The Master of Science in Agriculture (MSAG) is an interdisciplinary degree program offered by the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) through the cooperation of a variety of academic units in CAHNRS as well as WSU’s Research and Extension Centers. The program’s outstanding faculty includes experts in animal science, economic sciences, food science, crop and soil Sciences, horticulture, entomology, plant pathology, and more. Students have the opportunity to direct their learning experience and tailor their coursework to help them meet their professional goals. The program is available completely online and gives students the opportunity to further their education while they continue employment anywhere in the world.
Mission Statement – Section 1.a.
The mission of the Master of Science in Agriculture (MSAG) degree program is to enhance the career trajectory of agricultural professionals, practitioners, and educators by improving their ability to apply new and emerging scientific findings and technologies to the advancement and expansion of their disciplines through:
- Successful completion of high quality courses designed to support expertise expansion in targeted areas or disciplines;
- Participation in an immersion-based, high quality research experience internship, or project-based experience;
- Opportunities to disseminate knowledge through participation in and/or development of extension programs or media
The degree program is primarily designed to support the educational advancement of place bound, time bound students in an online course delivery format, but may be available on campus as well. The overall goal of the program is to prepare master’s level graduates for professional, practitioner, and educator opportunities in agricultural and related fields, so that they may provide leadership and disseminate knowledge to an increasingly complex society.
Program Objectives – Section 1.b
- To prepare students to become experts in professional fields related to agriculture.
- To prepare students to become outstanding educators or practitioners in agricultural disciplines.
- To prepare students to become outstanding leaders and team players in collaborative and interdisciplinary application of their expertise to address local, regional, national and/or global problems associated with agriculture.
- To provide students with an experiential-based research opportunity designed to translate content provided in coursework to reality.
- To both enhance the visibility and impact of graduate programs in agricultural sciences and provide students with a pathway for manifesting their career objectives.
Option-specific Objectives
Food Science and Management (FSM): To address the demand for managers who understand both research and economic factors affecting food production, the FSM option is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of food science through courses in the food science core, as well as executive management skills gained through courses in the management core.
Plant Health Management (PHM): To meet an expanding demand for plant health management specialists to promote food security and food safety on a global scale, the PHM option is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of the essential components of plant protection through courses in the plant health management core, as well as a basic understanding of market aspects of the business through courses in the management core.
Student Learning Outcomes – Section 1.c
1a. Expand breadth of knowledge and expertise in agricultural disciplines and closely related fields.
1b. Increase depth of knowledge and expertise in agriculture as related to the student’s professional goals.
1c. Enhance ability to adapt to emerging changes in technology, economics, societal influences, and communication that have a dramatic impact on the agricultural industry.
2a. Develop critical thinking skills and ability to assess and comprehend societal problems, stakeholder concerns and scientific questions that formulate major issues to be addressed through applied and/or basic research.
2b. Develop scientific literacy by independently assessing, interpreting, and summarizing literature and other sources of knowledge on the research topic.
2c. Develop research objectives, research question and/or hypotheses through the use of logic and critical thinking.
2d. Develop hypothesis; propose, evaluate or execute experimental protocol regarding stated hypothesis, or develop a clearly defined project topic with a plan for investigation and evaluation of collected data.
2e. Collect, summarize, and interpret data.
2f. Effectively communicate at different levels the results of research in written, graphic, and verbal modes.
3a. Acquire advanced knowledge and skills necessary to function as an effective leader, manager, or team player.
3b. Identify, assess and address the interactions among the many issues associated with agriculture and society at large.
3c. Foster commitment to ethical behavior and appreciation for diversity, global cultures, traditions and perspectives.
Plan Descriptions – Section 1.d.
The Master of Science in Agriculture (MSAG) degree program offers a versatile plan in general agriculture which allows the student to customize a program to suit their interests. In addition, it has established two plan options: Food Science and Management and Plant Health Management.
Agriculture: The program’s plan in general agriculture is versatile so that students may tailor their coursework according to their learning and professional goals. In addition to the degree’s two core courses, students are able to fill out their program with coursework to support their individual program and project objectives.
Food Science and Management (FSM): The Food Science and Management plan option is aimed to uniquely qualify students to meet the increasing demand for managers who understand science, technology and business management. This degree option has a designated curriculum for the program of study.
Plant Health Management (PHM): The Plant Health Management plan option is aimed to qualify graduates to manage commercial‐scale agricultural or horticultural operations (farms, greenhouses, landscapes, parks, etc.), and will be able to diagnose and address problems associated with plant pathogens, insects and weeds, as well as environmental factors (including soil) that impact plant health. This degree option has a designated curriculum for the program of study.
Plan Availability:
| MSAG Program | Non-Thesis | Thesis | Online | Pullman |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Agriculture Track | X | By Exception | X | By Exception |
| Food Science and Management | X | By Exception | X | By Exception |
| Plant Health Management | X | By Exception | X | Not Available |
Diploma: The diploma will reflect a ‘Master of Science in Agriculture’ degree; the diploma does not distinguish between campus, online, thesis, non-thesis, nor option title. The option title, i.e. Food Science and Management, will appear on the transcript only. Students in the general agriculture track will not have any such reference on the transcript.