Agriculture

Return to: School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences

Bruce W. McGowan, Ph.D.
Interim Dean/Director

MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM IN AGRICULTURAL REGULATIONS

School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences

USDA Regulatory Science Center of Excellence

Department of Agriculture

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

1200 North University Drive, Mail Slot 4913

Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601

Telephone: (870) 575.8133

Tracy V. Dunbar, Ph.D.

Chair, Department of Agriculture

dunbart@uapb.edu

(870) 575.7143

Shahidul Islam, Ph.D.

Interim Director, USDA Regulatory Science Center of Excellence

and Graduate Coordinator

islams@uapb.edu

(870) 575.7239

USDA REGULATORY SCIENCE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE
MISSION STATEMENT

The Center’s mission is to support education, research and understanding in regulatory sciences and risk analysis. The Center also supports a multidisciplinary program designed to prepare students for meaningful careers in agricultural, environmental and food safety regulatory affairs. The Center utilizes the experience of university faculty and federal agencies in conducting research and outreach education that advances understanding of and compliance with federal, state and local government statutes. To fulfill this mission the Center:

• Provides seminars and workshops that train students and professionals about regulatory issues related to agriculture
• Obtains internships for students enrolled in the regulatory science program
• Performs risk evaluations and recommends measures to reduce risk
• Works closely with regulatory agencies and private industry to provide regulatory expertise.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Master of Science Degree Program in Agricultural Regulations is offered by the USDA Regulatory Science Center of Excellence in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture. The Agriculture Department is comprised of several undergraduate programs and also houses the Regulatory Science Center of Excellence.

The Regulatory Science Center was established in 1995 by the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services - Marketing and Regulatory Programs Division. The Regulatory Science Center functions in a multidisciplinary environment which merges the experience of University faculty and personnel with Federal agencies to educate students, conduct research, and promote outreach programs. The Regulatory Science Center works in conjunction with the Agriculture Department to prepare students and practitioners to address important regulatory issues in agriculture, environmental biology, food safety, and agricultural risk analysis. The efforts of the Regulatory Science Center help provide safe, high quality commodity and food products, healthy work and living conditions, and a healthy environment. Faculty members of the Center are also faculty members of the Agriculture Department and have expertise in the fields of agricultural science, regulatory compliance, food safety, biotechnology, natural resource systems, natural resource policy and agricultural economics.

Research

Research is conducted in the areas of agriculture, economics and natural resource management. Particular attention is given to the problems and issues which small and limited-resource farmers in Arkansas face. Researchers also address problems that are both timely and important to the general public at the local, state and national levels. In line with the University’s Goals, the Center and the Department “conduct research and scholarly activities that enhance the problem solving capacity of the institution and contributes to expanding knowledge base.”

External research grants, USDA Evans - Allen support, and state support provide the financial basis for both the Center and Department of Agriculture’s research programs. Research and extension programs are categorized under five (5) goals which include supporting: 1) An agricultural system that is highly competitive in the global economy 2) A safe and secure food and fiber system, 3) A healthy, well-nourished population, 4) An agricultural system which protects natural resources and the environment, and 5) Enhanced economic opportunity and quality of life for Americans.

A 540 square foot distance education/Geographic Information Systems (GIS) laboratory is located in Woodard Hall. Equipment includes twenty-one (21) computers (on-line) for student use and three (3) big-screen, high definition monitors. Identical equipment is located at sites in Altheimer, Lake Village and North Little Rock. These distance education classrooms facilitate course offerings to the above-mentioned remote sites. Woodard Hall also includes classrooms and a 54-seat auditorium, conference room and faculty/staff offices.

The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has laboratory facilities and equipment that are among the best in Arkansas (i.e. Holiday Hall - Applied Sciences Building). The Applied Sciences building houses the Animal Science/Entomology lab, the Soils lab, the Regulatory Science lab, the Biotechnology lab, and the Plant Science lab. A new Food Safety laboratory/building and additional research labs are located in the S. J. Parker research facility.

