Animal Science - Master of Science

General Requirements

Graduate students must maintain at least a 3.0 grade point average. A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate work if required, the following parameters must be met within those credits but can overlap.

  1. At least 15 credits must be in courses numbered 500 or above
  2. At least 15 credits must be in Animal Science courses
  3. At least 15 credits (exclusive of ANSC 598) must be taken with other than a single professor
Prefix Title Credits
Required Courses
ANSC 599Master's Thesis6
ANSC 515Graduate Seminar2
ANSC 512Research Methods in Animal Science (s)3-4
or A ST 512 Quantitative Analysis for Business Decisions
Choose 18-19 credits from the following, ensuring the above parameters are met:18-19
Environmental Physiology of Domestic Animals3
Ruminant Nutrition3
Advanced Animal Nutrition (so)3
Animal Physiology Techniques (se)4
Laboratory Techniques in Nutrition (f)4
Endocrinology of Domestic Animals (f)3
Range Nutrition Techniques (se)3
Research Methods in Animal Science (s)4
Graduate Seminar1
Advanced Nutritional Management I: Feedlot (se)3
Advanced Nutritional Management II: Cow Calf/Stocker (so)3
Animal Nutrition (f)3
Rumen Microbiology (so)3
Environmental Physiology of Domestic Animals3
Advanced Reproductive Physiology (fo)3
Molecular Techniques in Reproductive Physiology (fo)2
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal-Pineal Endocrinology (fe)1
Gonadal and Uterine Endocrinology (fe)1
Endocrinology of Pregnancy, Parturition, and Lactation (fe)1
Metabolic Functions and Dysfunctions (fe)3
Nutrient Metabolism I: Mineral, Vitamin, and Nitrogen Metabolism (fo)4
Nutrient Metabolism II: Carbohydrates, Lipids, and Energetics (se)4
Total Credits30

Graduate Assistants

  1. All graduate assistants must enroll as full-time students taking at least 9 graded graduate credits (courses numbered 450 and above). No audits can be taken as part of the 9 minimum credits. Only 3 of the 9 credits may be taken as an S/U option.
  2. A graduate assistant may not enroll for more than 15 credits each semester.
  3. If a student needs to take deficiency courses as part of the 9 credits, then a memo from the advisor or department head should be submitted to the Graduate School. If approved, the student can register for 3 undergraduate credits and a minimum of 6 graded graduate credits during their first semester at New Mexico State University.
  4. Enrollment during summer sessions is not required.

Additional Requirements

  1. A maximum of six credits in S/U courses may be taken during a Master’s program
  2. A maximum of six credits (four in a single semester) in ANSC 598 (Special Research Programs) may be taken during a Master’s program.
  3. If a minor is declared, a minimum of eight credits in this discipline must be completed and approved by that department.
  4. In certain instances, deficiency courses may be required.
  5. Attendance at graduate seminars is urged.
  6. Graduate students are encouraged to adapt their thesis data for submission as a scientific journal article, an Experiment Station Bulletin, or research report.

The Masters Committee

The Masters Committee is appointed by the student’s advisor with the approval of the Department Head and consists of four members including three from the animal science area and one representative from the Graduate School.

The Masters Final Examination

The Masters Final Oral Examination is primarily concerned with the thesis research conducted by the student but it may also extend over the entire discipline. Candidates for a Masters Degree are expected to demonstrate a thorough understanding of their research topic including how it was conducted, the results that were found, and what the results mean. They should also demonstrate knowledge of the general discipline of Animal Science.