DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL SCIENCES

Program Links: MS in Agriculture, MBA in Agribusiness, Technology Program,

Course Descriptions

The Department of Agricultural and industrial Sciences consists of two major programs of study, Agricultural Sciences and Industrial Technology. Specific requirements for each degree offered are outlined under the respective program headings. For more information on the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences, please visit www.shsu.edu/agr or contact the graduate coordinator, Dr. Stanley Kelley at sfkelley@shsu.edu.

Requirements for Admission

MS and MA Programs

Students seeking admission to the graduate program in Agriculture or Industrial Technology must:

  1. Submit a Graduate Studies Application for Admission with the application fee to Graduate Studies .
  2. Submit official transcripts of all college-level work, including the transcript that shows the date the undergraduate degree was conferred.
  3. Submit GRE scores.
  4. Submit two letters of recommendation from faculty in the undergraduate major field of study.
  5. Complete an undergraduate degree in agriculture, industrial technology, technology or related field from an accredited four-year institution. (Applicants without an acceptable background in agriculture or technology must complete 12 hours of undergraduate stem work earning a minimum GPA of 3.0).

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES PROGRAM

Master of Science in Agriculture

The graduate program in agricultural sciences is designed to further the professional competence of those individuals engaged in production agriculture, careers in agricultural and related agencies, businesses and industries, and/or agricultural education and extension.

The Agricultural Sciences prorgam maintains four locations with working laboratories. The Agriculture Center is home to the Indoor Arena, Meat Science Lab, Soils Lab, Horse Husbandry Lab, and a greenhouse. Nearby is the Horticulture Center with two greenhouses and a classroom. The Ag Mechanization and Technology Center provides excellent advanced teaching and research opportunities in the areas of power and machinery, electrification, geomatics, soil and water conservation, irrigation, drainage, landscaping, and wood/metal construction and fabrication. The 1600-acre Gibbs Ranch is home to purebred and crossbeed beef cattle herds and meat goat flock, along with additional plant, soil, and animal resources used for instruction and research purposes.

Agricultural Sciences Option: 37 Semester Hours

This degree is designed to be a broad-based degree including thirty-seven hours of course work. Fifteen hours will be from agribusiness, agricultural education, agricultural mechanization, animal science, horticulture, and agronomy. In addition, the curriculum includes a course in research methodology and a course in agricultural statistics. Fifteen semester hours are designated as electives and can be taken in agriculture or from a related field. The degree is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and capabilities in several fields of agriculture.

Required Courses:

AGR 575 Statistical Methods in Agriculture 3 SCH
AGR 635 Techniques and Interpretation of Research 3 SCH
AED 576 Personal Leadership and Organizational Dynamics 3 SCH
Five courses can be selected from the following areas:  
Agribusiness (500-level)  
Agricultural Education (500-level)  
Agricultural Mechanization (500 level)  
Animal Science (500-level)  
Horticultural/Crop Sciences (500-level)  
For a total of: 15 SCH
Electives (may be 400- [6 hours], 500-, or 600-level) 15 SCH

Non-thesis and thesis options are available. The non-thesis option includes the thirtyseven hours listed above followed by written comprehensive exams of all course work. The thesis option must have prior approval by the chair of the thesis committee and includes oral comprehensive exams. Six of the fifteen electives hours are used for research and thesis preparation. Once enrolled in a thesis class, a student must be continually enrolled until graduation.

MBA Program with a Specialization in Agribusiness

The Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Agribusiness prorgam requires a core of twenty-one graduate semester hours and fifteen hours of graduate electives. The specialization in agribusiness option allows students to obtain a masers degree in business, but specialize in abribusiness. This specialization requires 12 of the 15 hours in electives be in agribusiness. Specific courses will be taken in agricultural management, finance, marketing, government policy, and quantitative methods. The combination of business and agriculture courses create an innovative degree for a candidate interested in pursuing a career in agricultural business. This program is administered by the College of Business Administration, but electives in agribusiness are administered by the Department of Agriculture and Industrial Sciences. For more information on the program, contact Dr. Roger Hanagriff at rhanagriff@shsu.edu.

For application forms or further information, contact:
Coordinator of Graduate Studies
College of Business Administration
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77341-2056
Telephone: (936) 294-1246
www.shsu.edu/~coba/

Senior Courses Open to Graduate Students

AGR 431 Animal Growth and Performance
AGR 432 Fruit and Vegetable Production
AGR 433 Soil Fertility Management and Fertilizers
AGR 434 Agribusiness Marketing
AGR 436 Stocker and Feedlot Management
AGR 461 Agribusiness Organization and Management
AGR 463 Agricultural Sales and Consulting
AGR 464 International Agriculture
AGR 465 Agricultural Law
AGR 468 Landscape Design II
AGR 470 Forage Crops and Pasture Management
AGR 471 Agricultural Safety and Health
AGR 472 Sports Turf Management
AGR 474 Agricultural Market Analysis and Prices
AGR 475 Advanced Agribusiness Management
AGR 477 Economics of Land Use and Planning
AGR 480 Beef Cattle Production and Management
AGR 481 Advanced Agricultural Mechanics
AGR 483 Range Management
AGR 485 Applied Electronics/Hydraulics in Agriculture
AGR 486 Agriculture and Government Programs
AGR 487 Agricultural Engines and Tractors
AGR 488 Principles of Agricultural Leadership and Community Development
AGR 489 Animal Reproduction
AGR 491 Advanced Horse Production and Management
AGR 494 Animal Feeds and Feeding
AGR 495 Animal Breeding and Genetics
AGR 497 Integrated Pest Management

A maximum of six hours of 400-level courses may be taken toward the completion of the master's degree. Course requirements in 400-level courses will be appropriately modified for graduate credit.

Course Descriptions: