Plan A (thesis option) M.S. students must complete a minimum of 30 credits, of which a minimum of 21 credits must include advanced coursework, with no more than 3 of these credits coming from independent studies or ANSC 5692, and a minimum of 9 credits must include Thesis Research (GRAD 5950) or Full-Time Master’s Research (GRAD 5960).

Graduate Advisory Committee

The Graduate Advisory Committee is charged with guiding the student through all matters pertaining to graduate study, and the student’s progress through the program. All Plan A M.S. students in the Department of Animal Science must assemble their Graduate Advisory Committee, in consultation with their major advisor, before they complete 12 credits of degree program coursework. The committee must be headed by a major advisor who is a member of both the Department of Animal Science (including jointly appointed faculty) and a member of the Graduate Faculty. The committee must also include at least two associate advisors. In addition to the three or more members, another member, ordinarily a member of the Graduate Faculty outside the student’s field of study but in a related field may be appointed by the Dean. A current graduate student may not serve as a member of another graduate student’s advisory committee. If deemed appropriate by a graduate student’s major advisor, the major advisor may request that a suitably qualified external associate advisor be appointed to the student’s advisory committee by writing to The Graduate School. The request should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae for the individual being recommended for appointment. Such appointments are made on the basis of advanced training and significant experience in the field of study. Ordinarily, not more than one external associate advisor is appointed to any master’s advisory committee. Students are encouraged to schedule periodic committee meetings to discuss their research and academic progress.

Plan of Study

An approved Plan of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the beginning of their final semester. The Animal Science department is diverse, with a large variety of student and faculty interests. As a result, each student’s program is quite flexible, and is shaped by the student in consultation with their major advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee. Courses elected shall be consistent with the student’s objectives and related to the field in which the degree is to be taken. The plan of study shall consist largely of courses at the 5000 level or above. Not more than 6-credits at the 3000 or 4000 level may be accepted. Course credit by examination is not allowed as a means of accumulating credits to meet the requirements for advanced degrees at this institution. Approved plans of study for master’s degree programs must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the beginning of the student’s final semester.

Animal Science Coursework Requirements

Students must successfully complete the Animal Science Seminar (ANSC 5694) once, and Graduate Presentation Skills (ANSC 5693) once. The thesis defense may not be scheduled to coincide with the required ANSC 5694 presentation.

Final Exam – Thesis Defense

Students must defend their thesis at a public seminar. The defense must be completed no later than one (1) year after completion of coursework or the thesis. Advertising shall include posting flyers in conspicuous areas of relevant buildings, and by contacting the ANSC main office for email distribution. The student must distribute a final “draft” of the thesis to the committee members at least two (2) weeks in advance of the defense date. The public presentation must be attended by at least five (5) Animal Science faculty members (including those on the Graduate Advisory Committee). After the public presentation, attendees will remain for in-depth discussion, followed by the committee alone. Following the presentation, the Graduate Advisory Committee will administer a final examination. The format of this examination is at the discretion of the major advisor and the Graduate Advisory Committee, and its purpose is to assess the student’s understanding of the area that they have emphasized, their research, and their thesis. After discussion, the committee will determine the outcome of the exam. The student is required to make all suggested revisions to the thesis, in consultation with their major advisor, prior to final acceptance. The Approval Page and the Report on the Final Examination bearing original signatures of all members of the advisory committee must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Publication

Students must submit at least one (1) first-author manuscript, suitable for publication, to their major advisor before defending their thesis. In some circumstances, the major advisor, in consultation with the Graduate Advisory Committee, may modify or waive this requirement.

Assistantships

Partial or full assistantship support may be offered to students based upon the availability of funding. Funding typically comes from independent research grants, Hatch projects (Capacity grants), or departmentally funded projects through an annual competition. As part of their professional training, all students are required to assist with teaching and/or provide laboratory assistance as required by the Department for at least one course per year. Course assignments are arranged by the Graduate Studies Committee before the beginning of the academic year  and are communicated by email. Students may not assist with the same course more than twice. Students should be given instructions regarding their duties and responsibilities before the first day of class by the instructors. All M.S. Plan A students are required to submit a Graduate Student Annual Report at the end of each academic year unless they are not enrolled in coursework the following semester. If a student’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory by the course instructor and/or the major advisor, renewal of assistantship support may be impacted (at the discretion of the Graduate Studies Committee, in consultation with the Department Head). Students in the Plan A Master’s program may be limited to Departmental assistantship support to 2 years. [This requirement was adopted by faculty vote on 10/15/97 and 9/22/00].

• Eligibility Criteria: To be appointed, to retain an appointment, or to be reappointed, a student must hold Regular (not Provisional) status, must maintain a cumulative average of at least B (3.00) in any coursework taken, must be eligible to register (i.e., must not have more than three viable grades of Incomplete on their academic record), must be enrolled in a graduate degree program scheduled to extend through the entire period of the appointment or reappointment, and must be a full-time student.
• All students for whom English is not a native language must attain certification of oral proficiency in English before he or she is eligible to be considered for departmental assistantships (teaching assistantships). Certification of English proficiency may be obtained by meeting the requirements outlined on the International Teaching Assistant Services website.

Exceptions

Requests for exceptions to the above rules must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing by the faculty advisor. Requests for exceptions cannot override University of Connecticut graduate education regulations. In general, exceptions to departmental regulations are considered only in cases of extenuating circumstances.

