Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science

The Department of Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science offers thesis programs leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees, as well as course-based programs leading to Master of Agriculture, Master of Engineering and Master of Science degrees. Departmental graduate program guidelines exist and are summarized in the Agricultural, Food, and Nutritional Science Program Handbook.

The Department has active research programs in the following areas of specialization:

1. Animal Science: Research on basic animal biology and livestock management with applications in the fields of animal physiology and metabolism, immunology, microbiology, reproduction, animal housing, health and welfare, as well as genomics, bioinformatics and proteomics.
2. Plant Science: Studies in plant biology, applied ecology and agronomy within cereal, oilseed, forage and specialty crop production, incorporating plant biochemistry and proteomics, biotechnology, plant breeding and genomics, integrated pest management, as well as plant and field crop physiology.
3. Food Science and Technology: Food research encompassing chemistry, microbiology, physics, processing and sensory science with areas of excellence in cereal utilization, dairy science, food safety, functional foods and nutraceuticals, lipid utilization, and pre- and probiotics.
4. Nutrition and Metabolism: Clinical, community, metabolic and public health nutrition, as they relate to nutrition policy, infant and child health, and to chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Animal based programs include livestock nutrition, feed evaluation and processing.
5. Bioresource and Food Engineering: Engineering applications related to bioresource utilization including food processing, bioproducts, bioenergy, biorefining, and agri-waste management.
6. Rangeland and Wildlife Resources: Examination of rangeland ecosystems, emphasizing applications in livestock or wildlife productivity, applied plant ecology, and rangeland or wildlife resources management.
7. Bioresource Technology: Application of chemical, thermal, mechanical and biological processes for the conversion of agricultural and forestry feedstocks into bio-based materials, biofuels, platform chemicals, and other value-added commodities of industrial relevance. Research is multidisciplinary in nature, and includes chemistry, enzymology, engineering, materials science, and other areas of specialization.

The Department research facilities at the Edmonton Research Station include: Crops and Land Resources, Alberta Poultry Research Centre, Swine Research and Technology Centre, Dairy Research and Technology Centre, Composting and Feedmill Facilities, the Laird McElroy Metabolism and Environmental Research Centre and Agri-Food Discovery Place. Additional Research Stations an hour drive from campus include the Ministik Wildlife Field Station and the Kinsella Research Ranch used for extensive beef cattle research.

On the North campus the Department is home to laboratory space and equipment including greenhouses, plant growth facilities, a Human Nutrition Research Unit, an Agri-Food Materials Science Lab, an Agriculture Genomics and Proteomics lab, a Food Microbiology lab, and extensive sensory and consumer science facilities.

Master's Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a four-year baccalaureate degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta.

An admission grade point average of 3 on most 4-point grading systems or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

Doctoral Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a master's degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta.

An admission grade point average of 3 on most 4-point grading systems or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

Additional Requirements

Some departments have additional requirements, such as:

• Statement of research interests
• Previous work experience in the field
• Educational tests such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Miller Analogies Test

Contact the department directly to find out if there are any additional requirements.

Ensure that you have at least an hour to complete the online application. We recommend using the latest version of these browsers for the Graduate Application: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

The application requires digital copies (PDF - view instructions) of official documents. The documents are considered "unofficial" and will be used for the initial evaluation of the application.

Supporting documents may include the following:

• Application Requirements for Academic Documents (transcripts, degree certificates, marksheets)
• English Language Proficiency scores such as IELTS, Pearson, TOEFL, etc. (if applicable)
• Additional requirements might include:
  • CV, statement of intent, writing samples
  • GRE, GMAT, other test scores
  • References:
  • Will require the name of referees, title and email addresses.
  • An email with a secure link will only be sent to your referees after you submit and pay for your application.
  • Reference letters need to be in PDF and must be on your referees institution's or company's official letterhead or it will not be accepted.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that references and all required documents are received by the application deadline or the application will not be considered for admission.

A $135 CAD non-refundable application fee is required. Payments can be made using a valid credit card only. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discovery Card. Please note that the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is no longer able to waive this application fee for students from specific countries; all applicants are required to pay the non-refundable application fee.

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