About the Program
The Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences is offered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as a completely online degree program for working professionals. Students can tailor their degree by choosing from eight specialized concentrations designed to meet diverse career goals across agriculture, environmental, and human sciences.
Within the food, agricultural, environmental, and human sciences, the OMALS program will:
- Provide an integrated advanced interdisciplinary education.
- Develop effective multi-dimensional communication skills.
- Foster critical thinking and develop research skills to address complex issues.
- Develop ethical leaders in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Admission Requirements
Applicants should have completed or be near completion of a B.S. degree in agricultural and life sciences or a field closely associated with a graduate degree in the discipline. An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 to 4.0 or greater and strong scientific writing and communication skills are required.
Applicants who fall slightly below the requirements can be admitted on a provisional status at the recommendation of the department. Provisional status is permitted for a maximum of 12 credit hours of graded course work; a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for a student to continue the graduate program. Applicants with a GPA below a 2.75 should apply to Commonwealth Campus. This option is a non-degree seeking option that allows individuals to improve their GPA prior to applying to the degree program. Credits earned through Commonwealth Campus may be transferred into the degree program.
Credit Hour Requirements
One of the major benefits of the online program is that it allows you to complete the program at your own pace. On average, students will take two courses (6 credit hours) a semester, leading to completion of the program in five semesters. Courses are offered fall, spring and summer semesters, so a student can finish the program in two years based on the two-course minimum per semester. Refer to the Courses page for an entire list of courses offered in the program.
| Requirement |
Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Professional Practice in ALS (ALS 5174) | 3 |
| Evidence-based Research Approaches in ALS (ALS 5134) | 3 |
| Community Food Systems: Critical Inquiry in ALS (ALS 5234) | 3 |
| Complex Challenges in ALS (ALS 5184) | 3 |
| Practices and Applications in ALS (ALS 5194) | 3 |
| Concentration Courses (choose 5 from course listing) | 15 |
| Total: | 30 |
Transfer Credit Requirements
Students cannot transfer more than 50% of graded, graduate-level course credit hours from another regionally accredited university to satisfy the requirements for a Virginia Tech graduate degree.
Transferred credits must be from graduate-level courses at the university where the student took the courses. Students must have earned grades of "B" or better for all graded courses, while maintaining good standing in graduate status.