The Animal Sciences Graduate Program

Degree R​equirements for Graduate Students

General Requirements

  • All graduate students are encouraged to obtain teaching experience by active involvement as a teaching assistant for one or two semesters. Students whose native language is not English are required to pass an Oral English Proficiency Exam, administered by the University, before serving as a teaching assistant.
  • Graduate students are encouraged to attend seminars frequently and to accept invitations to present seminars both within the department and at the College of Agriculture, University, state, national, and international meetings. All thesis students must present a seminar covering their thesis research before the last day of classes in the semester for which they will receive the degree.
  • There is no foreign language requirement in the Department of Animal Sciences.
  • To continue in graduate study, a student is expected to maintain a satisfactory level of academic excellence. Satisfactory academic performance is a cumulative grade index of 3.0 (B avg.). All cases of unsatisfactory performance will be reviewed after each semester by the student's advisory committee and recommendations made to the Graduate Committee concerning continuation of study.

Master of Science

All M.S. candidates must complete appropriate Animal Sciences courses as prescribed by their advisory committee, plus a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work outside the Department of Animal Sciences in basic supporting disciplines with nine of these non-ANSC credits at the 50000 or 60000 level. These credits are exclusive​ of seminars.

M.S. students will select one of the following options:

  • Thesis Option: Students selecting this option must prepare a thesis detailing their research and pass an examination based upon their graduate program. The minimum course work is determined by the student's advisory committee and is tailored to each student's background and goals.
  • Non-Thesis Option: Under this option, a student's program must include a minimum of 30 credit hours, including the 12 credit hours mentioned above, exclusive of seminars. 

All M.S. candidates must pass an oral examination as a requisite for completing the degree. This examination also serves as one of the major criteria for admission to graduate study for the Ph.D. degree.

Doctor of Philosophy

All Ph.D. candidates must complete appropriate Animal Sciences courses as prescribed by their advisory committee, plus a minimum of 15 credit hours of course work outside the Department of Animal Sciences in supporting disciplines. Basic area courses completed on the M.S. program may possibly be applied toward this requirement. All Ph.D. candidates must pass a written and oral preliminary examination and an oral final examination as a requisite for completing the degree. Research conducted as part of the doctoral work is expected to make a definite contribution to the candidate's field of knowledge - a contribution of sufficient importance to merit publication in a scientific journal. The candidate must, therefore, prepare a thesis detailing the results of his or her research.

For specific information contact:

Department of Animal Sciences
Purdue University
Creighton Hall of Animal Sciences
270 S. Russell St., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2041

Telephone: 765-494-4863
Fax: 765-494-9346
E-mail: anscgrad@purdue.edu