Genetics

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Scott Willard, Interim
201 Bost
Box 9760
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Telephone: 662-325-0233
E-mail: swillard@cals.msstate.edu

An Interdisciplinary Curriculum

An opportunity is offered to the student who wishes to work toward a degree in Genetics. MSU offers a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Life Sciences with a concentration in Genetics and a Doctor of Philosophy in Life Sciences with a concentration in Genetics. The Genetics program is an interdisciplinary curriculum which utilizes the staff and facilities available in the various departments and colleges. A wide array of plant and animal material is available for genetic investigation. The student’s complete program will be formulated in the department of his/her choice. Courses contributing to the major in genetics are listed below.

Admission

Minimum required TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 500 PBT (61 iBT) or an IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) score of 5.5. A written cooperative agreement with a major advisor prior to admission is essential.

Provisional Admission

A student who has not fully met the GPA or other requirements stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis.  The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C).  The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's program of study.  Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program.  Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance

A candidate for a degree must average B or higher on all courses attempted for graduate credit after admission to the program. No grade under C will be accepted for graduate credit; thus, a student will be terminated if he or she obtains more than two grades below a C in courses taken for graduate credit or fails to obtain a C or better in any repeated course. With the approval of the graduate coordinator and the college dean, a student may retake one course per degree except for those approved for repeated credit (e.g. internships, special topics, individual studies, thesis, dissertation, etc.). Both courses will remain on the permanent transcript and both grades will be computed in final averages.  This policy applies to all courses (even those not on the program of study) taken as a graduate student related to a specific program. Repeated courses must be taken at Mississippi State University. No additional program credit hours will be generated from a repeated course.

Prerequisite

Individuals with a Bachelor of Science in the biological or physical sciences will be considered.

The students planning a major or minor in genetics should select the GNS prefix for each course when applicable.

Master of Science in Agricultural Life Science with Genetics Concentration - Thesis

Graduate-level coursework with at least 12 credits at the 8000-level		24
Thesis		6
Total Hours		30

A comprehensive exam in addition to the coursework and thesis is required for completion of this degree.

Master of Science in Agricultural Life Science with Genetics Concentration - Non-Thesis

A comprehensive exam and 30 total hours of coursework are required for the non-thesis degree. with at least 15 hours at the 8000-level.  Specific courses and a graduate seminar class may be required as part of the 6 additional course credits in the non-thesis option as specified by the graduate committee.

Doctor of Philosophy in Life Sciences with Genetics Concentration

Written preliminary and oral comprehensive examinations, a dissertation, and coursework designated by the student’s graduate committee, including 20 Research/Dissertation hours, are required for the doctor’s degree.