2008-2009 CALENDAR

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Master Of Science in Agriculture
Admission Requirements
Academic Deadlines
Financial Support
Programs Of Full-Time and Part-Time Study
General Information
Registration
Full-Time, Part-Time, and Other Categories
Fees
Course Selection and Enrolment
Financial Support
Thesis Regulations
Convocation
Additonal Information and Regulations
Graduate Curriculum Listing
Graduate Course Descriptions

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURE

The Master of Science (M.Sc.) program with a specialization in agriculture is a joint program offered by the Nova Scotia Agricultural College (NSAC) and Dalhousie University (Dal). Dal grants the M.Sc. degree in association with NSAC. Graduate students may take graduate courses offered at NSAC and at Dal. This provides graduate students in the M.Sc. program in agriculture with a wide variety of courses from which to select. Graduate courses offered at NSAC are listed herein. Graduate courses offered at Dal are listed in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009, available on the Dal website at www.dalgrad.dal.ca.
Students accepted for enrollment in the M.Sc. program are registered at NSAC and Dal, and are given a student identification number for each institution in accordance with the systems in place at each institution. Official transcripts for all students are produced by Dal.
For all academic matters relating to the M.Sc. program, including admission requirements, degree requirements, examinations, evaluations, and theses, students are deemed to be students of both NSAC and Dal. Students are subject to the academic regulations and rules of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) as outlined in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009. All academic policies are outlined in the Graduate Program Procedures Manual, available from the Research & Graduate Studies Office. The 2008/2009 edition of this manual will be available in August.
For all non-academic matters, including the payment of tuition and other fees, scholarships, bursaries, research and conference funding, athletics, and non-academic discipline, students are deemed to be students of NSAC. Graduate students are referred to the NSAC Community Standards 2008/2009 document (www.nsac.ca/stuserv/handbooks.asp) for further information on the rules and regulations governing the College community. This document describes the regulations/standards that constitute reasonable behaviour and outlines the process by which breaches of these standards are adjudicated. This document also contains the alcohol and drug policy, information on appeal processes, and the NSAC Student Code of Conduct. The NSAC Policy for Responsible Computing also applies to graduate students and can be found in the document Policy Governing Access to and Use of NSAC Academic Computing (www.nsac.ca/its/policy.asp).
All students must agree to obey all the regulations of NSAC and all academic regulations of FGS. Additionally, students are advised that this Calendar is not an all-inclusive set of rules and regulations but represents only a portion of the rules and regulations that will govern the student's relationship with NSAC and Dal. Other rules and regulations are contained in additional publications (e.g. Graduate Program Procedures Manual) that are available to the student from Dalhousie University Registry and Faculty of Graduate Studies as well as the NSAC Registry and Research & Graduate Studies Office. Students are also advised that the regulations herein are subject to change.

Students in the M.Sc. program may choose to specialize in one of the following areas:

Animal Science
(livestock, fur animals, poultry, shellfish, and finfish)
• Animal Management
• Behaviour
• Breeding
• Molecular Genetics
• Nutrition
• Physiology

Environmental Science
• Agricultural Systems Management
• Ecology
• Entomology
• Pest Management
• Resource Management
• Wastewater Management
• Weed Science

Plant Science
(fruits, vegetables, grains, forages, and specialty crops)
• Cropping Systems Management
• Plant Breeding
• Molecular Genetics
• Nutrition
• Pathology
• Physiology

Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
• Food Biochemistry
• Food Product Development
• Food Safety and Quality
• Soil Chemistry
• Soil Conservation and Management
• Soil Fertility

NSAC has unique strengths in the areas of Organic Agriculture; Air, Water, and Soil Quality Management; Fur Animal Research; Aquaculture Production; Pasture Management; and Agricultural Waste Management. There are also opportunities for graduate studies in Agricultural Economics and Engineering. Contact us for details.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree with a minimum 'B' average or GPA of 3.0 from a university of recognized standing. For entry into the Master's program, candidates must hold a Bachelor's degree with Honours or the equivalent of honours standing as granted by Dalhousie University in the area in which graduate work is to be done or an area that is relevant to the graduate work. A four-year Bachelor's degree may be considered as equivalent of honours if there is evidence of independent research capacity (such as a research project as part of a course) or if the degree is officially approved as an honours equivalent. In those cases where a candidate has a three-year degree and an honours program was not available to them, first-class candidates will be considered for admission into the two-year program or Qualifying Year (programs are described below). In all cases, candidates for admission must possess degrees which are deemed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) to be equivalent to those granted by NSAC and Dalhousie University, and which have been granted by institutions fully recognized by Dal.
English is the standard language of study at NSAC and Dal. Thus, candidates whose native language is not English must demonstrate their capacity to pursue a graduate-level program in English before admission. The standard test is TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum acceptable score for the written (paper-based) TOEFL is 580, for the computer-based TOEFL is 237, and for the Internet-based TOEFL is 92. It is also recommended that potential students taking the non-computer TOEFL test should also take the Test of Written English (TWE) component. Official TOEFL reports are to be submitted to NSAC (institution code 0844). The following other tests will also be accepted with the following minimum scores: MELAB, 90; IELTS, 7; CanTest, average of 4.5 with no band score lower than 4.0; CAEL, 60 overall with no band score lower than 50. The TOEFL requirement is waived if the applicant has completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.
There are some exceptions to this policy. Please contact the Research & Graduate Studies Office, NSAC, at (902) 893-6502 (mlaw@nsac.ca), if you have any questions regarding the English Language Requirement.

Further information on these tests may be obtained from:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
TOEFL/TSE Service
PO Box 6151
Princeton, NJ
USA 08541
toefl@ets.org
www.toefl.org

Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
English Language Institute
TCF Building
University of Michigan
401 E. Liberty, Ste 350
Ann Arbor, Michigan
USA 48104-2298
melabelium@umich.edu
www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/testing/melab

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
1 Hills Road
Cambridge, UK CB12EU
ielts@ucles.org.uk
www.ielts.org

Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTest)
CanTEST Project Office
Second Language Institute
University of Ottawa
600 King Edward Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
cantest@uottawa.ca
www.arts.uottawa.ca/ils/eng/cantest_register.html

Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL)
CAEL Assessment Testing Office
220 Paterson Hall
Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6
cael@carleton.ca
www.cael.ca

All applications will be reviewed at NSAC based on the academic qualifications and record of the applicant. Application forms may be requested from the Research & Graduate Studies Office (RGS), Nova Scotia Agricultural College, PO Box 550, Truro, NS B2N 5E3 or downloaded from the RGS website (www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/admissions.asp). Completed applications are sent from the Graduate Coordinator to the head of the department to which the student is applying. The Department Head receives completed applications, arranges for a departmental recommendation on admission for each applicant, and assists the Graduate Coordinator with finding a supervisor and funding support for acceptable M.Sc. candidates. In the event that a supervisor can be found but funding support is not available, the Department may recommend that the student be admitted on a self-funded basis. A recommendation on admission, signed by the Department Head, will be forwarded to the Graduate Coordinator within two weeks of receiving the completed application. Recommendations regarding admission will then be forwarded from NSAC to the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University. At this stage, NSAC will contact applicants to inform them that a positive recommendation has been made to FGS. This does not constitute official acceptance into the graduate program. Final decisions on all admissions are made by FGS, and there are no appeals on admission decisions. FGS reserves the sole right to reject applications from candidates who meet or exceed the minimum admission requirements. Official acceptance is achieved when the recommendation has been approved by FGS and a formal letter of acceptance is issued by the Dalhousie Registrar's Office. This letter is the only official notification that is sent out. No other forms of communication, including letters from the supervisor or department, constitute official acceptance or rejection. Please note that entry into the graduate program is very competitive and applicants who meet or exceed the minimum requirements are not guaranteed admission. Normally, successful applicants have academic records and qualifications that are well above the minimum required.
Supporting documents included in applications (e.g. transcripts, letters of reference, etc.) will be verified for authenticity. Applicants submitting fraudulent documents may have their names published on the listserv of the Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges in Canada and may have their acceptance rescinded. Documents submitted as part of the application cannot be returned or photocopied for the student.
Dalhousie University reserves the right to rescind any acceptance of an applicant into the program or to rescind an offer of admission of an applicant into the program. Such rescission will be in writing in accordance with Dal regulations (see Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009).
If a conditional admission is approved, the condition must be met within the first term of initial registration, and FGS may set a shorter time period. If the condition is not met by the appropriate deadline, the student's registration will be terminated. Conditions on admission cannot subsequently be waived.
Newly-accepted applicants who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to take up their position on the date for which they were accepted may request a deferral of their start date to a later term. Students may request a deferral of one, two, or three terms, and no student may receive more than one deferral. Students wishing to request a deferral should contact the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office as soon as possible. All deferrals are subject to the agreement of the supervisor who has agreed to supervise the student's program of study and the head of the department to which the student has applied, and the final approval of FGS. Students are advised that funding assistance provided through a research assistantship (e.g. supervisor's research grant or contract) may be rescinded if the student is unable to register on the date for which they were originally accepted into the program. If a student requests a deferral after registration, it is the student's responsibility to cancel his or her registration.

Application forms and details may be obtained from:
Research & Graduate Studies Office
Cumming Hall, Nova Scotia Agricultural College
PO Box 550, Truro, NS B2N 5E3
Phone (902) 893-6502, fax (902) 893-3430
www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/admissions.asp

Students who have taken graduate courses before applying for graduate studies, and who have not used these credits for another degree, should apply for appropriate graduate credit at the time of admission. FGS does not guarantee that advanced standing will be granted for courses taken prior to admission to the graduate program. Under no circumstances will advanced standing be approved retroactively.

ACADEMIC DEADLINES

A complete list of academic deadlines for those students enrolled in the M.Sc. program can be found in the Graduate Program Procedures Manual 2008/2009 (available on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/studenthandbook.pdf). The Graduate Coordinator distributes this manual to all registrants in the M.Sc. program annually at registration.

Starting Dates
Students may choose to begin their Master of Science in Agriculture program in the Fall (September 1), Winter (January 1), or Spring (May 1) session.