Graduate Student Load

A full-time graduate student course load in the Agricultural Regulations graduate program is six (6) credit hours during the fall and spring semesters and two (2) credit hours during the summer term. A full-time graduate student’s course load may not exceed fifteen (15) credit hours during the spring and fall semesters and eight (8) credit hours during the summer term. Students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible for assistantships. Students who are not on assistantships and are finishing their thesis projects may maintain their graduate status by registering for one (1) credit hour.

Advisory Committee

Advisory committees of graduate students enrolled in the Graduate Agricultural Regulations Program must consist of at least three (3) UAPB faculty members with graduate faculty status and be chaired or co-chaired by a UAPB faculty member with graduate faculty status. Committee members participating above this number are considered additional committee members. Committee membership must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator, Center Director and SAFHS Dean. Retired and/or emeritus UAPB faculty who have an association with the Agriculture Department or Regulatory Science Center may serve on advisory committees, upon expressed approval by the Graduate Coordinator, Center Director and SAFHS Dean.

Faculty from other universities and professionals outside of the university system who are not employed by UAPB may serve as additional committee members and co-advisors with the expressed approval of the Graduate Coordinator, Center Director, and SAFHS Dean. They may not serve as the chair of an advisory committee, but may serve as the co-chair. A copy of their CV should be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator.

A student’s graduate advisor may be changed within the first two (2) years of study with the permission of the current advisor, the prospective advisor, the Graduate Coordinator and the Department Chair/Center Director. Changes (additions and deletions) to a graduate committee must be approved by the student’s Graduate Committee, the Graduate Coordinator and the Department Chair/Center Director.

Program of Study

The program of study is a list of courses and research that constitutes the essential conditions for obtaining a Master’s degree in Agricultural Regulations. Each student, in consultation with their advisory committee, formulates a program of study based on the guidelines established by the UAPB Graduate Catalog and recommendations from their advisory committee. All the courses listed on the program of study must be completed successfully to graduate and obtain the Master’s degree. The Master’s degree in Agricultural Regulations consists of 31 semester hours (twenty-five (25) credits in coursework and six (6) credits in research and thesis.

The student will complete a core of regulatory science courses (19 credits) and select, with the approval of his/her graduate committee, other graduate courses that meet the student’s career goals.

Advisory Committee Meetings

Students are required to have a program of study committee meeting before the end of their first semester. Students are strongly encouraged to schedule at least one or more committee meetings during their enrolment in the program.

Registration Status of Students

Students who receive assistantships should be enrolled (registered full time) until all of the requirements of the program of study are fulfilled or until graduation (whichever occurs first). When a student completes all course requirements listed on the program of study but is yet to complete the thesis requirement, the student may register for at least one (1) credit hour (research and thesis or any other graduate level course). If the student is not registered at any time during the regular semesters (fall, spring, summer), the student will be considered to have withdrawn from the program and cannot graduate until readmitted (see ‘Withdrawal’ and ‘Readmission’ sections).

Thesis Proposal

All students enrolled in the Graduate Agricultural Regulations Program are required to prepare a thesis involving original research during their tenure in the program. A thesis proposal should be developed prior to the initiation of thesis research and submitted to their committee members for approval before end of their second full semester of enrollment. The proposal must include an Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Anticipated Results and References section. The style of the thesis proposal will follow the ‘manuscript preparation’ guidelines for the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment, the HortScience, the Plant Physiology, the Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists, the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management or similar agreed upon journal.

Preparation of the Thesis

Students will complete a research project under the supervision of their faculty. This work must be written as a Master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. The thesis/dissertation should follow the UAPB Thesis and Dissertation Guide found on the Division’s website. Students will choose an appropriate journal style and publication guide in consultation with their thesis advisors. If the specified format is not covered by the manuscript preparation instructions, students must follow the style and conventions offered in the CBE Style Manual (Council of Biological Editors, Chicago).

There are specific deadlines each semester for Final Submission of the thesis (see the Graduation Checklist, above). Failure to meet the Final Submission deadline will delay graduation by a semester.

Thesis Seminar Presentation, Defense, and Submission

Signatures of the advisory committee, Graduate Coordinator and Center Director are required on the signature page of the thesis. These signatures indicate that all proposed research is satisfactory and all suggested changes have been satisfied and that the thesis is complete.

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