Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
OBJECTIVES
Agriculture and Life Sciences Division within the College of Natural Applied Sciences will offer the Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (SAFNR) Program with two tracks to create leaders and professionals for the next generation needed to address challenges which are closely tied to the global food systems, nutrition and human health, energy security, climate change, as well as agricultural enterprises, using sustainable approaches. The goal of the program therefore, will include educating students and developing and disseminating science-based information to promote sustainable agricultural production, healthy living, and natural resource management that is appropriate for the Western Pacific Region. Courses are offered by faculty from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Nursing and Health sciences, College of Liberal Arts, and the sponsored programs. Specific objectives of the program include seeking answers to agricultural and natural resources as well as food, nutritional and health related questions, especially those arising in the developing island nations of the Pacific; promoting needed educational and service projects in Western Pacific island communities; and equipping graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for sound scientific inquiry and professional practice, and a solid understanding and commitment to professional ethics in the pacific regions.
PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of the Program:
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The students will demonstrate the ability to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate issues in the areas of sustainable agriculture, food, nutrition and natural resources.
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The students will demonstrate mastery in quantitative and/or qualitative data collection and analysis in agricultural science, food and nutrition science, as well as the natural resources.
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They will demonstrate ability to write technical scientific reports and articles.
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The students will demonstrate knowledge of current topics and research activities related to sustainable agriculture, food and natural resource sciences in the literature as well as in the island communities.
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Students will demonstrate the ability to conceive, conduct and report original research results.
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Students will apply knowledge and technical skills in order to solve discipline related challenges in tropical systems.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
GENERAL ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must first meet all University requirements stated under “Academic Requirements, Section B. Admission Requirements for Graduate Status.” Once admitted by the University’s Graduate Admissions Office, students may apply for admission to the ‘Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ (SAFNR) Program.
For Pre-candidate status, students must submit the following to the SAFNR Admissions and Recruitment Committee:
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A written, personal statement in English of up to 1000 words that addresses:
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A discussion of why the student is applying specifically to SAFNR, highlighting aspects of the program that most attracts him/her.
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A description of the research interest that the student would like to explore and the academic and/or professional experiences that have most prepared him/her to study that topic.
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A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) that outlines personal, professional, and academic experiences that have prepared the student to pursue training in the SAFNR program,
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A copy of all undergraduate transcripts,
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Three (3) letters of recommendation submitted from individuals familiar with the student’s academic or professional performance.
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Pre-candidates MUST apply for Candidate status prior to completing 12 credit hours towards the SAFNR degree.
For Candidate status:
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The student must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for all graduate courses,
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The student will form a Thesis Committee composed of the thesis advisor (chairperson) and at least two additional members, one of whom must be from outside the specialty area of the thesis project,
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The student will present to the UOG community an oral proposal for a thesis project.
Application packages are first evaluated by the Admissions and Recruitment Committee who then present their recommendation to the Program Chair. Upon approval by the Program Chair, the applicant is admitted to the program as Pre-candidate or Candidate.
BACKGROUND AND PERFORMANCE GUIDELINES
The SAFNR is built around two component disciplines (Tracks): Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources, and of Food and Nutrition. Applicants are expected to have backgrounds related to at least one of these disciplines. Related backgrounds are broadly defined. Students who do not possess these background courses will be advised to take key undergraduate courses as part of their program. For example, for Sustainable Agriculture, related disciplines include all the sub-disciplines of biology and other life sciences, such as biochemistry, or genetics; the health sciences; and agricultural, animal, and plant sciences. Disciplines related to Natural Resources-include the natural sciences, particularly the earth sciences, tropical ecosystem, and atmospheric sciences. Relevant disciplines also include; applied mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Applicants with other backgrounds, especially with interdisciplinary training or experience, who have completed the prerequisites listed below or can provide other evidence of their ability to successfully complete the core course requirement will be considered as well.