Application Deadlines

For studies commencing	Deadline
September 1	June 1 (non-Canadian students April 1)*
January 1	October 31 (non-Canadian students August 31)*
May 1	February 28 (non-Canadian students December 31)*

*If visa processing is lengthy (such as in the People's Republic of China), applicants should apply at least two months before the deadline, e.g. by January 31 for September admission.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Applicants who require a student visa and are not funded by NSAC or an officially-recognized funding agency must provide proof of financial ability with their application. Immigration Canada is increasingly rigorous about requiring proof of sufficient financial support to complete the program of study.
Applicants who wish to apply for financial support (e.g. research assistantship) are strongly encouraged to apply for admission before the stated deadline and to indicate the need for financial support in their application. All applicants are automatically considered for financial support. Candidates should also apply for external awards whenever possible. NSAC reserves the right to rescind financial support (e.g. research assistantships, entrance scholarships) after the letter of initial offer, should the applicant be deemed not to meet admission standards or the academic standards required for scholarship criteria.
Students with diagnosed learning disabilities who meet the current admission requirements may follow the current admission procedures.
Students with diagnosed learning disabilities who do not meet the current admission requirements or who otherwise wish to have their learning disability considered may apply for special consideration, as may all other students who have extenuating circumstances. The following additional documentation must be submitted by students who wish to apply for special consideration:
• letter(s) of recommendation from the individual(s) most familiar with
the applicant's academic performance and/or potential for success in the program;
• a written, oral or electronic statement from the student—in this
brief personal statement, students should describe their learning disability, how this affected their grades, and the type of assistance they would require while at NSAC; and
• a current (within three years) psychological assessment based on
standard diagnostic instruments administered by a registered psychologist documenting the presence of learning disabilities. If a current report is not possible, NSAC/Dal may accept an earlier report along with a current opinion (i.e., within the past year) expressed in a letter by a registered psychologist (or individual supervised by a registered psychologist) that the student has a learning disability. This letter should specify the nature, extent, and rationale for program modifications or accommodations that were deemed appropriate in the student's last two years of schooling.

PROGRAMS OF FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STUDY

Students holding an Honours degree in a discipline that prepares them well for the particular area in which they wish to do graduate work may be accepted into the one-year M.Sc. program. However, if there is a significant change of discipline between undergraduate and graduate studies, the student may be required to register in a two-year program.

One-year M.Sc. Program.
Ten graduate credits are required. The thesis will count for a maximum of six credits. The remaining credits (pass grade of 'B-' or 70% in each course) must include AGRI5700 (Communication Skills and Graduate Seminar). The number of credits awarded for the thesis is intended to make the total number of credits equal to the number required for the M.Sc. degree (ten), and is not related to the thesis quality; it is expected that a thesis awarded four credits is of the same quality as a thesis awarded six credits. The one-year program involves a program fee requirement of one year (three terms of full-time study), during which a full-time student is expected to be on campus for three consecutive terms unless otherwise given permission to take courses or undertake research somewhere else. The one-year program fee is followed by continuing fees as required. The usual time for completion for students in the one-year program is 24 to 28 months.

Two-year M.Sc. Program
In addition to the requirements for a one-year M.Sc. program, students must complete at least five additional credits related to their thesis work with a grade of 'B-' (70%) or better in each course. These additional credits may be at the undergraduate or graduate level. The two-year program involves two years of program fees followed by continuing fees as required. If admitted to a two-year program, full-time students are normally required to be on campus for six consecutive terms. The usual time for completion for students in the two-year program is 36 months.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Graduate Courses
Graduate courses at NSAC are numbered in the 5000 series. No course can be assigned a graduate number without the recommendation of the FGS Curriculum Committee and the approval of Faculty Council at NSAC and the Curriculum Committee. The last dates for adding and deleting classes are published in the schedule of Academic Deadlines, as printed in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009. For withdrawals within this period, the class and the withdrawal are not recorded on the academic record. After these dates, the student is responsible for the content of the class and receives a grade for it. Students may not transfer from full to part-time status by withdrawing from classes after the deadlines listed in the schedule of Academic Deadlines.

Advanced Placement
Upon admission, a student may be granted advanced placement credits based on courses completed previously with a course content equivalent to a graduate course at NSAC or Dal. Graduate courses that have not been counted toward a previous degree may be awarded transfer credit (see below). For courses that have been counted toward a previous degree, advanced placement normally does not reduce the overall course requirements in the program, but may replace one or more required courses. Advanced placement must be approved by the supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator and FGS, and must be clearly annotated on the student's Program Form. Students should be aware that courses approved for advanced placement will not appear on their official transcript of the NSAC/Dal M.Sc. program. Combined Advanced Placement, Letter of Permission, and Transfer Credits cannot exceed 33% of the program's overall course requirements.

Transfer Credit
A transfer credit allows for courses completed outside the student's program, normally at another institution, to be used as part of the student's degree requirements. Such courses cannot have been used for credit for another degree, and the total of Advanced Placement, Letter of Permission, and Transfer Credits cannot exceed 33% of the program's overall course requirements. Transfer credits should be applied for within the first term following admission and must be approved by the student's supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator, and FGS. An original transcript and course equivalency is required. Approved transfer credits will appear on the student's official transcript of the NSAC/Dal M.Sc. program. In order to be eligible, courses must satisfy any time period restrictions.

Letters of Permission
The maximum number of courses taken outside NSAC/Dal, combining classes taken on Letters of Permission, Advanced Placement and Transfer Credits, shall normally be confined to 33% of the class requirements. Courses approved by Dal (after examination of course descriptions) can be taken at other universities on Letter of Permission as part of the graduate degree program provided the course is not available at NSAC or Dal. Graduate students enrolled in the M.Sc. program in agriculture do not need a Letter of Permission to take courses at Dal.
To apply to take a course outside NSAC/Dal, see Forms and Regulations at dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/students/#cugta. Note that the Request Form for the Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement replaces the Letter of Permission form. Approval of the Letter of Permission is granted by the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University. Graduate students must be registered and have paid appropriate fees before letters of permission will be approved. Full-time and part-time students are eligible to apply to take a course on a Letter of Permission. Students may not take classes outside the NSAC/Dal M.Sc. Program for graduate credit unless prior approval has been received from FGS. Letters of Permission are not approved retroactively.
Grades below 'B-' received for courses taken on a Letter of Permission at another institution will be recorded as a failing grade on the student's record. Students must achieve a 'B-' (70%) grade or better in order to achieve a pass standing at NSAC/Dal. The normal regulations governing grading policy (see below) apply to classes taken at other institutions (i.e., a 'C+' on a graduate class taken elsewhere will be deemed an 'F' in the student's program and will render him/her liable to academic withdrawal). Students who fail a class may not replace that class on a Letter of Permission, except with special permission of FGS.
NSAC will normally reimburse up to a maximum of $500 toward the cost of a course taken on a Letter of Permission, if the course is a required course for the student's M.Sc. program and the course is not available at NSAC or Dal. This policy applies to students who pay "program fees"; it does not apply to students who pay "course fees". To be reimbursed, the student must provide proof of payment for the course and official transcripts showing that the course was passed (i.e. a grade of 'B-' or 70%).

Ancillary Courses
A student may be directed by his/her supervisor or supervisory committee to take undergraduate courses which are ancillary in nature to the student's specific area of study. Undergraduate courses recommended by a supervisor or the supervisory committee as advisable additional background to the degree program, but not specifically required for that program, are termed ancillary courses and are usually taken in a department other than the one in which the student is registered. These are taken by the student for credit in order to make up deficiencies in background or to acquire important skills of an ancillary nature. The pass grade in ancillary courses taken at NSAC (i.e., NSAC undergraduate courses) is 60%. Ancillary classes must be listed on the Program Form but do not count toward the required number of credits for the M.Sc. degree. Normally students are limited to one ancillary class (6 credit hours) during their program. Students who take ancillary courses at another institution are responsible for the tuition fees at the other institution. Undergraduate courses taken at NSAC will not appear on the student's official transcript of the M.Sc. program issued by Dalhousie University and will not be included as part of the student's graduate program. The NSAC Registry Office will record ancillary courses.

Additional Undergraduate and Audit Courses
As part of their regular fees, graduate students may take two undergraduate NSAC courses for credit and two NSAC courses for audit of their choice in addition to their 10 required program credits. Approval is required from the student's supervisory committee for the additional undergraduate credit and audit courses.
Students may also take one audit at Dal (equivalent to six credit hours) in each year of residency of their formal program. Audits at Dal must be listed on the Program Form and must be relevant to the student's program of study. Audits cannot be taken on Letter of Permission and will not be approved as part of a Qualifying Program.

Independent Study, Directed Readings, and Special Topics
Students may not register for more than two independent study, directed readings, or special topics courses in any graduate program.

Passing Grade for Required Courses
Classes may be designated by the candidate's committee as 'Required' (pass mark is 'B-') or 'Ancillary' (normal undergraduate pass mark unless otherwise specified). Some graduate courses are cross-listed with senior undergraduate courses, in which case the requirements for graduate students are more demanding than those for undergraduates. If a student is permitted to take an undergraduate course (with an appropriate additional work requirement as approved by FGS Curriculum Committee) as part of the graduate course work, the minimum 'B-' grade also applies. Note that there is no withdrawal (WD) grade for graduate students (see grading chart below), except where a student formally withdraws from the program.

Grading Policy
Graduate students must achieve a minimum, or passing, grade of 'B-' in all classes required as part of their degree program. Any lower grade will be recorded as a failure. Note that there is no withdrawal (WD) grade for graduate students (see grading chart below), except where a student formally withdraws from the program.

Dalhousie University's FGS uses the following grading scheme:

Academic Transcript
The academic transcript is a reflection of academic progress and therefore reflects both passes and failures. It cannot be altered after the fact. Accordingly, it is essential that students be fully aware of the deadlines for adding and withdrawing from graduate classes. Except for university purposes, transcripts (both official and unofficial) will be issued only on the request of the student and, where appropriate, on payment of the required fee. A student will receive only an unofficial transcript. Upon a student's request, official transcripts will be sent to other universities, or to business organizations. Graduate students are reminded that their official academic transcript must be requested directly from Dal. Official transcripts can be requested through Dal's online system.

