Animal Science (AN SC)

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) Associate 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) 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
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
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) University 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

Updated by Publications: 12/20/11

Review Date: 1/15/08

University Bulletin

Graduate Degree Programs