Animal and Veterinary Sciences, MS

Program Description

The purpose of the Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AVS) graduate program is to provide a high-quality education for graduate students with diverse goals, and to develop, through research, the knowledge and technology necessary to continually improve productivity, efficiency, and sustainability of animal agriculture. Students interested in a professional career in the animal sciences are exposed to educational and research experiences involving the many facets of animal nutrition, physiology, microbiology, genetics and meat science through a rigorous curriculum of graduate-level courses and challenging experimentation approaches. The most current ideas and concepts in animal sciences are provided to the students through their daily interactions with the faculty in both the classroom and laboratory environments.

Applicants to the Animal and Veterinary Sciences Master of Science programs should have a strong background in the animal, biological and physical sciences. Students with deficiencies in these sciences may be admitted provided they correct these deficiencies during the first year of the program of study. MS students are required to complete coursework in an area of interest approved by their graduate advisor or advisory committee. MS students may select a thesis or non-thesis option.

For more information, please visit https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/departments/animal_vet_science/students/index.html.

Summary of Degree Requirements and Core Coursework

Thesis Option

Students in the MS thesis option must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate coursework, including six credits of thesis research. At least half of the total graduate credit hours required by the advisory committee, exclusive of thesis research, must be selected from courses numbered 8000 or above. The following course areas and credit hours are required:

• Statistics: 6 credits
• Communication: 3 credits
• Advanced Knowledge of Discipline: 15 credits
• Research Proficiency: 6 credits, AVS 8910 - Master’s Thesis Research  

The advisory committee consists of a major advisor and a minimum of two committee members. All members of the advisory committee must be currently approved members of the AVS Graduate Faculty.

Non-Thesis Option

Students in the MS non-thesis option must complete a minimum of 30 hours of coursework, excluding thesis research.

Course requirements are:

• AVS 8200 - Animal and Veterinary Sciences Graduate Seminar  
• Graduate-level statistics course (3 credits)
• AVS graduate courses (14 credits) with at least one course from health, nutrition, and physiology/genetics
• General graduate course electives (12 credits)

Additional requirements:

• At least six of the 30 credits must be 8000-level AVS courses;
• no more than three credits of AVS 8010 - Selected Topics  may be counted toward the degree;
• and no more than three credits of AVS 8220 - Special Problems  may be counted toward the degree.

All students have a graduate advisory committee consisting of at least three graduate faculty, including their major advisor, who must each be a current member of the AVS graduate faculty. At the conclusion of the student’s program, an exit graduate committee meeting with an oral examination is required.