Incomplete Courses
A student who fails to complete the required work for a particular class during the normal period of the class will receive a grade of 'F' (Fail). However, where circumstances warrant it, a grade of 'INC' (Incomplete) may be assigned. Subsequent completion of the work following the end of the class may result in a change of grade by the class instructor, as long as the work is completed before the following deadlines:

After these deadlines, an 'INC' grade cannot be changed without permission of FGS.
Where the formal deadline for completion of work is beyond the INC deadline, the instructor can request permission from FGS to extend the INC for an approved period of time.
Where illness is involved, a certificate from the student's physician will be required. This certificate should indicate the dates and duration of the illness, when possible should describe the impact it had on the student's ability to fulfill academic requirements, and should include any other information the physician considers relevant and appropriate. To obtain a medical certificate, students who miss examinations, tests, or the completion of other assignments should contact their physician at the time they are ill and should submit a medical certificate to their instructor as soon thereafter as possible. Such certificates will not normally be accepted after a lapse of more than one week from the examination or assignment completion date.
For exceptional circumstances other than illness, appropriate documentation, depending on the situation, will be required. Requests for alternative arrangements should be made to the instructor in all cases. The deadlines for changing a grade from 'ILL' to a letter grade are the same as those listed above for changing a grade from 'INC' to a letter grade.
All outstanding grades, including 'ILL' and 'INC', must be addressed prior to registration for the next term. If grades are still outstanding into the next term and no arrangements have been made, the student may be required to re-register in the class.

In Progress Courses
The grade of In Progress may be used only to report the thesis course, research project classes, and those designated as “open to independent completion of study.” Final submission of grades for project and independent study courses is April 30 for fall term courses and August 31 for winter term and regular session (AGRI5710 and AGRI5705) courses.

Academic Standards
When the work of a student becomes unsatisfactory (including insufficient progress), or a student's attendance is irregular without sufficient reason, withdrawal from one or more courses or academic dismissal from the program may be required.

Failed Courses
A student who fails to obtain the minimum grade ('B-') in any course in any year is immediately and automatically withdrawn (academically dismissed) from the program. However, such a student may apply, in writing, to the NSAC Graduate Coordinator for immediate reinstatement. Reinstatement to the program after a failing grade must be supported by the student's Supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator, and the head of the department in which the student is registered at NSAC, and must be approved in writing by FGS. Note that any academic withdrawal and reinstatement will be recorded on the student's official transcript.

Length of Program and Extensions
Graduate students have a maximum period of time within which to complete all of the requirements for their graduate program.

Usual time limits for the completion of degrees are:
One-year M.Sc., full-time: 2 years
One-year M.Sc., part-time: 4 years
Two-year M.Sc., full-time: 3 years

Upper time limits for the completion of degrees are:
One-year M.Sc., full-time: 4 years
One-year M.Sc., part-time: 5 years
Two-year M.Sc., full-time: 5 years
Two-year M.Sc., part-time: 7 years

Students may apply for extensions beyond the upper time limits. A first extension of one year may be granted by FGS on the recommendation of the Graduate Coordinator, along with a satisfactory Progress Report Form completed and signed by the student and the supervisor. A request for a second extension, the Final Extension, must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator with a Report on Progress in the previous year together with a detailed plan and timetable for completion of the thesis within the following 12-month period. If supported by the supervisory committee, the Graduate Coordinator will forward the recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University, for approval. The student is then expected to defend and submit the approved thesis within that academic year. Further extensions will only be given for one term to provide for necessary revisions to the thesis following defence. Under no circumstances can a student be registered in a program for more than 10 years.

Withdrawal From Program
A student who decides to withdraw from the graduate program must immediately notify, in writing, his/her supervisor and the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator will notify the NSAC Registrar, the Dalhousie Registrar, and the Dean of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University. Refund of fees, if applicable, will be calculated from the date this letter is received by the Graduate Coordinator. A withdrawal is not official until it has been approved by FGS and is received in the Dalhousie Registrar's Office. Under no circumstances will FGS back-date a withdrawal notice.

Academic Dismissal
A student may be required to withdraw from the program for academic reasons (e.g. resulting from class failure, failure of ATC examination, or lack of academic progress), for academic offences such as plagiarism, for irregularities in the presentation of data, for non-academic reasons (e.g. breach of an NSAC or Dal regulation or Code of Student Conduct), or for failure to maintain registration status. The student will be notified by the appropriate body of the reason for the required withdrawal. The student has the right to appeal the decision to the Graduate Coordinator. Academic work completed at another institution while on Academic Dismissal can not be used for credit at NSAC/Dal.

Readmission of Students
A student who is academically dismissed may apply in writing to the Graduate Coordinator for immediate reinstatement. Upon the recommendation of the student's supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator and FGS, a student may be immediately reinstated once during the course of their program.
A student who is required to withdraw, who voluntarily withdraws, or whose registration has lapsed may apply for readmission within ten (10) years of initial registration. Readmission is not automatic because of the competition for places with incoming students. A student who is academically dismissed may not apply for readmission for at least 12 months following the official date of the withdrawal.

Readmitted Students
Students who fail to register and pay tuition fees for any term before the degree requirements have been fulfilled are considered to have withdrawn, and will be required to apply for readmission. Readmitted students (except those who have been withdrawn for academic reasons) must pay fees for the terms in which they were not registered, to a maximum of three terms at the current “continuing fee” rate.
Readmitted students who were academically withdrawn will not be charged make-up fees for the three terms immediately following the official date of withdrawal. Make-up fees will be charged for any term thereafter, to a maximum of three terms, until the student is registered.
Students who have not maintained registration are normally required to have a satisfactory thesis in hand or a timetable for completion, approved by the Graduate Coordinator and signed by the student and thesis supervisor, before they can be readmitted.
Students may be readmitted only once during the course of their program. Application for readmission must meet normal application deadlines, and all outstanding fees must be paid.

OTHER PROGRAM COMPONENTS

Demonstrating
As part of their graduate training all students must spend at least one academic term demonstrating in an undergraduate class, and department heads, in consultation with the students' supervisors, are responsible for ensuring that each graduate student is assigned at least one demonstrating position during their program. Students must discuss this requirement with their supervisory committees and the heads of their departments early in their program. It is hoped that graduate students will participate in a variety of activities through the demonstrating position such as preparing teaching materials, giving pre-lab presentations/instructions, monitoring student progress, and marking assignments. The demonstrating will normally occupy six hours per week for the teaching term and will be paid for by the department at the prevailing rate ($1,200 per term) unless payment is disallowed by the terms of a scholarship. The precise requirements of each graduate teaching assistantship differ according to what the individual professor determines to be appropriate to provide the experience necessary. As a guideline the time involved should be approximately six hours per week on average over the semester, but students are asked to recognize that there will be variation among assignments and also in the understanding of what constitutes the equivalent of six hours per week. Like the M.Sc. research project itself, the expectations of the graduate teaching assistantship should be discussed with the supervisor in advance, and expectations adjusted if necessary on a "give-and-take" basis.
Although departments must ensure that a position is available for every student within their department so that this program requirement can be fulfilled, on occasion students demonstrate in an undergraduate course outside of their academic department. A student who is interested in demonstrating in an undergraduate course outside of his/her academic department must discuss this possibility with the supervisory committee and the instructor of the course in which they are interested, and must have the approval of the head of the department in which the course is offered. If a student is able to arrange to complete the demonstrating requirement in a course outside of their academic department, he/she must notify the supervisory committee and the head of their department. The department in which the student is registered will not pay for a graduate student to demonstrate in an undergraduate course that is offered outside that academic department. The demonstrating requirement can be completed in the student's first or second year of the program. Students may demonstrate in more than one course only with permission from their supervisory committee. Students are responsible for ensuring that the instructor of the course receives, and submits to the Research & Graduate Studies Office, a Teaching Assistantship Letter of Reference form. This form is available on the website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/forms/default.asp. The performance of students as demonstrators will be evaluated by those in charge of the course.

Admission to Candidacy (ATC) Examination
A Research Proposal must be prepared by all students as a requirement for Admission to Candidacy (ATC). The proposal should provide a suitably-documented account of the project that the student wishes to undertake for the M.Sc. degree. The research proposal must be no more than 25 single-sided pages (written in 12-point font, double-spaced, with 2.5-cm/1” margins on all sides), including the cover page, table of contents, reference list, figures, tables, appendices and a time-line detailing the completion of all program requirements. Students are to develop the research proposal in consultation with their supervisor and supervisory committee members. Students should consult with their supervisory committee on issues such as the rationale behind the proposed research, important background literature, resources available, practical limitations, and the nature of the ATC examination.
Students may find the NSAC Style Manual to be a useful resource in preparing their research proposal. The aim of the style manual is to give specific guidance to students who require a standard format for writing assignments of various types. While supervisors, scientific journals, and other textbooks will provide a great deal of help, this manual will provide supplemental information to assist students in research, note taking, paper planning, and citation forms. The Style Manual is available from the NSAC Bookstore and the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/stylemanual/ENGL1000stylemanual2006.pdf.
It is recommended that students have all members of their supervisory committee review, comment on, edit and critique the proposal prior to submitting it for the ATC examination. It should be submitted, together with a research proposal information form (ATC Form Part 1) and the ATC Planning Form, to the Graduate Coordinator, Research & Graduate Studies, who will schedule the ATC examination. The ATC Form Part 1 and the ATC Planning Form are available on the RGS website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/forms/default.asp. Sufficient additional copies of the research proposal must be provided to the Graduate Coordinator for distribution to the Supervisory Committee, External Examiner, and Chair of the exam three weeks prior to the ATC examination. One additional copy must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator for the student's official file.
Admission to Candidacy is based on presentation of an acceptable research proposal and successful defence of this proposal before an examining committee. The examiners will consider the merit and feasibility of the proposal as well as the student's knowledge of methodology, literature, and general academic background in areas relevant to the research.
Each student must pass an Admission to Candidacy examination early in their program, normally within the first four to six months in which a student is registered. If the ATC examination is not completed within the first six months of the student's program, the student must submit a request for an extension with a detailed timeline for the completion of the examination before registration for his/her third term of study will be permitted. The request for the extension and timeline for completion must be approved and supported by the student's supervisory committee. Students who do not complete the ATC examination within their first year of study will not be permitted to register for their second year of study. Students in a two-year M.Sc. program or part-time program may elect to delay the candidacy examination for up to one year.

