Department of Animal and Food Sciences

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Animal and Food Sciences (MS, PhD)

Telephone: (302) 831-2524

https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/departments/animal-and-food-sciences/

Faculty Listing: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/departments/animal-and-food-sciences/faculty-staff/   

Program Overview

The Department of Animal and Food Sciences offers a total of six graduate degrees:

Thesis/Dissertation-Requiring Degrees

1. The Master of Science (MS) degree in Animal Science
2. The MS degree in Food Science
3. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Animal and Food Sciences

In Animal Science, these research-focused programs are offered in bioinformatics, genomics, gut-health, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, molecular biology, nutrition, pathology, physiology, and virology.

In Food Science, research-focused programs are offered in food bacteriology, biochemistry, nutraceuticals, parasitology, processing, toxicology, and virology.

Course-Based Degrees

The Department of Animal and Food Science offers three course-based degrees:

1. Animal Health
2. Applied Animal Science
3. Food Technology

Students work with a faculty advisor to select courses relevant to career objectives and for placement for their in-depth, independent project

Research Facilities

Well-equipped laboratories for conducting research are located in Worrilow Hall and the Allen Biotechnology Laboratory. The newly renovated Worrilow Hall contains shared work spaces and dedicated equipment to support advanced research. The Allen Biotechnology Laboratory is a state-of-the-art, biosafety level 2 and 3 facility for the study of conventional and highly pathogenic avian disease agents and recombinant poultry microorganisms. The Department maintains dairy cattle, beef cattle, sheep, horses, and poultry for instruction and research on the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station Farm.

Requirements for Admission

An applicant for graduate study in Animal and Food Sciences should have an appropriate background from a baccalaureate degree, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75, and a 3.00 average in his/her major. Undergraduate preparation for most areas of study should include general and organic chemistry, biology/microbiology, biochemistry, physics, and calculus. For students lacking appropriate preparatory course work, additional courses applicable to certain areas of study may be required prior to admission. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General test is optional. The Graduate Application must include three letters of recommendation from former professors, transcripts, and application essay. International students must demonstrate competence in the use of the English language by meeting TOEFL or IELTS test requirements set by the Graduate College. Admission to course-based degrees is based on the application package alone whereas admission to thesis- and dissertation-based degrees is also dependent upon support of a faculty advisor. The admission process is outlined in this document.

Financial Aid

Please refer to the Graduate Application and Admission Process document for more information. Briefly, thesis/dissertation degree-seeking students are eligible for graduate research and/or teaching assistantships, as well as tuition waivers. For course-based MS degree-seeking students, no financial aid is provided.

Programs

• Animal Health (MS)
• Animal Sciences (MS)
• Applied Animal Science (MS)
• Food Sciences (MS)
• Food Technology (MS)

• Animal and Food Sciences (PhD)

• Animal Bioscience/Animal Health 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Animal Bioscience/Applied Animal Science 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Animal Science/Animal Health 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Animal Science/Applied Animal Science 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Food Science 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine/Animal Health 4+1 (BS/MS)
• Pre-Veterinary Medicine/Applied Animal Science 4+1 (BS/MS)

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