal Science." The communication or foreign language requirement for the Ph.D. degree may be satisfied by competence in either one foreign language or communication skills.

Student Aid

Fellowships, traineeships, graduate assistantships, and other forms of financial aid are described in the STUDENT AID section of the Graduate Bulletin.

Courses

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

ANIMAL SCIENCE (AN SC) course list

 


Last Revised by the Department: Summer Session 2008

Blue Sheet Item #: 36-04-063/063A

Date last updated by Publications: 8/11/09

Review Date: 1/15/08

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This is the official bulletin of The Pennsylvania State University. Programmatic expectations for General Education are those in effect at the time of admission to degree candidacy, and college and major requirements are those in effect at the time of entry to college and major. These are accurately indicated in each student's degree audit.

The University reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations listed here and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education. Nothing in this material should be considered a guarantee that completion of a program and graduation from the University will result in employment.

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