Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.
All candidates for the M.S. degree must:
- prepare and complete a thesis
- complete a minimum of 30 credits at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level (including a minimum of 18 credits at the 500 and 600 level, combined, and a minimum of 6 credits of research)
- obtain a minimum grade-point average of 3.00.
Only courses in which grades of C or better are earned may be counted toward the requirements of the master’s degree. Each program must include:
Required Courses
- BRS 500 - Research Methods (3 credits)
- BRS 502 - Human Behavior and Ethics in Mgmt and Tech (or other Ethics course from a list of approved courses maintained by the program office, unless previously taken) (3 credits)
- BRS 504 - Biorenewable Systems Analysis (3 credits)
- BRS 590 - Colloquium (3 credits)
Electives
- Two courses from list of electives maintained by the program office (see below) (6 credits)
- At least one 5XX Statistics course (3 credits)
- Additional 4XX or 5XX courses or BRS 600 Thesis Research (3 credits)
Culminating Experience
- BRS 600 - Thesis Research (6 credits)
Note that research credits (BRS 600) normally receive a grade of “R”, though a quality grade (A,B,C,D,F) can be assigned per Graduate School policy GCAC-401.
The following ethics courses may substitute for BRS 502:
- BIOET 401Q: Science, Ethics, Policy, and Law
- BIOET 533: Ethical Dimensions of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems
- BUS 515: Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
- INTAF 511: Ethical Dimensions in Food and Agricultural Governance
- LEAD 863: Ethical Dimensions of Leadership
- LHR 460: Ethics in the Workplace
- MBADM 815: Ethical and Responsible Business Leadership
- PHIL 432: Medical and Health Care Ethics
- PHIL 433: Ethics in Science and Engineering
- PHIL 573: Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research
- PHS 806: Public Health Ethics
- STS 589: Ethics and Values in Science and Technology
Approved Electives:
- BRS 501 Biobased Polymers (3)
- BRS 511 Advanced Structural BioComposites (3)
- BRS 550 Applied Bioproducts Marketing (3)
- BRS 551 Sustainable Business Strategies (3)
- ABE 559 Biological Systems Simulation (3)
- FOR 880 Bioenergy Feedstock (3)
- ABE 888 Conversion Technologies for Bioenergy Production
- ABE 884 Biomass Energy Systems (3)
- ABE 855 Biomass Harvest and Logistics (3)
- ASM 426 Management of Safety and Health Issues in Production, Agriculture and Related Businesses (3) or
- ENVSE 450 Environmental Health and Safety (3)
- EME 801 Bioenergy Markets, Policy, and Regulation (3)
Note that, if BRS 551 is used as an elective, it is a 2 credit course. Thus one additional credit of research (BRS 600) or other course will be needed to meet total credit requirements for the degree program.
In addition to the above listed course requirements, every graduate student must fulfill the Scholarship and Research Integrity (SARI) requirement. SARI requirement consists of two parts: (1) completion of BRS 500 with a grade of B or better and (2) completion of online training program at: http://www.research.psu.edu/training/sari/program, in Physical Sciences and Engineering or Social and Behavioral Sciences. The online SARI requirement must be completed within one year from date of enrollment in the program of study.
All courses must be approved by the student’s M.S. Advisory Committee as having significance and value for the degree program. All requirements for the M.S. degree, whether satisfied on University Park campus or elsewhere, must be met within eight years from the first semester of graduate study.
M.S. Advisory Committee: An initial Adviser will be assigned to each entering graduate student by the Department Head, in consultation with the Graduate Program Coordinator and the faculty member agreeing to serve as adviser. To the extent practical and commensurate with potential funding source(s), research interests of the student and assigned Adviser will be compatible. New graduate students are highly encouraged to visit with various faculty members concerning opportunities for thesis research activities. After the student has decided on the preferred research area, s/he should inform the Graduate Program Coordinator or Department Head—by the middle of the first semester of study—of the preferred faculty member to serve as permanent Adviser. Each student should schedule at least a one-hour meeting each week with the permanent adviser to ensure adequate communications.
An M.S. Advisory Committee must consist of at least three faculty, all of whom are members of the Graduate Faculty. The chair (or Co-chair) of the Advisory Committee will be a BRS Graduate Faculty member and will serve as the student’s thesis Adviser. Students are encouraged to have one member of the committee from outside the BRS Graduate Program in a field related to the thesis problem. If a student selects a minor, then one member of the committee must be a graduate faculty member of the minor department.
