Poultry Science

Department Head: Dr. Wes Schilling (Interim)
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Kelley Wamsley
325 Wise Center Drive
Box 9665
Mississippi State, MS  39762
Telephone: 662-325-3416
E-mail: k.wamsley@msstate.edu

The Poultry Science Department offers the following degrees:

• Master of Science degree in Agriculture with a concentration in Poultry Science
• Master of Agriculture in Agriculture with a concentration in Poultry Science
• Doctor of Philosophy degree in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Poultry Science

The department also offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs with concentrations in the interdisciplinary programs of genetics and animal physiology. Admission requirements and detailed information for those interdisciplinary degree programs can be found listed separately under each of the individual programs.

Accelerated Program

Highly qualified undergraduates in the Poultry Science Department at Mississippi State University are encouraged to consider applying to the Accelerated Program which permits students to earn up to 9 hours of graduate-level coursework during their final year of undergraduate studies. For complete information, see Accelerated Programs. 

In addition to University requirements, the Department of Poultry Science also requires the following information from applicants:

1. Three letters of recommendation
2. Selection of a potential major professor from the departmental graduate faculty
3. A statement of purpose that describes their academic and professional goals as well as how their prior academic and professional experiences have prepared them for the Accelerated Program and graduate study

Students interested in applying to the Accelerated Program should contact the Department's Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Kelley Wamsley, for more details. 

Admission Criteria

Admission requirements for the M.S. in Agriculture degree with a concentration in Poultry Science are the same as those listed in the General Requirements of the Graduate School in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) except that any request for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores is dependent upon the faculty member who will serve as the thesis director (major professor) but the GRE score is not a Department of Poultry Science requirement.

Admission requirements for the Ph.D. degree concentration in Poultry Science are the same as those listed in the General Requirements of the Graduate School in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) except that any request for Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores is dependent upon the faculty member who will serve as the dissertation director (major professor), but the GRE score is not a Department of Poultry Science requirement.

Provisional Admission

An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement 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

Satisfactory academic performance standards are the same as those for CALS, except as follows:

• The student is allowed to make no more than two C grades in courses taken for graduate credit. 
• The student will be recommended for dismissal if he/she receives a third C or any grade below a C. 
• In addition, the student’s committee reserves the right to establish a “core” course or courses whereby any grade below a B in one of those courses is not accepted.
• The student will be recommended for dismissal if he/she receives a C or any grade below a C in a core course. 
• The student must have a final GPA of 3.00 or higher to graduate.
• Doctoral students only: To be eligible for the preliminary/comprehensive examination, a graduate student must maintain an overall B average in all graduate courses attempted. 

Master of Science in Agriculture with Poultry Science Concentration - Thesis

Graduate-level coursework		12
8000-level coursework		12
PO 8000	Thesis Research/ Thesis in Poultry Sciences	6
Total Hours		30

A thesis defense is required. The thesis director and graduate committee will determine specific course requirements for the student’s program. Before the end of the first semester of graduate work, the student must establish his or her graduate committee, complete the necessary paperwork, and gain the faculty members’ consent to participate on the committee. Once the student’s research plan has been established, the student is required to present his/her research plan to the faculty in the form of a departmental seminar.

Master of Science in Agriculture with Poultry Science Concentration - Non-Thesis

Graduate-level coursework		15
8000-level coursework		15
Total Hours		30

A comprehensive examination is required. The major professor and graduate committee will determine specific course requirements for the student’s program. Before the end of the first semester of graduate work, the student must establish his/her graduate committee, complete the necessary paperwork and gain the faculty members’ consent to participate on the committee.

Completion Requirements

Requirements for completion of the M.S. in Poultry Science are the same as those for CALS except that students in Poultry Science are required to participate in a limited teaching capacity, such as a guest lecturer, in one course during work on the degree. That limited teaching capacity will be determined by the student’s graduate committee when the student’s program of study is established. For additional information, email Dr. Kelley Wamsley. 

Master of Agriculture in Agriculture with Poultry Science Concentration - Non-Thesis

Graduate Seminar		1-4
PO 8011	Graduate Seminar in Poultry Science (repeatable; number is determined by major professor and the committee)
PO 7000	Directed Individual Study in Poultry Science	3
Graduate-level coursework		15
8000-level coursework 1		8-11
Total Hours		30

¹

A minimum of 15 hours of 8000-level coursework is required for degree completion.

Students are required to complete 30 hours of coursework as approved by the graduate committee. Some Directed Individual Study courses, numbered at the 7000 level, may be approved to meet the 8000-level course requirement. Not more than 6 hours of graduate credit may be earned in Directed Individual Study courses. Students will also have to complete a scholarly activity, participate in research projects, and develop a scholarly document focused on subject area.

Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Sciences with Poultry Science Concentration

The Ph.D. requires a minimum of three academic years beyond the B.S. degree with the number of hours varying as determined by the student and major professor. A minimum of 20 hours of PO 9000 Dissertation/Research is required in addition to coursework determined by the student and major professor.

Course requirements may include:

BCH 6603	General Biochemistry I	3
BCH 6613	General Biochemistry II	3
ST 8114	Statistical Methods	4
ST 8214	Design and Analysis of Experiments	4

A minor is not required, but if selected an additional 12 hours of graduate credit is required. 

The preliminary examination must be attempted by the end of the fifth semester of the program. A Graduate Program of Study should be submitted and approved by the student’s graduate committee and Graduate Coordinator by the end of the first semester of graduate study. The graduate committee should be composed of at least five members if the student has a minor and four members if the student does not have a minor.  Committee members include the major professor, who must be a full member of the graduate faculty, at least three other members, two of whom are from the student's major field of interest, and a minor professor if the student has a minor field. Additional committee members may be included at the discretion of the major professor.

Completion Requirements

Requirements for completion of the Ph.D. in Poultry Science are the same as those for CALS except that each student in Poultry Science is required to participate in a limited teaching capacity, such as guest lecturer, in one course during his/her graduate study. That limited teaching capacity shall be determined by the student’s graduate committee when the student’s program of study is established.