Master of Science in Animal and Range Sciences

at Montana State University - Bozeman USA

As part of the Plant Biotechnology program at Montana State, students gain a strong foundation in the field by completing coursework through the first two years of the program in diverse subjects including chemistry, physics, biology, microbiology, genetics and other allied sciences. Once the general biotechnology coursework is complete, Plant Biotechnology students then study and address the various problems facing the various issues facing plant production and plant-related agricultural systems.

Students in the Sustainable Livestock Production program at Montana State focus on the relationship between animal agriculture, its continued presence in sustainable grazing systems and its potential role in sustainable farming. Sustainable Livestock Production students learn about the science of animal production within the context of sustainability, from the methods that impact the production, process and preservation of meat to the role of strategic grazing in landscape management, among other subjects.

In this interdisciplinary program in the departments of Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Chemistry and Biochemistry, Optics and Photonics graduate students at Montana State learn to harness the power of light to prepare for in-demand jobs or research careers in laser engineering, remote sensing and more. Montana State's Optical Technology Center, founded in 1995, has supported a culture of interdisciplinary research and has a long history of partnership with Bozeman's thriving optics and photonics industry.

Montana State’s interdisciplinary Data Science program draws on courses in three programs: Computer Science, Mathematics, and Statistics. Candidates within the program delve into topics such as machine learning, algorithms, data mining, and artificial intelligence while also gaining skills in data analysis and contextualization. With the education Master of Data Science students attain at MSU, they’ll be able to actively contribute to the field through technical writing, data visualization, presentations, and active software solutions.

In the Sustainable Food Systems graduate program at Montana State, candidates dig further into special topics on sustainability and the food industry to better understand the relation between food systems and public health. Sustainable Food Systems graduate student projects can potentially cover a broad range of topics, including but not limited to food system education and public awareness, how local food systems can localize diets, institutional purchasing of local foods, food policies, community supported agriculture, food processing and distribution, community food security, community-based food and nutrition assistance and more. Additionally, students are able to tailor the program to their specific interests by taking coursework connected to health promotion and education, political science, economics, business, Native American Studies, agriculture and food science.

Students in the Civil Engineering program at Montana State learn how to design and build the big things that society relies on: roads, bridges, buildings, water treatment plants and more. Whether touring a construction site during class or working with a professor on research to make new kinds of high-strength concrete, Civil Engineering students are afforded a variety of opportunities to develop skills that will serve them in positions in construction, transportation, structural engineering and more.

Students in the Liberal Arts Studio program at Montana State begin their undergraduate artistic journey with Foundations courses, which aim to introduce students to the design thinking and visual literacy skills needed for the subsequent years in the program. From there, Liberal Arts Studio students have the opportunity to focus their creative personal vision in one of six areas of study: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculptureand extended media, metalsmithing or ceramics. In addition to the medium of their choice, Liberal Arts Studio students balance studio time with a robust liberal arts education.

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program at Montana State immerse themselves in the fundamentals of computing while exploring fields such as artificial intelligence, multimedia and computational biology. Computer Science B.S. students have two tracks to choose from: the Professional Option, which allows students to delve more deeply into computer science and related technical areas, and the Interdisciplinary Option, which allows students to intersect their technological interests with other fields that range from Entrepreneurship to Japanese Studies.

Students in the Sustainable Crop Production program at Montana State pursue the answers to hard-hitting questions pertaining to sustainability and agriculture. Those questions include “Where does our food come from? Are there ways to sustainably maintain production levels and yet protect our natural resources? Is it possible to improve the quality and nutrition of our food supply? Are local food systems a viable alternative to corporate agricultural production? Can crops grown for bioenergy production reduce our use of fossil fuels and lessen carbon dioxide emissions?” Coursework in the Sustainable Crop Production program help students in digging for those answers, including agronomy, soil fertility, plant genetics and physiology, greenhouse production, plant propagation, integrated pest management and small business management.

In the Organismal Biology program at Montana State, students enter a rigorous program of study will the goal of understanding plant or animal biology from the inner-most workings of internal biological systems to those organisms’ interaction with their immediate ecosystem on a communal level. With the option to tailor their plan of study to their personal interests, Organismal Biology students are able to specialize their degrees based on career interests in either the job market or advanced education.