M.S. Research Proposal: Each M.S. degree student must prepare a written and oral research proposal, presented to and approved by their M.S. Advisory Committee. The written document must be provided to their advising committee at least 1 week prior to the proposal presentation. This should occur shortly after the completion of the student’s first semester of study.
Final Oral Exam: Each M.S. degree student must complete a Final Oral Examination, which consists primarily of presenting and defending their near-final version of thesis draft. However, the examination may cover the entire field of BioRenewable Systems. The M.S. degree student must provide their thesis to their committee no later than two weeks prior to their Final Oral Examination date. The Graduate Program Coordinator must be notified of the exam by a copy of the scheduling letter sent to the Advisory Committee; no scheduling form is required. Otherwise, the guidelines for this examination are basically the same as the guidelines for the Ph.D. Final Oral Examination; see that section for further information.
Example Course Plan: Table 1 shows an example of coursework for a student enrolled in the M.S. program of study in BRS. The example schedule allows full-time students to complete the courses in three semesters plus a summer session. A student’s actual course schedule should be developed in conjunction with the student’s advisor, and will depend on a variety of factors such as course availability, background and interests of the student, and research project schedule.
| Semester | Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 Fall | BRS 500 | Research Methods in BioRenewable Systems | 3 |
| BRS 502 | Human Behavior and Ethics in Mgmt. & Tech. | 3 | |
| BRS 504 | BioRenewable Systems Analysis | 3 | |
| BRS 590 | Colloquium | 1 | |
| BRS 600 | Research | 2 | |
| Total | 12 | ||
| Year 1 Spring | BRS 501 | Biobased Polymers | 3 |
| BRS 511 | Advanced Structural BioComposites | 3 | |
| BRS 590 | Colloquium | 1 | |
| BRS 600 | Research | 5 | |
| Total | 12 | ||
| Year 2 Fall | STAT 500 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| ABE 559 | Biological Systems Simulation | 3 | |
| BRS 590 | Colloquium | 1 | |
| BRS 600 | Research | 5 | |
| Total | 12 |
Total Course Credits - 24
Total Research Credits - 12
Notes: Students on an assistantship are normally expected to enroll in a total of 12 credits per semester while taking courses.
| Timing / Deadline | Requirement / Action | Notes / Forms |
|---|---|---|
| End of first semester | Submit list of courses for graduate plan of study, assemble Advisory Committee, and handle any credit transfers. | Use the Departmental M.S. Committee Appointment Form. |
| End of first semester (following BRS 500*) | Submit the plan of study and thesis project proposal to the Advisory Committee for approval. | Use the Departmental M.S. Thesis Proposal Review and Evaluation Form. |
| Each January and July | Complete the semiannual progress report. | Use the Departmental BRS Graduate Semiannual Progress Form. |
| Within one year of enrollment | Complete the SARI online tutorial and obtain the certificate. | Send the completion certificate to the Graduate Administrative Assistant. |
| Beginning of the final semester | Apply to graduate and pay the thesis fee. | Done via the online form in LionPath. |
| Early in the last semester | Submit the draft thesis to your Adviser. | Must follow PSU Graduate School Thesis Format Guidelines. |
|
AFTER the thesis has been approved by Advisor and no later than two weeks prior to thesis defense date. |
Schedule Final Oral Examination and communicate date/time to Graduate Administrative Assistant and distribute copies of thesis to Advisory Committee members and Graduate Program Coordinator. | Departmental M.S. Thesis Defense Form |
| After Final Oral Exam | Submit the final copy of the thesis to the Graduate School. | Approvals are processed online using the eTD system. |
| After Final Oral Exam | Present a departmental seminar based on thesis research results. | Schedule this through the Seminar Chair as close to the defense as practical. |
| Two weeks prior to departure | Hold a departure meeting. | Meet with the Director of Graduate Studies or another faculty member. |
| Prior to departure | Prepare manuscripts for publication and complete final "housekeeping" tasks. |
Disassemble research apparatus and clean as necessary; return equipment and supplies to designated areas. Clean office, desk, and file space; empty all drawers and shelves and remove posters.Return departmental keys, books, software, supplies, etc. |
*Not all students will be prepared to complete the research proposal for BRS 500 during their first semester; Advisers have the discretion of delaying BRS 500 and completion of the research proposal.