TRACKS
The two tracks of the program will cover the following topics:
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
The following topics will be covered in the Track of Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources:
- Evaluation methods of plant, soil and natural resources interaction
- Technologies in sustainable agriculture and agro-ecosystem
- Method of selection of plants adapted to environments
- Plant materials in tropical urban landscape and farms
- Evolving methods of engineering technologies in tropical sustainable agriculture
- Effects of soil fertility on plant nutrition and metabolism
- Experimental designs in agricultural field and laboratory
- Sustainable animal production systems
- Agricultural biotechnology
- Tropical aquaculture
FOOD AND NUTRITION
The following topics will be covered in the Track of Food and Nutrition:
- Applications and issues related to nutrition research
- Dietary assessment methods; nutrition monitoring and surveillance
- Evolving methods of assessing health status
- Assessment and treatment of nutritional health risks
- Health promotion and disease prevention theories and guidelines
- Influence of socioeconomic, cultural and psychological factors on food and nutrition behaviour
- Food safety issues, solutions, and regulations
- Food security and value-added food products
- Changes of food quality and components during processing and storage
- Methods of detecting and characterizing microbes and food components.
MASTERS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Upon the admission to the program, students must choose and be accepted by a faculty advisor with expertise in their selected sub-discipline. Subsequently, the student’s individual program is developed by the student and his or her advisor and monitored by the advisor and the student’s advisory committee. Final program approval requires endorsement by the Program Chair, with subsequent approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. In consultation with his or her advisor, each student must select which of the two tracks he or she will follow for the two capstone experiences: Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Food and Nutrition as described below. Students may apply for degree candidacy and register for capstone credits only after their proposal has been presented to and approved by their advisory committee, as described below.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS (33 credit hours)
The University of Guam’s graduate SAFNR Program is designed to produce graduates equipped with essential knowledge and skills. It fosters a committment to the highest standards of professional integrity in research and application of Agricultural and Natural Resources as well as Food and Nutrition to matters of public interest.
Students are required to take a minimum of 33 credit hours to graduate from the SAFNR program. A thesis with a satisfactory grade point average of 3.0 or higher will confer the Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Food and Nutrition.
Core Courses (13 credit hours)
The CORE curriculum for ALL TRACKS consists of four courses totaling 13 credit hours:
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| BI503 | BIOLOGICAL LITERATURE AND SCIENTIFIC WRITING + Survey of biological literature as an assist in thesis and manuscript preparation
in the areas of writing, proofreading, literature citation, figure and table preparation.
Two hours of lecture weekly.
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2 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| BI507 | ADVANCED STATISTICAL METHODS + An advanced course in applied statistical methods as used in the biological and environmental
sciences stressing the design and analysis of experimental and observational studies.
Lectures will be 3 hours per week. Prerequisites: MA385 or equivalent.
|
4 credit hours | FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| AL691 | SEMINAR AND CURRENT TOPICS + This course is graduate seminar course that combines formal student presentations
with invited presentations by faculty and community members involved with agriculture
and life sciences and related subjects. The course consists of 1-hour sessions each
week throughout the semester.
|
1 credit hour | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| AL695 | THESIS + The ALS 695 Thesis course is a final course of the SAFNR graduate program. This course
is designed to give the student field and research experience within the UOG Research
and Extension framework to complete and defend Thesis work. UOG faculty-directed projects
are designed for individual students. The student is required to complete two 3-credit
courses (i.e. 135 hours for 3 credits) directed research during their last two semesters.
Prerequisite: Instructor's consent.
|
1 - 6 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
Among the core courses which are the tool courses are: Advanced Statistical Methods (BI-507, 4 credit hours), Seminars on current topics (AL 691, 1 credit hour), Biological Literature & Scientific Writing (BI/EV 503, 2 hours). These core courses equip students with quantitative skills for rigorous experimental design and, interpretation as well as rigorous training in, scientific writing. Students take all four of these core courses, irrespective of which track they choose for their concentration. This suite of courses, thus equips students with the essential knowledge and skills from each of the two tracks that define the ‘SAFNR’. Once students are admitted to the program he or she must demonstrate proficiency in spoken English and presentation skills to the satisfaction of the program admissions committee. If, however, the advisory committee determines that the student would not benefit from additional formal instruction in oral presentation they may waive the Literature & Scientific Presentation (seminar, 1 credit hour) requirement as it is listed above.
