Applied Science

The Master of Applied Science is a practitioner degree for individuals directly involved in agriculture, food, and natural resource related industries. It also addresses the advanced educational needs of working agricultural and natural resource professionals and science educators. The program is available to both residential and distance students.

The program offers several areas of study: agricultural leadership, agribusiness, animal systems, community development, food systems, integrative agricultural systems, and plant systems. While some areas of study are supported by distance-delivered courses to the extent that a student may complete a degree without ever being on campus, others are completed in the more traditional residential student setting.

Since this is a college-wide degree program, there is wide latitude in the selection of areas of study. An individual curriculum is designed for each student with the goal of best fitting the student's educational objective(s). The student, advisor, and supervisory committee jointly establish this curriculum.

The degree is designed for those whose educational objective is to pursue a professional degree in agriculture, food, and natural resources at the master's level. A unique feature of the master's program is the degree project. The degree project replaces the traditional master's thesis and is specifically intended to be of immediate value in the student's workplace for career advancement.

You will work with faculty members from several UNL departments who have varying research interests and experiences. These research interests include, but are not limited to, biotechnology, natural resource management, entomology, animal and crop production systems, food quality measurements, curriculum development and science pedagogy, multimedia and instructional systems, and environmental and agricultural ethics.

The Master of Applied Science program is not housed within an individual department (an interdisciplinary degree) but administered by a faculty committee selected from many departments.

Because there are no prescribed areas of study you are able to individualize your program, with approval of the supervisory committee, to best meet your own career objectives.

Academic advisers are in the following departments:

• Education and Communication
• Agricultural Economics
• Agronomy and Horticulture
• Animal Science; Entomology
• Food Science and Technology
• Natural Resources
• Plant Pathology

This degree addresses the advanced educational needs of practitioners in a flexible format, to meet the goals of individuals employed in applied life sciences.

Program & Courses

Requires a total of 36 credit hours of graduate course work (with 12 credit hours open exclusively to graduate credit):

• At least 18 credit hours in an area of concentration (may be interdisciplinary), including a *degree project.
• At least 9 credit hours must be completed in a secondary area of emphasis for breadth to maximize flexibility, there are no core courses required.
• A 3 - 6 credit hour *degree project is required.
• A comprehensive examination, either written and/or oral; successful completion of the *degree project, including examination by the Examining and Advisory Committee, may serve in lieu of a written comprehensive examination.
• The final examination over the degree project and program of study is oral.
• Where appropriate, a professional competency or certification exam may be required as part of the final examination
• Not less than 50% of the course work, excluding *degree project, of the minimum number of graduate credits required must be University of Nebraska–Lincoln credit

*The Degree Project

A unique aspect of this master's program which replaces the traditional master's thesis.

The degree project is intended for you to gain immediate value to apply to your workplace or for career advancement.

Transfer Credits

Each degree program within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is responsible for evaluating transfer credit and determining how the credit will apply to your specific degree program.

The evaluation of transfer credit is based on a review of the comparability of the nature, content and level of the learning experience and its appropriateness to the degree program.

If you're interested in transferring credit, you will need to consult with the UNL academic department associated with your major.

Audience

• Professionals who want to enhance or add areas of expertise
• Professionals who wish to network their career field throughout the state and beyond
• Professionals who want to fulfill challenging personal and professional goals
• Full-time professionals who want flexible course schedules and delivery of courses closer to home
• Independent, self-motivated individuals with a strong commitment to lifelong learning

Application for Graduate Admission$50 non-refundable application processing feeOne set of transcripts, uploaded to MyRED (seeupload requirements)If your native language is not English: verification of English proficiencyIf you are not a US citizen and you expect to hold an F or J visa: financial resource information English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 79 Technological Requirements PC Processor: Core 2 Duo or Equivalent or better Operating System: Windows XP (Home/Professional) or higher Web Conferencing: Web Camera/ Sound Card & Speakers/ Microphone or Headset with Microphone Internet Connection: High-speed DSL or Cable Modem Browser: Windows IE 7.0 or higher/ Firefox 3.0 or higher Anti-Virus: Current & Updated Anti-virus Software : Microsoft Office 2007 or higher Plug-Ins (download) : Java/ Windows Media Player/Acrobat Reader/Flash/Shockwave/Powerpoint Viewer MAC Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo or better Operating System: OS 10 X Snow Leopard Web Conferencing: Web Camera/ Sound Card & Speakers/ Microphone or Headset with Microphone Internet Connection: High-speed DSL or Cable Modem Browser: Windows IE 7.0 or higher/ Firefox 3.0 or higher/ Safari 3.0 or higher Anti-Virus: Current & Updated Anti-virus Software : Microsoft Office 2007 or higher Plug-Ins (download) : Quicktime

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid provides information on loans and need-based funds.

Accreditation

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting agencies. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been continuously accredited since 1913. The Office of Academic Affairs is responsible for coordinating University efforts to prepare for the accrediting agency’s periodic site visits and reviews. The university last underwent a comprehensive self-study and site visit during the 2006-07 academic year. The next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2016-17.

UNL’s Statement of Affiliation Status (confirmation of accreditation) can be accessed on the Higher Learning Commission’s website.