The Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and its Department of Poultry Sciences at the U of A signed a memorandum of understanding with the William H. Darr College of Agriculture at Missouri State University in Springfield to create a dual degree transfer program with an emphasis in poultry science.
The institutions have created a 3 plus 1 curriculum that allows MSU animal science students to complete their final year at U of A in the poultry program and earn degrees from both universities. Graduates will earn bachelor's degrees from MSU in animal sciences and U of A in agricultural, food, and life sciences with a concentration in poultry science.
"We offer one of the top poultry science programs in the nation," said Dean Deacue Fields of Bumpers College. “The industry demands more qualified professionals and our graduates are highly sought after. Poultry is obviously a large part of the agricultural industry and economy in Arkansas, but also in Missouri and other surrounding areas. We are excited to partner with Missouri State and its students and faculty to address an industry demand in our region and beyond. Along with other existing agreements, we can now work with students from other institutions to the south, east and north of us ”. The purpose of the MSU / U of A 3-plus-1 poultry science transfer program is to provide more students with access and preparation for careers in the poultry industry.
Students are required to have a minimum GPA of 2.75, complete all pre-approved courses, and pay tuition and fees for the respective courses at MSU and the U of A.
Transferring students can choose a poultry science industry or a pre-professional concentration. The poultry science industry concentration requires 34 hours, while the pre-professional option requires 30 hours. Both include an internship, along with classes such as Poultry Production, Avian Anatomy, Egg and Meat Technology, Poultry Raising, Poultry Diseases, and Poultry Nutrition, among others.
“We are very excited to begin the implementation of this 3 plus 1 transfer degree program with the Darr College of Agriculture at Missouri State University,” said David Caldwell, chair of the Department of Poultry Sciences at the U of A.
Caldwell is also director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and a researcher and scientist at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the U of A System Agriculture Division.
“Over the years, our department has been fortunate to enroll some exceptional students from the state of Missouri, many of whom have held important positions in the commercial poultry industry,” said Caldwell. “We are eager to begin working with our colleagues in the state of Missouri to develop strong enrollment in this new program. We look forward to guiding participating students toward rewarding careers in poultry science within the commercial poultry industry. ”
MSU's animal science program prepares graduates for careers in agricultural fields that focus on the care, treatment, and use of animals. From cattle to horses, companion animals to pre-veterinary medicine, the department combines classroom learning with hands-on experiences working with the university's own cattle and horses. The programs focus on the commercial and technical aspects of animal care, nutrition and husbandry.
"The newly created MOU between Missouri State University and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, is a historic cooperative agreement," said Ronald Del Vecchio, dean of the Darr College of Agriculture. “Students will be able to obtain a double specialization, obtaining two bachelor's degrees from two first-level institutions in a period of 4 years. These students will greatly benefit from the experiences they will receive at both colleges… and the career outlook for graduates in poultry science and animal science is strong. We are delighted to be partnering with the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, to offer this opportunity to students beginning this fall. ”
"We would like to acknowledge how grateful we are that the University of Arkansas has agreed to help make this program possible," said Gary Webb, head of MSU's Department of Animal Science.
Under the terms of the agreement, MSU mentors all new and continuing animal science students, provides tutoring to faculty, establishes a selection committee for the program, and accepts a minimum of 30 hours of poultry science from the U of A. U of A provides faculty mentoring and mentoring to students, is seeking a scholarship fund to assist transferring students, assists students with internship opportunities, offers campus and facility tours, and visits MSU to the contracting sessions.
Patrice Sims, a project program specialist in the Department of Poultry Sciences and with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Sciences, is the program coordinator. You can reach her at 479-575-3699 or patrices@uark.edu.
The dual degree transfer program is similar to a 3 plus 1 agreement between Bumpers College and the U of A created with Arkansas State University in 2017. A 3 plus 1 poultry science certificate program was established with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 2013 and was changed to a dual degree program in 2018.
Poultry science also has a memorandum of understanding for teacher and student exchange with Universiti Putra Malaysia in Selangor Darul Ehsan, established in 2018; with the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou, signed in 2015; and with Agroindustry, a subdivision of the Panyapiwat Management Institute in Nonthaburi, Thailand, created in 2014.
About Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College offers life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in business related to food, family, environment environment, agriculture, sustainability and quality of human life; and who will be the first-choice candidates from employers seeking leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The university is named after Dale Bumpers, a former Arkansas governor and former United States senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.
About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A offers an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $ 2.2 billion to the Arkansas economy through teaching new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and activity. creative and, at the same time, provides training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation ranks U of A in the top 3% of American colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. US News & World Report ranks U of A among the best public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world in Arkansas Research News.
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