Agricultural and Natural Resource Track (9 credit hours)
For the Agricultural and Natural Resource Track students must choose minimum of 9 credit hours from the following courses:
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| AL443G | TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE TROPICAL AGRICULTURE + This course provides students with knowledge of Agricultural sustainability through
the practice of technologies that efficiently utilize resources that aim to improve
and sustain soil and water quality and quantity. Students will gain knowledge of the
technologies for improving sustainability on agriculture operations, conservation
practices that mitigate degradation of soil and water utility in agricultural operation
through sustainable management. Students will learn management strategies and technologies
that aim to obtain optimum agricultural production, reduce negative environmental
impacts, and sustain natural resources. The course meets for three hours of lecture
and three hours of laboratory weekly. AL443L/G is the laboratory portion of AL443/G
and MUST be taken concurrently. Corequisite: AL443L/G. Prerequisites: MA161A, AL211,
AL281 or consent of instructor. Full course title: Engineering Technologies for Sustainable
Tropical Agriculture changed to Technologies for Sustainable Tropical Agriculture
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| EV512 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: ECONOMICS-MANAGEMENT-LAW + This course equips students with the fundamental elements of microeconomic theory,
concepts of environmental economics, techniques of environmental management, and elements
of environmental law that are essential for efficient and sustainable conservation,
allocation, and management of natural resources, as well as the rational evaluation
and effective maintenance of environmental safety and quality.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| AL536 | ADVANCES IN SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE + This course is intended to cover the recent advance in sustainable aquaculture research,
development and application, including culture system, aquaculture nutrition, reproductive
biology, genetic selective breeding, health management, production techniques, aquatic
environmental management, seafood processing technology, off commercially important
aquaculture species. It is also designed to provide in-depth knowledge of the molecular
techniques currently used in aquaculture research, with emphasis on some applications
in developing a sustainable aquaculture in the tropical regions. Prerequisite: AL136
or consent of instructor.
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3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| EV561 | URBAN LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT + This course focuses on the integration of ecological theory with vegetation management
and includes aspects of horticulture, landscape design, recreation studies, planning
and financial management. This course emphasizes the use and management of indigenous
and introduced vegetation in the public landscape and explores both scientific and
philosophical ideas on reasons for undertaking certain practices.
|
3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL566 | AGROECOLOGY FOR ISLAND SUSTAINABILITY + Agroecology is the science of applying ecological concepts and principles to the design
and management of sustainable food/agricultural production systems. The lecture topics
include comparing structural and functional differences between natural ecosystems
and agroecosystems with an emphasis on the tropical islands. The students study the
resource-conservation and diversification of plant materials for agricultural sustainability.
This course is offered to graduate students who have interested in studying plant,
soil, and natural resource science, environmental science, agricultural and food bio-security,
socio- and human ecology and general biological sciences. This course includes three
hours of lecture weekly. Prerequisite: BI100 or AL101 or AL102, or consent of instructor.
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3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL570 | SUSTAINABLE ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS + This course covers farm animal products and provides a general overview of the livestock
and poultry industry, relative to biological concepts such as genetics, nutrition,
reproduction and disease prevention. This includes biotechnology along with environmental
challenges. Prerequisites: BI157, BI157L and AL185.
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3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| AL581 | PRINCIPLE OF PLANT NUTRITION + This course covers plant metabolism and the assimilation of nutrients, their functions
in plant and their contributions to plant growth and crop production. The course presents
a wide range of topics which cut across the boundaries of soil sciences, plant physiology
and biochemistry, as well as some of the ecological conditions pertaining to the tropical
and humid environments. Prerequisites: CH102 and CH103.
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3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
Food and Nutrition Track (9 credit hours)
For the Food and Nutrition Track students must choose minimum of 9 credit hours from the following courses:
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| BI419G | BIOCHEMISTRY + This course covers the principles of protein chemistry and enzyme nomenclature, catalysis,
kinetics and control. It includes three hours of lecture weekly. The lab, BI/CH419L,
MUST be taken concurrently. Prerequisites: CH310a, CH311, CH310b and CH312; or concurrent
enrollment. Corequisite: BI/CH419L.
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3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| AL439G | COMMUNITY NUTRITION + This course applies knowledge gained from nutrition across the lifespan to nutrition
education. Concepts in nutrition education, community programming, and public health
are introduced. It is designed for the student who desires to promote health and nutrition
with community groups using community nutrition concepts and strategies. Students
taking this course for graduate credit will have additional. requirements. Prerequisites:
AL330 or consent of instructor. ED300 recommended, not required.
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3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| AL445G | FOOD CHEMISTRY + This course focuses on the chemical and functional properties of food constituents.
