The Degree of
Master
of Agribusiness
This professional curriculum
is designed to provide a broad preparation for economic, financial,
and marketing analysis of agribusiness, food and fiber industry
decisions. To further enhance their career preparation, students
may avail themselves of traditional University strengths in a
wide range of supporting areas and departments. The Master
of Agribusiness (MAB) degree program is non-thesis, interdisciplinary
and jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life
Sciences and the Mays Business School. Program administration
includes a Program Director, Program Executive Committee and
an Intercollegiate Faculty. This program is one of a select cadre
of national programs designed to successfully cut across the
business and agriculture disciplines to focus on food and agribusiness
management.
The requirements of the Master
of Agribusiness degree are flexible to meet the needs and goals
of the students. Enrollees who have taken business courses as
undergraduates will be able to build on what they learned in
these foundation courses and specialize their training to pursue
specific career goals. Those who have not completed these foundation
courses may complete them as part of their degree program. Students
will work closely with their advisory committees in developing
programs to meet their unique backgrounds and career goals.
Residence
In partial fulfillment of the residence
requirement for the degree of Master of Agribusiness, the student
must complete 9 resident credit hours during one regular semester
or one 10-week summer semester. Upon recommendation of the
student's advisory committee and with approval of the Office
of Graduate Studies, a student may be granted exemption from
this requirement. However, such a petition must be approved
prior to the student's registration for the final 9 credit
hours of required course work.
Full-time staff members of the University
or of closely affiliated organizations stationed at the campus
at College Station may fulfill total residence requirements
by completion of less-than-full course loads. Specific authorization
for such programs must be granted in advance by the employing
agency. Employees should submit verification of their employment
at the time they submit their degree plan. See Registration.
Student's Advisory Committee
After receiving admission to graduate
studies and enrolling for course work, the student will consult
with the Chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness
and the Associate Head for Graduate Programs in Agricultural
Economics concerning program structure and requirements. The
Chair of the Intercollegiate Faculty of Agribusiness and the
Associate Head for Graduate Programs have the responsibility
of approving the proposed degree plan for MAB students and
are responsible for counseling the student on academic matters,
and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations
to the Office of Graduate Studies. No other advisory committee
members are required.
Degree Plan
The
degree plan must be completed and filed with the Office of
Graduate Studies following the deadline imposed by the student's
college, and no later than dates announced in the OGS calendar
of deadlines for graduation. No exceptions are allowed.
This proposed degree plan must be typed
and submitted on the official form as it appears on the website
at vpr.tamu.edu with endorsements by the Chair of the Intercollegiate
Faculty of Agribusiness and the Associate Head for Graduate
Programs in Agricultural Economics.
Additional course work may be added
to the approved degree plan by petition if it is deemed necessary
to correct deficiencies in the student's academic preparation.
Credit Requirement
The minimum requirements for this degree
are the completion of 39 credit hours of course work. To emphasize
the integration and application of subject matter learned and
the development of written and oral communication skills, students
will be required to take capstone courses consisting of AGEC
629 and 630 during their last fall semester. This 6 credit
hour course requirement allows waiving of the Final Examination.
Students may select 6 credit hours
of electives within 39 credit hour requirement in consultation
with their advisory committees. These elective hours may include
an AGEC 684 (Internship). At least one elective course is to
be from the Mays Business School, preferably in the international
area.
Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension
and Certain Other Courses
Some departments may have more restrictive
requirements for transfer work. If otherwise acceptable, certain
courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements
for the master's degree under the following limitations.
Exceptions will be permitted only in
unusual cases and when petitioned by the student with permission
from the Intercollegiate Chair and Associate Department Head
for Graduate Programs and approved by the Office of Graduate
Studies.
Transfer of Credit
A student who has earned 12 hours of
graduate credit in residence at
Texas A&M University may
be authorized to transfer courses
in excess of the limits prescribed above upon the advice of
the advisory committee and with the
advance approval of the Office
of Graduate Studies if
these courses are not available
at Texas A&M University.
Courses taken in residence at an
accredited U.S. institution or
approved international institution
with a final grade of
B or greater might be
considered for transfer credit
if, at the time the courses were
completed, the student was in degree-seeking
status at
Texas A&M University or at
the institution at which the courses
were taken, and if the courses
would be accepted for
credit toward a similar degree
for students in degree-seeking
status at the host institution.
Otherwise, the limitations
stated in the preceding section
apply. Course work in
which no formal grades are given
or in which grades other than letter
grades (A, B, C, etc.) are given
(for example, CR, P,
S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted
for transfer credit. Courses
appearing on the degree plan with
grades of D, F or U may not be
absolved by transfer work. Credit
for thesis research or
the equivalent is not transferable.
Credit for course work submitted
for transfer from any college or
university must
be shown in semester credit hours
or equated to semester credit hours.
An official transcript from the
university at which
the transfer course work was taken
must be sent directly to the Office
of Admissions and Records.
Courses completed at other institutions
are not included in computing the GPR.
Foreign Languages
There is no specific language requirement
for the Master of Agribusiness degree.
Time Limit
All degree requirements must be completed
within a period of seven consecutive years for the degree to
be granted. A course will be considered valid until seven years
after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate
credit for course work which is more than seven calendar years
old may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Application for Degree
Graduate degrees are conferred at the
close of each regular semester
and 10-week summer semester. Candidates for advanced degrees
who expect to complete their
work at the end of a given semester
must apply for graduation by submitting the electronic application
for degree to the
Office of the Registrar and by
paying the required graduation fee at the Fiscal Department
no later than the Friday of the
second week of the fall or spring
semester or the Friday of the first week of the first summer
term. The
electronic application for degree
can be accessed via the website
degreeapp.tamu.edu.
Final Examination
To emphasize the integration and application
of subject matter learned and the development of written and
oral communication skills, students will be required to take
capstone courses consisting of AGEC 629 and 630 during their
last fall semester. This 6 credit hour course requirement allows
waiving of the Final Examination. Completion of these capstone
courses serves as the final examination for this program.