The purpose of the ATC examination is:
i) to evaluate the student's competency to pursue graduate studies in
the student's chosen discipline within the context of the proposed research;
ii) to identify and address any specific weaknesses in the student's
background relevant to the proposed research area; and
iii) to assess the merit, feasibility, and suitability of the proposed research
as a graduate-level thesis.
The ATC Examining Committee will include a Chair, one External Examiner, and the members of the Supervisory Committee. The Chair will normally be the head of the student's academic department of study or his/her designate. The Chair must be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University. In the event that the Department Head is not available to Chair the exam and a designate from the department cannot be obtained, the Vice-President Academic may act as Chair. The External Examiner may be a qualified scholar from outside NSAC, an Honorary Research Associate or Adjunct Professor of NSAC, or an NSAC Faculty member. In addition to the Chair and External Examiner, the ATC Examining Committee will normally consist of three to four examiners. Larger numbers of examiners are at the discretion of the student and the supervisor. One committee member may be replaced by an alternate examiner if it is impossible to have all members present.
The examination begins with a 15-minute verbal presentation of the proposal by the student, highlighting the goals and objectives of the research, the research strategy/methodology, and the impact, significance, or benefit of the proposed research. The Chair, Supervisory Committee members, and External Examiner then question the student on the proposal and on concepts relevant to the proposal.
The examiners will keep in mind that the ATC proposal is not a detailed description of how the research will be conducted. Thus, examiners' questions will focus on general knowledge of methodology required for the project and theory relating to it. Examiners will also keep in mind that the ATC is not a comprehensive examination. Questions will arise from the scientific content of the work presented but will not range randomly over the entire field. The student is being examined for competence by evaluating his/her ability to put together a viable research project and to defend the rationale and methodology.
The Chair is expected to intervene on behalf of the student if examiners' questions are not consistent with the purpose of the ATC examination.
Decision will be by consensus and the alternatives are Pass or Fail. The Chair will vote only if the committee vote is tied. Recommendations and/or conditions may accompany a Pass outcome. If the student requires further background preparation, the student may be required to take additional courses as a condition of passing the ATC examination. Appropriate classes or remedial effort will be assigned for the following academic year. If the research proposal is not deemed to be satisfactory, the student may be required to rewrite the research document. The Graduate Coordinator will verify that these assignments are completed. A student who fails the ATC examination is required to withdraw from the program. A failed ATC examination can be appealed to the Graduate Coordinator within three working days. The student will then be re-examined within two weeks by the Chair, the student's Supervisor, and three faculty members not on the original examining committee.

Annual Progress Report
Annual Progress Report forms, available on the Dal website at www.dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/students/#progress, must be completed, submitted and approved each year in order for students to register for their next year of study. This report is due one month prior to the anniversary of the student's admission date, i.e.:
• December 1 for those students who registered in January;
• April 1 for those students who registered in May; and
• August 1 for those students who registered in September.

Every graduate student must present a written progress report to their supervisory committee each year and arrange a meeting with the supervisory committee to discuss it. At this meeting, the Annual Progress Report form should be completed. The student must then ensure that the completed Progress Report form is submitted through the supervisor to the Graduate Coordinator (NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office) by the set deadline.
Students who are planning to defend their theses and complete their programs prior to their anniversary date and who do not believe they will need to register for another year of study are still required to submit an Annual Progress Report that indicates the date of their defence and program completion date. However, should such a student miss the intended defence date, a full Annual Progress Report will be required prior to registration for another term of study. Failure to submit this report may result in delays in registration and funding.

Thesis
A satisfactory thesis embodying contributions to research must be presented and successfully defended in a public oral examination.

Supervisor and Supervisory Committee
All thesis students must have a Supervisor (or co-supervisors) and a Supervisory Committee. The appointment of a supervisor is a prerequisite for admission into the graduate program.
Students are not admitted until their research areas have been identified and faculty members have agreed to supervise them. A faculty member becomes the graduate student's supervisor upon signing the Confirmation of Intention to Supervise form. The student's supervisory committee is to be in place within the first month of the student's initial registration in the program. Students are advised to meet with their supervisory committees early in their program (i.e., as soon as the committees are formed).

Supervisor
A thesis supervisor or co-supervisor must be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University. Members holding post-retirement appointments or active in research in retirement cannot normally take on new students to supervise, but they can co-supervise with a full-time member of FGS. An Adjunct faculty member may be the academic supervisor of a student provided the student also has an internal advisor to handle the administrative details. This is usually done to support the student within the program rather than for reasons of academic need. The supervisor is the person who will be most directly involved in overseeing the student's research program. The supervisor must obtain written approval from the Department Head for each M.Sc. student he/she intends to supervise. The following potential difficulty should be drawn to the attention of new students: Some restriction of students' freedom to follow their own lines of research may result from dependence upon supervisors' research grants for a significant portion of their income. When conflicts of interest arise, the Graduate Coordinator and the student's supervisory committee should play a significant role in overseeing the development of the research and in protecting the student against the loss of academic freedom.
The supervisor must meet with the student to select courses before classes commence. If the student is not on campus by this time, the meeting must take place within one or two days of arrival. The responsibilities of the supervisor at the first meeting with a graduate student are:
• to check whether the student has registered and to advise on correct
registration procedures, if necessary;
• to help the student plan course work, and advise on all requirements
for the program;
• to determine which courses are required and whether any should be
designated ancillary or audit;
• to ensure that the student has suitable working space and facilities for research;
• to assign any language or auxiliary skill requirement;
• to advise students as to where they can obtain information on
matters such as health insurance, social insurance numbers, housing, and finances.
If a supervisor is not available to assist the student (e.g. the supervisor takes a one-year sabbatical leave), he/she must arrange an alternative (interim) supervisor for the student. The name and the expected duration of tenure of the interim supervisor must be reported to the Graduate Coordinator in writing.

In addition, each supervisor consents to:
• guide and assist their graduate students;
• serve on examining committees for ATC examinations and thesis defences;
• teach in a graduate module course or graduate course;
• contribute information to the annual reports of the Graduate Program;
• encourage dissemination of results and interaction of graduate
students with other students and faculty through research seminars and other means.
The Supervisor and the student are responsible for recommending to the Graduate Coordinator the names of three suitable potential external examiners for the ATC examination and the names of three potential external examiners for the thesis defence.
Supervisors are responsible for initiating the thesis defence; they are also responsible for making arrangements for travel and accommodations and for hosting external examiners, if necessary. The Office of Research & Graduate Studies will assist with the costs associated with external examiners' travel expenses. Reimbursement of travel expenses of an external examiner will be to a maximum of $500 and must be in accordance with current guidelines of the Province of Nova Scotia regarding per diem rates and travel policies. Supervisors are responsible for arranging any additional expenditures to be covered through approved sources prior to the defence.

Co-supervision
Four types of co-supervision are recognized:
(i) where a co-supervisor is added because the other supervisor does not have an appropriate academic qualification (e.g. does not have a Ph.D. or equivalent);
(ii) where a student wishes to draw equally upon the expertise of two supervisors from different disciplines;
(iii) where a new faculty member is introduced to the standards of the department by providing an opportunity to work with an experienced supervisor; and
(iv) where required to conform to Dalhousie University Faculty of
Graduate Studies' practice regarding external supervisors or supervisors not from the student's department of program. An Adjunct faculty member may be the academic supervisor of a student provided the student also has an internal advisor to handle the administrative details. This is usually done to support the student within the program rather than for reasons of academic need.
Students are advised to meet with their co-supervisors, together, early in their program to clarify the roles, responsibilities and expectations of each co-supervisor and to devise a communication strategy with each co-supervisor (e.g. in some instances students with co-supervisors will be expected to work closely with only one of the co-supervisors on the thesis research project, while in others a student may be expected to meet with both co-supervisors regularly regarding the thesis research).

Supervisory Committee
A Supervisory Committee is recommended by the supervisor in consultation with the student, and should complement the expertise available to the student in completing his/her research program. This committee is responsible for guiding the graduate student through the program. It consists of the Supervisor and other persons with expertise or interests relevant to the student's field of study. Its composition must be reported to the Graduate Coordinator within the student's first academic term of study or when the student applies for admission to candidacy, whichever occurs first. All supervisory committees are approved by FGS.
The supervisory committee consists of the supervisor and at least two others. Supervisory committee members may be chosen from outside NSAC; however, where the supervisor is not a full-time faculty member of NSAC, a co-supervisor from NSAC must be appointed. This person is responsible to NSAC for the student's progress. Also, the majority of committee members must be members of FGS and full-time faculty of NSAC. Additional members of the non-university/college community (such as practising professionals) may be appointed to the supervisory committee where their particular expertise makes it appropriate. The appointment of a non-member of FGS, including any non-regular appointments, requires permission from the Dean or Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Dalhousie University, for the individual to become a formal member of the supervisory committee. Non-members of FGS must be approved as External Scholars by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Supervisors should contact the Graduate Coordinator for more information on the approval process.
Although the Admission to Candidacy (ATC) examination is the first official meeting of the supervisory committee, it is recommended that the supervisory committee meet with the student before the ATC examination to discuss the student's program (e.g. courses) and proposed research project.
Supervisory committees are to meet at least twice a year during the thesis research period and more often in the writing stages of the student's program. Normally, the agreement of all committee members is required before a thesis is brought forward for examination.
Supervisory committees are responsible for reviewing the student's Annual Progress Report and assisting the student in completing the Annual Progress Report form, which is received and reviewed by the Graduate Coordinator prior to being submitted to FGS.
Supervisors should encourage students to consult other members of their supervisory committee, either individually or as a group, whenever it is useful. Students have the right to call a committee meeting at any time. The committee should also have opportunities to critique the work in progress and make alternative suggestions before it appears in thesis form. Students and supervisors are therefore encouraged to call the committee together to discuss research progress more often than the statutory twice per year described above. (Note: at least one meeting per academic term is recommended.)