Students learn the effects of processing and storage on the stability of chemical
components, nutrition values, and quality of foods. Prerequisite: BI157/157L and BI158/158L
or CH102/102L and CH103/103L. Corequisite: AL445G/L.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL455G | NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT + An in-depth survey and hands-on experience of methods used in the assessment of food
and nutrient intakes to include nutritional status of communities, groups, and individuals
in both health and disease. Prerequisites: AL330.
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3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| AL460G | ADVANCED HUMAN NUTRITION + This course covers the metabolism and macro- and micronutrients, including structure,
digestion, absorption, transport, and cellular functions in human nutrition; energy
metabolism and balance; and physiologic basis underlying dietary recommendations for
human health. Prerequisites: CH310a; BI157, BI157L and BI158, BI158L, or BI124-124L
and BI125-125L with grade of C or better; and AL445, or instructor consent.
|
4 credit hours | FALL ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL505 | NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY + This is a 3-credit course that explores the complex relationships between diet and
the major diseases of Western civilization, such as cancer and atherosclerosis. Topics
that will be covered include: research strategies in nutritional epidemiology; methods
of dietary assessment (using data on food intake, biochemical indicators of diet,
and measures of body size and composition); reproducibility and validity of dietary
assessment methods; nutrition surveillance; and diet-disease associations. Prerequisites:
BI/EV507.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| AL542 | ADVANCED FOOD SAFETY + This course covers biological, chemical, and physical agents of foodborne diseases
and provides a farm-to-fork perspective overview of food safety, including the fundamental
principles, laboratory and analytical methods, risk assessment and hazard analysis,
safe operations and technology, and food safety topics, issues, and regulations. Prerequisites:
BI157, BI-157L, BI158, BI158L, BI124, BI124L, BI125, BI125L, BI110, BI110L, BI225,
BI225L and AL342.
|
3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL539 | PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION + This course covers farm animal products and provides a general overview of the livestock
and poultry industry, relative to biological concepts such as genetics, nutrition,
reproduction and disease prevention. This includes biotechnology along with environmental
challenges. Prerequisites: AL439/G and AL430.
|
3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/ODD YEARS |
Elective Courses (11 credit hours)
Students are to choose a minimum of 11 credit hours from another track or from the following Electives and any SAFNR track credit requirement courses with advisor’s recommendation:
Beyond the core courses, each student must complete at least 11 credit hours from the elective courses related to his or her selected area of concentration and agreed upon by his or her advisor. Elective courses should support the student’s proposed capstone requirement within a chosen research track, as described.
The capstone requirement for the research track is thus a traditional research thesis, for which the student earns 6 hours of academic credit. See General requirements for research thesis. Research thesis in SAFNR program are expected to make an original contribution to the selected sub-discipline and reflect mastery of the knowledge and skills required to successfully pursue of advanced study and research in the aforementioned science degree program.
Students are to choose a minimum of 11 credit hours from another track or from the following Electives and any SAFNR track credit requirement courses with advisor’s recommendation:
|
Course |
Course Title |
Credits |
Term Offered |
| AL451G | AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT + This course examines the role of the manager in the organization and operation of
the farm or agri-business. Will cover developing conservation plans, farm business
plans, and enterprise budget, as well as other business planning and financial management
tools. Prerequisites: MA115 or higher and AL351 or BA110.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| MI501 | PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF MICRO + This course provides a comprehensive overview of the cultures and societies of the
Micronesian area. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing or Senior Level or Consent of Instructor.
|
3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/ALL YEARS |
| EV535 | TROPICAL CLIMATE & CLIMATE VARIABILITY + This course is a study of the climate of the world's tropical regions. Natural variations
in rainfall are studies. Mechanisms for short-term fluctuations and long-term changes
including El Niño, La Niña, Quasi-biennial stratospheric oscillations, and the ice
ages are presented. Also discussed is what constitutes an optimal climate, and whether
or not an ice age is worse than a warmer world. Prerequisites: BI412G, EV511, BI/EV503,
or consent of instructor.
|
3 credit hours | FALL ONLY/EVEN YEARS |
| AL481G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE + This course uses the principles of soil science with practical demonstrations to study
the relationships among contemporary agriculture, natural resources and the environment.
It gives an overview of management techniques for erosion control and soil and water
conservation with focus on rill and interril erosion. This course also discusses non-point
source pollution and control practices involving disposal of organic wastes on agricultural
and forestlands. This course will also equip students with skills useful for environmental
assessment and soil contaminants analysis. Techniques used for bioremediation of contaminated
soils and how soil can be managed to filter out contaminants will be introduced. The
course has three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Prerequisites:
AG380, MA161a and two Chemistry Courses (CH102, CH103) or BI100
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| AL481L/G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY + This is the laboratory section of AL481. Concurrent enrollment in AL481 is required.
This course meets for three hours of laboratory weekly. Prerequisites: AL/NS380 and
MA161a or higher.
|
1 credit hour | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| HS405G | EPIDEMIOLOGY + This course offers as overview of epidemiology and the epidemiology approach to problems
of health and disease. The major principles and methods of epidemiology are presented
together with many of the applications of epidemiology to public health and clinical
practice. Prerequisites: MA151 or have demonstrated equivalent knowledge and skills,
HS216 or consent of instructor. # Take EN-110 EN-111; Minimum grade C; # Take MA-085
MA-084B MA-9110 MA-9161A MA-110 MA-115(1529) MA-085/LII MA-165 MA-161B MA-203 or MA-204;
Minimum grade P2,A1,A2,B1,B2,C1,C2;
|
3 credit hours | AS REQUIRED/AS REQUIRED |
| BI425G | MOLECULAR MEDICINE + This course is designed for students who are planning on entering graduate and professional
programs in the biological and medical sciences or careers in the biotechnology industry.
This course highlights current concepts and trends in molecular biology as well as
the latest developments in novel molecular approaches for detection and treatment
of diseases. Selected topics in Immunology, Cardiovascular Biology, Tumor Viruses
and Cancer Biology, Viral Pathogenesis, and Neurobiology are the focus of this course.
Prerequisite: BI416 & BI416L, or equivalent. Corequisite: BI425/G/L.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/AS REQUIRED |
| MI514 | HEALTH AND HUMAN ADAPTATION IN MICRONESIA + Primarily rooted in medical anthropology, this course uses a multidisciplinary approach
to look at the status of health and human adaptation in Micronesia. By using specific
examples of disease patterns, adaptation is looked at as an evolutionary process as
well as synchronically. Strong emphasis is placed on the changing map of health and
disease, generally in the Pacific and specifically in the Micronesian Islands. Along
with medical anthropology, ideas and methods from related fields such as medical geography
and epidemiology have also been incorporated into course materials. Following a broad
overview of medical anthropology with introductions to its related fields, ideas and
concepts central to health and adaptation will be presented, followed by case studies
from Micronesia and the Pacific. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
|
3 credit hours | SPRING ONLY/ODD YEARS |
| AL698 | INTERNSHIP IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES + The internship course provides students with opportunities to work in the academic
and professional areas of their interest under the supervision of the expert in the
field. For the internship course, a AL698 Student Contract Form needs to be signed
by Student, Course Instructor, Student's Advisor, Chair of the graduate program, Dean
of the college, and Supervisor of the participating party such as another academic
institution, a government agency, a private business, or a non-profit organization
engaged in activities that relate to sustainable agriculture, food, nutrition, and
natural resources. Each credit (1 credit) requires 40 hours of job training per semester
and the 3-credit internship course requires 120 hours. Students may take up to a maximum
of six credit hours for completion of the program.
|
1 - 3 credit hours | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
| AL692 | TEACHING/RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIP + This course provides practical educational experience in graduate Sustainable Agriculture,
Food, and Natural Resources' courses. Prerequisite: Instructor's consent.
|
1 credit hour | FALL/SPRING/ALL YEARS |
GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
(15 credit hours)
The Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (SAFNR) also offers a Graduate Certificate in different concentrations to students who have successfully completed a total of 15 credit hours with a satisfactory grade point average of 3.0 or higher. For more information please refer to the program’s website or email at safnr@triton.uog.edu.
Graduate Certificates include:
- Graduate Certificate in Island Sustainability
- Graduate Certificate in International Agriculture
- Graduate Certificate in Agriculture & Natural Resources
- Graduate Certificate in Tropical Horticulture
- Graduate Certificate in Food & Technology
Interested students should check with their advisors for course selections.
PROGRAM CHAIR
MEMBERS
Barber Jr. L. Robert
Office Location: Expertise
Leon Guerrero T. Rachael
Office Location: Expertise