Plan A Master’s Degree Requirements Checklist

• Selection of Graduate Advisory Committee. Before completion of 12 credits of degree program coursework.
• Plan of Study. No later than beginning of final semester.
• Successful Completion of ANSC 5694 (Once) and ANSC 5693 (Once).
• Application for Degree. Formal application must be filed on official form at The Graduate School.
• Submission of Thesis. A preliminary or “draft” copy of the thesis must be distributed to the Graduate Advisory Committee at least two (2) weeks in advance of the oral defense.
• Publication. Submission of first-author manuscript, suitable for publication, to major advisor prior to thesis defense.
• Final Oral Exam-Thesis Defense. No later than one (1) year after completion of coursework or thesis.

Note: Graduate students must be registered for classes or “continuous registration” throughout their course of study to remain in the program.

Plan B (non-thesis option) M.S. students must complete a minimum of thirty (30) credits of advanced coursework, of which a minimum of four (4) credits must include Research (ANSC 5692) or Independent Study (ANSC 5699).

Graduate Advisory Committee

Plan B students are expected to assemble a Graduate Advisory Committee to oversee their selection of coursework and to administer a final examination to assess the student’s overall level of comprehensive knowledge of their discipline. The Plan B student should assemble their Graduate Advisory Committee during their first semester to help map out a cohesive plan of study but before they complete 12 credits of degree program coursework. The committee must be headed by a major advisor who is a member of both the Department of Animal Science (including jointly appointed faculty) and a member of the Graduate Faculty. The committee must also include at least two associate advisors. In addition to the three or more members, another member, ordinarily a member of the Graduate Faculty outside the student’s field of study but in a related field may be appointed by the Dean. A current graduate student may not serve as a member of another graduate student’s advisory committee. If deemed appropriate by a graduate student’s major advisor, the major advisor may request that a suitably qualified external associate advisor be appointed to the student’s advisory committee by writing to The Graduate School. The request should be accompanied by a curriculum vitae for the individual being recommended for appointment. Such appointments are made on the basis of advanced training and significant experience in the field of study. Ordinarily, not more than one external associate advisor is appointed to any master’s advisory committee. Once the major advisor and Committee agree on the coursework requirements, a Plan of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School for final approval.

Presentation Requirement

The research component of the Plan B program can involve library research, assistance on laboratory-based projects, computer or data analysis, or any form of scholarly activity approved by the major advisor and the committee. This component of the program is generally taken for credit and graded by the instructor-of-record. After completion of all required courses and the research component, the student is required to give a formal presentation of their work. The presentation is open to all faculty members in the department and can be scheduled as part of the departmental seminar series. Following the presentation, the Graduate Advisory Committee will administer a final examination. The format of this examination is at the discretion of the major advisor and the Graduate Advisory Committee, and its purpose is to assess the student’s understanding of the area that they have emphasized. The final examination must be completed no later than one (1) year after completion of coursework.

Plan of Study

An approved Plan of Study form must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than the beginning of their final semester. The Animal Science Department is diverse, with a large variety of student and faculty interests. As a result, each student’s program is quite flexible, and is shaped by the student in consultation with their major advisor and Graduate Advisory Committee. Courses elected shall be consistent with the student’s objectives and related to the field in which the degree is to be taken. The plan of study shall consist largely of courses at the 5000 level or above. Not more than 6-credits at the 3000 or 4000 level may be accepted. Course credit by examination is not allowed as a means of accumulating credits to meet the requirements for advanced degrees at this institution. Approved plans of study for master’s degree programs must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the beginning of the student’s final semester.

Animal Science Coursework Requirements

Plan B M.S. students are exempt from the ANSC 5694 requirement, but must complete ANSC 5693 once. No more than six credits of coursework at the 3000 or 4000 level may be counted towards the degree.

Publication

Students must submit at least one (1) first-author manuscript, suitable for publication, to their major advisor before defending their thesis. In some circumstances, the major advisor, in consultation with the Graduate Advisory Committee, may modify or waive this requirement.

Final Exam

After completion of all required courses and the research component, the student is required to give a formal presentation of their work. The presentation is open to all faculty members in the department and can be scheduled as part of the departmental seminar series. Following the presentation, the Graduate Advisory Committee will administer a final examination. The format of this examination is at the discretion of the major advisor and the Graduate Advisory Committee, and its purpose is to assess the student’s understanding of the area that they have emphasized. The final examination must be completed no later than one year after completion of coursework.

Exceptions

Requests for exceptions to the above rules must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing by the faculty advisor. Requests for exceptions cannot override University of Connecticut graduate education regulations. In general, exceptions to departmental regulations are considered only in cases of extenuating circumstances.

Plan B Master’s Degree Requirements Checklist

• Selection of Graduate Advisory Committee. Before completion of 12 credits of degree program coursework.
• Plan of Study. No later than beginning of final semester.
• Successful Completion of ANSC 5693 (Once).
• Application for Degree. Formal application must be filed on official form at The Graduate School.
• Presentation of Work to Department. After completion of all required courses and the research component.
• Publication. Submission of first-author manuscript, suitable for publication, to major advisor prior to thesis defense.
• Final Exam. No later than one (1) year after completion of coursework.

Note: Graduate students must be registered for classes or “continuous registration” throughout their course of study to remain in the program.