Supervisory Committee Member's Responsibilities
Each member of a supervisory committee is responsible for:
• providing guidance to allow for the student's intellectual growth to
become a competent contributor to a field of knowledge. In this context, the supervisory committee must provide constructive criticism and provocative discussion of the student's ideas as the program develops. The committee should ensure that the student is exposed to a wider range of expertise and ideas than can be provided by the advisor alone.
• being reasonably accessible to the student for consultation and
discussion of the student's academic progress and research problems, and directing the student, as appropriate, to consult with experts outside the committee.
• ensuring that a “program of study” is established with the student's
involvement and that it is formally approved by the committee, the student, and the Office of Research & Graduate Studies.
• as far as possible, identifying current and anticipated problems that
may arise in the student's program and helping to alleviate them.
• meeting regularly to review the student's progress and constructively
advance the student's research. The frequency of meetings will vary according to the stage and nature of the student's program.
• confirming and approving annual progress reports to the Office of
Research & Graduate Studies and Dalhousie University Faculty of Graduate Studies.
• ensuring that progress reports include concerns or document when
the progress being made is unsatisfactory.
• informing the student of the approximate time it will take for
submitted written material to be returned with comments, with a normal maximum duration of two weeks.
• reading and commenting on drafts of written material and indicating
whether or not a major paper is complete or a thesis ready for submission to the final examination committee.
• conforming to the basic principles of academic integrity and
professionalism in the development of a mature and objective relationship with the student.
• respecting and conforming to the scholarly integrity and conflict of
interest guidelines of NSAC and FGS.

REGISTRATION

Registration is the process by which the student officially establishes with NSAC (through the RGS Office) courses to be taken in the M.Sc. program and status (full-time, part-time), and pays the appropriate academic fees. Both aspects of the process (course registration/status and fee payment) must be completed before a student can be said to be registered.
Students must register via the website for each term (Fall, Winter and Summer) at both Dal (www.dal.ca/online) and NSAC (www.nsac.ca/reg/register.asp). It is the student's responsibility to register on the day(s) specified for graduate student registration. Students are reminded that they must keep their mailing address up to date.
Graduate students may take graduate courses at NSAC and at Dal. This provides graduate students in the M.Sc. program in agriculture with a wide variety of courses from which to select. Graduate courses offered at NSAC are listed in the NSAC 2008/2009 Calendar, available from the NSAC Registrar or NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office, and on the NSAC website (www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/courses.asp). Graduate courses offered at Dal are listed in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009 and on the Dal website at www.dal.ca/academic/index.html.

To register, all graduate students in their first year of study must do the following during each of their first three academic terms:
(i) Meet with the Graduate Coordinator for a student interview /
registration appointment to complete the relevant forms that indicate the student's presence on campus and intention to study for a graduate degree during the ensuing year. At the student interview, the student will be required to identify his/her supervisor and proposed supervisory committee members, and provide a list of courses, approved by the student's supervisor or committee as necessary to complete the student's M.Sc. requirements. Thus, students must meet with their supervisors prior to their registration appointment. The Graduate Coordinator will assist the student with online registration procedures at NSAC and Dal and with the formal completion of the Program Form. The completed forms will be submitted by the Graduate Coordinator to the NSAC Registrar and the Dalhousie Dean of Graduate Studies. Any change in courses after the interview must be approved by the supervisor and the Graduate Coordinator.
(ii) Arrange for medical insurance coverage. All full-time students who
are Canadian citizens and permanent residents at NSAC are automatically enrolled in the NSAC Student Health and Dental Plans when they register for classes (International students are added to the plan once they are approved for MSI coverage). The premium for each plan is an annual one; therefore the process for opting out must be done prior to the specified deadline. The deadline each year coincides with NSAC's last date to register for a course. More information regarding Student Health and Dental plans can be found at www.gallivan.ca or by visiting the on-site Student Benefits Plan Office.
NSAC International is responsible for administering International student health insurance. A Factsheet on International Student Health Insurance is included in Appendix I of the Graduate Program Procedures Manual. Please contact the International and Exchange Student Coordinator if you have any questions or if your status changes. All International students will be automatically enrolled in StudentGuard for the first year of their stay at NSAC. Students at NSAC for longer periods will remain on StudentGuard unless MSI coverage has been arranged (see Applying for MSI in Appendix I, Graduate Program Procedures Manual). International students will be billed for StudentGuard by the Finance Office through their student account. This is usually done on a per semester basis, three times a year. Dates of billing and semester cost are detailed in Appendix I. Costs and dates may change from year to year, and are based on rates set by the insurance company.
(iii) Arrange for payment of fees through Financial Services, 2nd Floor,
Cumming Hall.
(iv) Obtain a student ID card from NSAC Student Services,
Dairy Building.
(v) Obtain WebAdvisor and e-mail account login information from the
Graduate Coordinator at the time of the initial registration appointment.
(vi) Contact or meet with the head of their department to ask about
desk space, a mailbox, and any departmental policies that apply to them.
(vii) Review the Student/Supervisor Checklist published in the Graduate
Program Procedures Manual with the supervisor(s). This will clarify the supervisor's expectations of the student regarding academic requirements and research requirements, mandatory or necessary additional training requirements, additional publications and presentations, financial assistance for costs other than the research project (e.g. costs associated with publications, presentations, photocopying, printing, etc.), vacations, and work hours. Students are encouraged to discuss the following with their supervisor(s): authorship guidelines, intellectual property ownership, the location of laboratory space and storage space for samples (if necessary for the research project), opportunities to network and attend seminars and workshops, etc.

Graduate students in the second year of their program and beyond will receive a registration package by mail. This package will contain:
• deadline dates by which registration must be completed;
• procedures to be followed to register at NSAC via the online registration system;
• procedures to be followed to register at Dal via the online registration system;
• procedures for the payment of tuition fees; and
• specific information on procedures to follow to change academic status, program requirements, etc.

In addition to courses and thesis (AGRI 9000), students must register at Dal for REGN 9999 in all three terms. REGN 9999 is listed in the Academic Timetable as “Registration Course—Graduate” on Dal's website (www.dal.ca).
Continuing students who require an extension to their program or have an outstanding Progress Report will not be permitted to register until the extension or progress report has been officially approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Late registration is permitted until the last day for adding courses. Students who do not register on or before that date must applyin writing to the Graduate Coordinator for permission to register. Registration after the final deadline is normally only permitted in unavoidable circumstances such as illness or required absence for research at the beginning of the next academic year (in September). Late fees are waived only in extenuating circumstances and at the discretion of the Vice-President Administration. Any student who fails to register and pay tuition fees by the approved deadlines may neither submit a thesis nor obtain any services from NSAC or Dal during that semester.
Graduate students must maintain their registration on a continuing basis or they will be considered to have withdrawn and will be required to apply for re-admission. Continuing students who fail to register by the final deadline will be automatically withdrawn from their program and will have to apply for re-admission at the next available admission date.
An individual program of study must be approved for every graduate student. The program of study for each graduate student must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator and submitted for final approval to FGS. The Graduate Coordinator will enter the proposed program (with the total number of credits required, the names and numbers of courses required (including ancillary courses), and any other requirements and conditions) on the Program Form. The student, the supervisor, and the Graduate Coordinator must sign this form and the signed form is to be submitted to FGS within the first term of the student's program of study. Once approved, the Program Form constitutes an agreed contract between the student and NSAC/Dal for the requirements to complete the M.Sc. program. Any changes to the approved Program Form must be agreed to by the supervisor, the Graduate Coordinator, and FGS by submission of a Program Update form. It is the obligation of the supervisor to inform all supervisory committee members of both the content of the original Program Form and any changes made to the original Program Form.

Concurrent Registration
A student may, with the permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies, register for two concurrent degrees, one at Dal and one elsewhere or both at Dal, for a maximum of twelve months, usually the first academic year of the graduate program. This does not apply to an NSAC/Dal student finishing his/her M.Sc. degree who has been accepted into a Ph.D. program. In that case, the student must first complete the Master's degree and then register in the Ph.D. program in January, May or September as applicable and approved by the department. If the student fails to complete the Master's degree for a particular entry point, the onus is on the department to defer the admission to the next available start date.

Leave of Absence
Students who need to take leave from their program of study because of illness (medical reasons) or a serious problem outside the student's control may apply in writing through the Graduate Coordinator for a Leave of Absence. If NSAC recommends to FGS that the Leave of Absence be granted, and if FGS is also satisfied that the need is justified, such leave will be granted. An official Leave of Absence does not count toward time in the program. Students may not hold stipends or scholarships during a Leave of Absence. During a Leave of Absence, a student cannot study elsewhere for credit at NSAC or Dal. Leaves of Absence will not be approved retroactively.
An application for a Leave of Absence is available at www.dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/student/#loa and must be completed by the student, in consultation with the student's supervisor. The Graduate Coordinator must recommend the Leave of Absence to the Dean.
Leaves of Absence can be granted for the following periods: September to December; January to April; and May to August. Students may apply for successive term leaves up to a maximum of three terms (one year).
Applications for Leave of Absence (limited to a total of three terms during an individual's program) must be made by August 24 for a leave commencing September 1, December 14 for a leave commencing January 1, and April 18 for a leave commencing May 1.
A Leave of Absence not only frees the student from the necessity of paying tuition fees, it also releases NSAC and Dal from the obligation to provide the student with services. These include consultations with professors, library and computer privileges, health services, and other student services.

Suspension of Studies
Unexpected emergencies that arise during the term cannot be accommodated by a Leave of Absence. Such cases can be accommodated through a suspension of program but no fee rebate is possible. A student must apply in writing to FGS for a suspension of program stating the reasons and the length of time requested, and it must be supported by the NSAC Graduate Coordinator. A suspension relieves the student from responsibilities for completing classwork and other program requirements, but it does contribute to time in the program (i.e., the clock does not stop ticking). Normally, a suspension of studies shall be for no longer than one term. Disposition of courses registered for during a term of suspension of studies must be agreed upon by NSAC, and approved by FGS.

Parental Leave
Parental leave will be granted, without prejudice to academic standing, at the time of pregnancy, birth, or adoption. A parent may request up to three terms of leave, which must be completed within twelve months of the date of birth or custody. Where both parents are graduate students seeking parental leave, the total number of terms may not exceed four. While on parental leave, students do not register or pay fees to NSAC. Any refund of fees will be governed by university regulations. Parental leave not only frees the student from the necessity of paying fees, it also releases Dal and NSAC from the obligation to provide the student with services. These include consultations with professors, library and computer privileges, health services, and other student services. It is recommended that students planning to take parental leave not only give adequate notice to their supervisor but also discuss issues such as future plans and progress, stipend support, and research deadlines. Only under well-documented extenuating circumstances will retroactive approval be given for parental leave.

Identification Cards
Full-time and part-time students will receive both NSAC and Dal ID numbers. Students will receive NSAC ID cards that will entitle them to Novanet library services. The Novanet consortium comprises ten (10) post-secondary institutions: AST, Cape Breton University, Dal, Kings, MSVU, NSAC, NSCADU, NSCC, SMU, and St. FX. Students will have borrowing privileges at all of the above-listed institutions. Contact the NSAC MacRae Library for more information. Please note that because students are registered at Dal and are also given a Dal ID number, NSAC graduate students can access the proxy server at Dal that allows access to the Dalhousie Library databases and electronic journals. Students will need their Dal ID number to access their grades and to update their personal information on Dal's online access system at www.dal.ca/online.

Notification of Address
Correspondence from Dal and NSAC will be sent to the most recent address on file at these institutions. Students will be held responsible for complying with all notifications sent from either institution. Non-receipt of material because of failure to report a change of address will not excuse students from program responsibilities.
All students must report their local address while attending the M.Sc. program to the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office, upon registration or as soon as possible thereafter, and subsequent changes must be reported promptly. Changes of address must be reported to the Graduate Coordinator and a Change of Address form must be completed. The Graduate Coordinator will notify the NSAC Registry and Financial Services of the change in address.
Students are also required to ensure that Dal has their current mailing address, by updating their address on Dal's online system (www.dal.ca/online). Students will need their Dal ID number and a password to enter the system.

E-mail
E-mail is an authorized means of communication for academic and administrative purposes within Dal and NSAC. All students will be assigned an official e-mail address by both Dal and NSAC. Both the Dal and NSAC e-mail addresses will remain in effect while the student remains a student. NSAC allows students to maintain their @nsac.ca e-mail address after they graduate as a service to alumni. This means that students will be able to access their NSAC e-mail accounts via webmail after graduation just as they did before. These e-mail addresses will be used for communication with students regarding all academic and administrative matters. Any redirection of e-mail will be at the student's own risk. Each student is expected to check both his or her official NSAC and Dal e-mail addresses frequently in order to stay current with program communications.

Change of Name
Students who change their name while attending the M.Sc. program must provide proof of name change (e.g. marriage or divorce certificates, official name change form, etc.). Students are to contact the Research & Graduate Studies Office for additional information.

FULL-TIME, PART-TIME, AND OTHER CATEGORIES

A full-time student is a student who has been approved by NSAC and FGS as working full-time on a graduate degree. A student receiving financial assistance may register full-time and hold a job simultaneously only if the job involves no more than 16 hours' work per week, including the hours worked as a teaching assistant.
A part-time student is a student who has been approved by NSAC and FGS as working part-time on a graduate degree. A part-time graduate student cannot carry more than 8 credit hours per term. International students are not admitted to the M.Sc. program on a part-time basis.
A continuing student is one who has completed the program fee and residency requirements but has not yet finished all the degree requirements (usually the thesis). The student is required to pay a continuing fee on a per-term basis.
A qualifying student is a person with a Bachelor's degree or its equivalent, and in whom NSAC has expressed an interest as a potential graduate student, but who does not meet all admission requirements for the program. Admission to a qualifying program may be recommended for students in the following circumstances:
(i) The student has the required GPA in a recognized undergraduate
degree program but may not have the required background for graduate studies in a specific discipline. The required advanced undergraduate courses that must be completed with B- or higher marks to qualify for admission to the graduate program must
be specified.
(ii) The student does not meet the overall GPA requirements for
admission to the graduate program. A set of advanced undergraduate courses that, upon satisfactory completion, will raise the GPA to the minimum acceptable level (i.e. GPA of 3.0) must
be specified.
Qualifying students can be full-time or part-time. If advanced placement for the graduate classes is anticipated, this information must be specified in the comments section of the application form. Because it is a prerequisite, a qualifying program cannot be used to reduce the length of a subsequent regular graduate program. Qualifying students are not eligible for scholarship or bursary support and must apply for admission to the graduate program in the usual way toward the end of the qualifying period. Qualifying students must pass all classes with no grades below a B- (70%) and an average of at least B (75%), and fulfill any other requirements in order to be considered for admission.
Special students are those students who are permitted to take a graduate class outside the Master's program. Such students, who have not been admitted to the Master's program, may normally take a maximum of two full-credit classes with the permission of the class instructor and the Graduate Coordinator. Because all graduate classes must be taught at a consistent standard to graduate level students, non-program students must have records which meet the minimum entrance requirements for the graduate program (hence they must be approved by FGS as being admissible to the graduate program). Students are ineligible to apply for Special Student status in a class if they have been rejected from the program on account of academic standing, or have been withdrawn from the program. Students trying to qualify for entry to a graduate program must follow a different route: either a Qualifying Year program, if eligible, or a program of study as a Special Student in an undergraduate faculty. Classes completed as a Special Student may not be used for credits toward the formal graduate program. Exceptions can be granted only by FGS at the time of admission.
A letter confirming a student's registration and/or scholarship or stipend status can be produced on request. Students should contact the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office for information on this service.

FEES

Graduate students pay “program fees” for fixed periods, either as full-time or part-time students, followed by “continuing fees” until all program requirements have been completed. The current fee schedule is available each year in July. It can be obtained from the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office or the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/fees.pdf.

Program Fees for Full-Time Students
Full-time graduate students pay program fees for a specific number of years depending on the program, after which they pay continuing fees until all the program requirements are completed. The one-year M.Sc. program involves a program fee requirement of one year (i.e., students admitted to the one-year program are required to pay three consecutive terms of full-time program fees). The two-year M.Sc. program involves a program fee requirement for the first two years of study. If students have to continue beyond the program fee requirement period to complete their degree, additional continuing fees are required.

Program Fees for Part-Time Students
Part-time graduate students pay the same program fees as full-time students, spread over three part-time years of study for every full-time year. If a part-time student completes the requirements for the degree before the full program fees have been paid, the balance of those fees must be paid prior to graduation.
In other words, a part-time student entering the one-year M.Sc. program will pay 9 consecutive terms of part-time fees, and a part-time student in the two-year program will pay 18 consecutive terms of part-time fees. Students who complete their part-time programs in less time will still be required to pay part-time program fees for the outstanding terms before they are approved for graduation.

Continuing Fees
Students who have completed the required program fee period and have paid all their fees, but are still short of completing their program, must pay a continuing fee until all the academic requirements of the program have been completed. Students are assessed continuing fees on a per-term fee basis. Usually, continuing fees are paid by students who are in the process of completing their thesis.
Graduate students must maintain continuous registration until their program requirements are complete, unless they are granted a formal Leave of Absence. Payment of fees is required for students to maintain their status in the program.

Procedures for Payment of Fees
Students will be billed in September for the Fall term; January for the Winter term; and May for the Summer term. Payment in full is due on the last day for registration (as published in the Graduate Program Procedures Manual) in each of the Fall, Winter and Summer terms. Fees not paid by the last day for registration will be subject to interest charges, and the student's registration may be cancelled. NSAC has the right to deduct tuition fees directly from a student's stipend, NSERC PGS, IPS, or Canada Graduate Scholarship award (or any other outside scholarship paid to NSAC to administer on behalf of the funding agency).
Graduate students may not submit their approved thesis to Dal for binding nor will the degree or official transcripts be released until outstanding fees are paid in full. Any late fees and interest charges that apply to undergraduate students also apply to graduate students.
Students who have outstanding account balances are not permitted to register for a further term unless they have received permission to register from the Vice President Administration. Students with outstanding balances are required to meet with the Vice President Administration to sign an Outstanding Fee Form detailing in what manner the fees are to be paid and from which sources the funds are expected to arrive.

COURSE SELECTION AND ENROLLMENT

Selecting a Program
Students should meet with their supervisors before classes begin and design a complete program of suitable courses for each year of study. It is the student's responsibility to arrange this meeting. In selecting appropriate courses, the student must bear in mind the following:
• All graduate students must enroll for Thesis Research (AGRI9000) every semester even though they may expect to make little progress in that semester.
• Students in the one-year M.Sc. program are strongly encouraged to take all course work during their first year. However, if necessary, courses may be spread over more than one academic year.
• Graduate credit is obtained only for graduate courses, which are denoted by a 5XXX number or above.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

NSAC offers numerous entrance scholarships and research assistantships to eligible graduate students. All applicants to the Master of Science program are automatically considered for scholarship eligibility. The availability of research assistantships varies annually and from one area of research to another. Many research assistantships are posted on the Research & Graduate Studies website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/assistantship.asp. We encourage you to check the site regularly for opportunities in an area of research that may be of interest to you.
Several Differential Fee Waivers are awarded to International students annually. All International applicants are automatically considered. Differential Fee Waivers are awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need.
The M.Sc. program requires that students assist in the teaching of at least one undergraduate course. Not only do students gain teaching experience but they are also reimbursed financially in the form of a Teaching Assistantship.

Stipends (Research Assistantships)
All graduate student stipends will be classified as scholarships regardless of their source. Graduate students are to be informed of the rate of the stipend prior to registration. Once a stipend rate is selected, that rate normally remains in effect for the duration of the stipend payment (usually 24 months). However, the rate of the stipend may be renegotiated if there is any change in the student's official academic status (e.g. change from full-time to part-time status) or if the student receives a major scholarship (e.g. NSERC PGS/CGS, NSERC IPS, Graduate Research Training Initiative Scholarship, etc.). NSERC scholarship holders are expected to adhere to NSERC's Award Holders Guidelines (www.nserc.ca). Please note that these guidelines state that NSERC expects award holders to devote the majority of their time to the expeditious completion of their degree program. As a guideline in this context, NSERC strongly suggests that award holders limit the number of hours of employment per 12-month period to 450. Remuneration or supplements paid from other NSERC grants, whether paid as a scholarship or salary, cannot be accepted. Part-time NSERC PGS holders are not permitted to be employed during tenure of the award without NSERC's prior authorization.
Stipend payments are managed by and distributed from the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office. Please contact Marie Law (mlaw@nsac.ca) for paperwork required to initiate stipend payments. Students receiving stipend support will receive payment on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month, via direct deposit to their bank account. For these students, the first payment will be issued 30 days following initial registration (e.g. if the program start date is September 1, the first stipend payment will be issued on October 1, etc.). Graduate students funded under provincial or national scholarships (e.g. Graduate Research Training Initiative Scholarships, Canada Graduate Scholarships, NSERC PGS, NSERC IPS, etc.) will also receive their scholarships on a monthly basis at the beginning of each month. NSAC has the right to deduct tuition fees directly from the student's scholarship should the student's account go into arrears. Students with questions regarding their stipend payments are encouraged to contact Marie Law at the Research & Graduate Studies Office (mlaw@nsac.ca; (902) 893-6502).

Research Costs
A student's supervisor is responsible for all costs directly associated with the thesis research project. Sometimes, the student must incur costs for the research project (e.g., costs associated with field travel, and purchase of supplies) and in these circumstances, the student is reimbursed for the expense by the supervisor. Students must always receive the prior approval of their supervisor for costs associated with the research project.
To be reimbursed for travel costs, students must either complete a Travel Expense Claim form or a Cheque Request form. (Students who are on casual payroll at the time of the expense submission, e.g. completing their TA, would complete a Travel Expense Claim; students who are not on casual payroll, e.g. receiving stipend only, would complete a Cheque Request form.) Travel expenses are to be submitted monthly, for a full month's travel costs. Claims received in Financial Services, with appropriate approvals and documentation requirements, are posted daily and included on the next regular travel cheque run. Travel cheques are run at the Department of Finance on Mondays and Wednesdays. Travel claims not meeting guidelines will not be processed until documentation requirements are completed. Students are advised that if they are required to travel out of province and/or country that they must first obtain permission to do so by completing an Out-of-Province/Country travel form. Out-of-Province/Country travel forms are available from the department administrative assistant or on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/research/researchers/forms.asp. The approved Out-of-Province/Country travel form must be attached to the Travel Expense Claim (or Cheque Request). Both Travel Expense Claim and Cheque Request forms and detailed instructions are available on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/finance/forms.asp. The Travel Expense Claim form must be certified to be accurate by the department administrative assistant and signed by the student and the student's supervisor. The Cheque Request form must be signed by the student's supervisor. Students may contact Carolyn Terry, Research & Graduate Studies Office (cterry@nsac.ca), for assistance in determining which format to use for travel expenses and for any clarification in completing the form.
Students can be reimbursed for a research purchase less than $50 in value via petty cash provided that the purchase has been authorized by the student's supervisor and the transaction complies with the Nova Scotia Purchasing Agency regulations. Petty Cash expenses are not to be accumulated. The Petty Cash form is available on the website at www.nsac.ca/finance/forms.asp. Original receipts must be attached (detailed receipts showing the tax breakdown are required; credit card slips are not acceptable) and the supervisor's signature is required. The form and original documents are to be taken to Financial Services, 2nd Floor Cumming Hall, for reimbursement. Petty Cash can not be used to reimburse travel expenses; see Travel Expense information above.
If the student's supervisor has authorized that the student be reimbursed for a purchase or accumulated receipts totalling over $50, the Cheque Request Form (available on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/finance/forms.asp) should be used for reimbursement purposes. The signature of the student's supervisor is required on this form. Students are advised to seek the assistance of the administrative assistant within their department of study for the completion of financial forms (travel expense claims, cheque requests, etc.) for reimbursement purposes.
Students are responsible for all costs associated with writing and presenting the thesis.
Students are encouraged to meet with the heads of their departments of study to obtain their department's policies and procedures on photocopying within the department, availability of office supplies from the department, etc.
Students are encouraged to discuss with their supervisors what financial assistance is available to assist with miscellaneous costs associated with their programs such as photocopy charges (e.g. photocopying of journals at the library, etc.), printing charges (e.g. of the ATC research proposal and thesis), and NSAC MacRae Library charges (e.g. Novanet document delivery and interlibrary loan charges). While some supervisors may be able to assist students with printing, photocopying and library charges, others will not have the financial resources to do so. If the student's supervisor can provide financial assistance toward photocopying and interlibrary loan charges at the NSAC MacRae library, a form is available at the Library Circulation Counter that advises the Library of the amount of support available, the time during which support will be available, and which research account is being used. The signature of the student's supervisor is required. Students are to mention that a form is on file when they go to pick up a Novanet or Interlibrary loan item.

Self-support
On the few occasions when a student is accepted to the M.Sc. program with no financial support, NSAC requires that the student submit a letter waiving any responsibility on the part of NSAC for financial support for the duration of the given program. However, this does not negate the possibility that support funding may subsequently be procured during or after the initial year.

Conference Grants
Students planning to present their research at a scientific meeting may apply to the Graduate Coordinator for a grant towards their expenses. An application form (Travel Bursary Form) is available from the website at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/forms/default.asp. Proof that an oral or poster presentation of the student's research has been accepted at the conference must be submitted with the completed Travel Bursary Form. A student will receive a maximum of one conference grant up to a total of $500 during the course of the M.Sc. program, subject to the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, as financing permits. Students are reminded that if they plan to travel out of province and/or country to present at a conference, they must first obtain permission to travel out of province/country by completing an Out-of-Province/Country travel form. Out-of-Province/Country travel forms are available from the department administrative assistant or on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/research/researchers/forms.asp.
Students will only be reimbursed for actual expenses paid. Receipts for expenses are required. Normally, students are reimbursed for expenses upon return from the conference and upon submission of a Travel Expense Claim form (or Cheque Request Form) and attached receipts. If the student's supervisor has paid all of the student's travel and conference expenses from a research project account, the travel bursary will be transferred to the supervisor's account from which the travel was paid. The Travel Expense Claim form or Cheque Request form may be obtained from the administrative assistant of the student's department of study or on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/finance/forms.asp. If using the Travel Expense Claim form, it must be certified to be accurate by the department administrative assistant and signed by the student, the student's supervisor, and the Graduate Coordinator. If using a Cheque Request form, it must be signed by the student's supervisor. Additional details on submission of travel expenses can be obtained by contacting Carolyn Terry, Research & Graduate Studies Office (cterry@nsac.ca).

THESIS REGULATIONS

Ethical Review
Research Involving the Use of Animals
Research involving the use of animals must be approved by the NSAC's Animal Care & Use Committee (ACUC). The two key functions of this committee are:
(i) to ensure that NSAC is in compliance with the Canadian Council on
Animal Care (CCAC) with respect to standards and guidelines for the use of animals in research, teaching, and testing, and
(ii) to monitor the numbers of animals used in research, teaching and
testing according to purpose and level of invasiveness. This latter information is compiled with information from other institutions across the country by CCAC to provide accurate reports on the use of animals in research, teaching, and testing.
Approval by the ACUC is required for all animal use, on or off campus, in which NSAC faculty, staff, or students are involved. Any teaching, research, or testing use of animals requires an “Animal Care & Use Protocol,” signed by an authorized representative of the ACUC, prior to assignment of animals to the project. The student's supervisor is responsible for completing and submitting the form.
The CCAC (www.ccac.ca) has mandated that all personnel involved with the use of animals in research, teaching, and testing must be adequately trained in the principles of laboratory animal science and the ethical issues involved in animal use. Graduate students who will be working with animals are required to complete a short course entitled “Experimental Animal User Training” prior to the completion of their Admission to Candidacy examination (usually within four to six months of initial registration in the M.Sc. program). The course is a WebCT computer-based package comprising background reading and a series of multiple-choice questions. Instructions for completing WebCT training are available on the NSAC website at www.nsac.ca/pas/animalcare. To get started and to obtain a WebCT username and password, contact Linda Jack (ljack@nsac.ca; tel 893-8209). The Research & Graduate Studies Office checks that all students working with animals have completed the mandatory training at the time of the Admission to Candidacy examination. Students must submit proof of completion of the required animal training modules with their research proposal for the ATC examination.

Research Involving Human Subjects
All thesis research involving human subjects must be approved by the NSAC Research Ethics Board (REB). Projects which might typically arise at NSAC and which would require REB review are questionnaires, surveys, or interviews of individuals, where the human being is the subject of the investigation and personal opinions and practices are documented. Graduate students are to submit their proposals to the Graduate Coordinator who will, in turn, forward it to the REB Chair. Submission deadlines, procedures, guidelines and forms are available on the website at www.nsac.ca/research/researchers/ethics.asp. Students should allow six to eight weeks for processing. If this is the student's first ethics submission to the NSAC REB, then the student must complete the Online Tutorial located at www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial. A copy of the tutorial completion certificate must be submitted with the REB submission to the Research & Graduate Studies Office. A copy of the NSAC letter of ethics approval will be forwarded to Ms. Lindley, Office of Research Services (Room 337, Arts and Administration Building, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4H6) to put in the student's official file at Dal. For further information contact the Research & Graduate Studies Office, Cumming Hall, NSAC (893-6360 or 893-4413) or Lauranne Sanderson, Chair, Research Ethics Board, Department of Business and Social Sciences, Humanities House (lsanderson@nsac.ca).

Research Involving Biohazards
Researchers, graduate students, and instructors who are conducting, or propose to conduct, research involving biosafety hazards (e.g. infectious agents of animals including bacteria, viruses, prions, fungi, and parasites; infectious agents of plants including bacteria, viruses, viroids, and fungi; recombinant DNA, cell lines, and microbial toxins) must adhere to the standards outlined in the Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines, 3rd ed. 2004, which can be obtained in electronic form from Dr. Glenn Stratton (gstratton@nsac.ca), NSAC Biosafety Officer, Department of Environmental Science, or from:
Office of Biosafety
Population and Public Health Branch
Health Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0L2
Tel: (613) 957-1779
Fax: (613) 941-0596
www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Graduate students and researchers must obtain certification from Dr. Stratton that the laboratory procedures being used comply with the safety precautions necessary for the level of containment required by the research. Researchers who are proposing to work with biosafety hazards are asked to contact Dr. Stratton for specific details regarding the approval process, as certificates are customized for each research project. To streamline the approval process, researchers may send their approved research proposal to Dr. Stratton for consideration. No additional forms are required.
If, during the course of a grant, the research changes enough to require new or modified certification, the NSAC RGS Office must be informed promptly and the appropriate certification must be obtained and forwarded to the RGS Office. Research must comply with federal, provincial, and municipal requirements for the use of hazardous materials and chemical and biological wastes in the workplace, and for their disposal.

Research Involving Radioactive Materials
Researchers, graduate students, and instructors using or proposing to use radioactive materials must obtain permission and approval from the NSAC Radiation Safety Officer, Department of Environmental Sciences. The NSAC Radiation Safety Officer is Dr. Robin Robinson (rrobinson@nsac.ca); the Site Radiation Safety Officer is Anne LeLacheur (alelacheur@nsac.ca). The following forms are available from the Radiation Safety Office:
• Application for Internal Permit for Acquisition and Use of Radioactive Materials
• Application for Internal Permit for Use of Radioisotope Using Animals.
All researchers, graduate students, and staff using radioactivity must provide proof of completion of a radiation use and safety training program to the NSAC Radiation Safety Office. For information on the radiation use and safety training program offered at NSAC please contact Anne LeLacheur.

Preparation of the Thesis
An acceptable thesis will describe in clear and concise language a contribution to knowledge of sufficient value to merit publication. It must be prepared according to instructions published by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and conform to Dalhousie University's requirements for thesis. The FGS Regulations for the Submission of Theses is available from the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office and from the FGS website (www.dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/tdc). The regulations give details on originality, format and style, the order of contents, mailing costs, and other pertinent information. All thesis students must obtain a copy of these regulations, and students are responsible for ensuring that their thesis complies with all aspects of these regulations. Failure to do so may cause delays in completion, and may even result in the cancellation of a scheduled defence. Students and supervisors are referred to the CBE Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Publishers as a possible resource for guidelines of thesis style.
The thesis must be written by the student, but advice and constructive criticism from members of the supervisory committee should be sought during its preparation. Students are also encouraged to present a synopsis for discussion and conditional approval before beginning to write, but formal approval by the supervisory committee is not mandatory. Responsibility for the document presented rests with the student. The examining committee, in judging the thesis, is concerned primarily with the quality of the work and evidence of research contributions to knowledge. Students are encouraged to publish the results of their work at any stage of their graduate program but must avoid conflict of copyright or contractual agreement. Students who have concerns regarding conflict of copyright or contractual agreement are urged to discuss these issues with their supervisor or to contact the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office for further information.

Manuscripts in Thesis (Submission of Papers to Journals prior to Defence or Completion)
It may be appropriate for the thesis to include published or accepted manuscripts, papers or reports authored or co-authored by the student. Students who wish to pursue this option must have the prior consent of their supervisory committees, and must obtain appropriate copyright permission.
It is expected that the student has made a substantial contribution to any such manuscripts. Where a co-authored manuscript is included in the thesis, the student's contribution must be clearly indicated on the Student Contribution to Manuscripts in Thesis form (dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/tdc/#manuscriptcontribution).
Students are strongly encouraged to publish their M.Sc. research in refereed journals before, during or after their defence. However, if a student has submitted the thesis or chapters of the thesis in identical text as a manuscript to a journal prior to submitting the approved thesis to FGS for binding, the student must complete the Manuscripts in Thesis form and obtain Copyright Release from the journals to which the manuscripts have been submitted. The Student Contribution to Manuscripts in Thesis Form and the Copyright Release Request template letter are available from the FGS website (www.dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/tdc).
A Copyright Release Request template letter must be sent to each journal to which a manuscript has been submitted, regardless of whether it is accepted for publication either before or after the defence. Please include an appropriate letter to present to the journal publishers with the first draft of each journal manuscript submitted. The signed Copyright Release Request letters must be included in an Appendix at the end of the thesis. In addition, the first page of each chapter that has been accepted for publication must state “This chapter has [or Parts of this chapter have] been accepted to be included in the ......[title of publication]”.
All papers accepted by journals are to be summarized on the Manuscript in Thesis form. Thus, there must be a signed Copyright Release form to match each entry on the Manuscript in Thesis form. Note that the Manuscript in Thesis form is not to be included in the thesis for binding. Rather, it is to be submitted to FGS at the same time that the thesis is submitted for binding.
The publication or acceptance of such manuscripts before the thesis defence in no way supersedes the examination committee's evaluation of the work, including requesting revisions.

Thesis Originality and Editing
A thesis must present the student's own work, and all students are advised to read the university's regulations on plagiarism (including self-plagiarism). Dalhousie University's regulations on plagiarism can be found in the FGS Policy on Integrity in Scholarly Activity (available from Dal).
All students are expected to write their theses (and indeed, all their papers) in excellent English. While editorial correcting occurs as part of the supervisory process (as sections of the thesis are read and commented upon by supervisory committee members), faculty are not expected to have to make extensive correction to the standard of English. A committee member may refuse to read materials if they are not of an adequate standard of writing and expression for a graduate-level program. Supervisors should identify English problems early on and ensure that the student takes corrective measures, such as attendance at writing workshops. Requirements to improve a student's standard of English can be made compulsory if the student's language deficiencies are problematic to the progress and success of the research.
Just as the academic content of the thesis must reflect the student's own work, so must the standard of writing and expression. While students are encouraged to make use of standard spelling and grammatical checkers within their word processing software and to have individuals proofread their papers and draft manuscripts, the use of “professional” editorial services (other than strict proofreading and formatting) is prohibited. The use of editorial services which provide substantive rewriting and/or improvement of the written English within a thesis is a form of academic fraud (similar to plagiarism) because it presents a standard of work that has not been achieved by the student and is therefore giving a false impression of the quality of the student's work. If the use of any professional service is contemplated, the student must consult with their supervisor and Graduate Coordinator before taking any action. The Graduate Coordinator will contact the FGS office for advice if needed.

Submission of Thesis for Examination: M.Sc. Thesis
All students must refer to the Schedule of Academic Deadlines in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar 2008/2009 for submission deadlines and registration deadlines. Students must be registered for the term in which they present their approved unbound theses to FGS and for the term in which they have their defence. Students will not be permitted to submit their theses or proceed to defence until they have appropriately registered and all fees have been paid. Deadlines for the submission of fully completed and approved theses (following examination and revision) are final in all cases. Failure to meet the deadlines will result in additional registration fees being applied. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all regulations have been met. Failure to comply with the regulations can result in delay in graduation.
Students must submit a completed Thesis Defence
Planning form, a Thesis Submission form (available at www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/forms/default.asp) signed by the supervisor, and sufficient copies of the M.Sc. thesis for each member of the examining committee (including the supervisor, supervisory committee members, external examiner, chair, and Graduate Coordinator) to the Graduate Coordinator before the date of the thesis defence is finalized. The thesis must be complete and suitable for printing, if accepted. The defence date is set for a minimum of three weeks following the receipt of the thesis and accompanying documentation at the Research & Graduate Studies Office. (The Thesis Defence Guidelines document is available at the Research & Graduate Studies Office.) Graduate students are encouraged to meet with the Graduate Coordinator six weeks prior to their intended defence date to discuss preparations required for the defence.

Thesis Defence
Appointment of Examiners
The Thesis Examining Committee is usually the Supervisory Committee, an External Examiner, and the Department Head, who chairs the examination. The external examiner is recommended by the student's supervisor in consultation with the student. In selecting the external examiner, the following priority should be used: (a) qualified scholars outside of NSAC (e.g. member of a graduate faculty of another university), (b) Honorary Research Associates and Adjunct Professors of NSAC, (c) NSAC Faculty from a department other than that with which the student is most closely associated, (d) NSAC Faculty from the department with which the student is most closely associated, but not on the student's supervisory committee. The external examiner must not have been involved with the supervision or direction of the thesis, and must be in a position to render an objective and impartial assessment of the quality of the work. The external examiner may be a non-faculty member (such as a practising professional who does not hold an Adjunct appointment with a university) when it is deemed that they have the appropriate professional and academic qualifications and expertise to assess a graduate thesis. In all cases, the external examiner must be approved by the Vice President Academic, NSAC. The external examiner does not necessarily attend the defence but may instead submit a written report and questions prior to the examination.
The main role of the Chair is to ensure that the procedures are carried out in an appropriate manner, to record the examiners' written comments and the results of the examination for inclusion in the student's file, and to inform the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office of the outcome.
Supervisors, in consultation with their students, are responsible for completing the Thesis Defence Planning form (www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/forms/default.asp). The Thesis Defence Planning form must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator at least four weeks prior to the intended defence date. The Thesis Defence Planning form serves to:
• notify the Graduate Coordinator when the student is ready to defend;
• provide administration with the names of three potential External Examiners; and
• provide the Graduate Coordinator with all relevant information regarding the proposed date of the defence, and the availability of supervisory committee members.

Students and supervisors are advised that they are not to arrange for an external examiner for the thesis defence. The external examiner will be arranged by the Office of the Vice-President Academic in cooperation with the Office of Research & Graduate Studies. The Office of Research & Graduate Studies will assist with the costs associated with the external examiner's travel expenses. Reimbursement of travel expenses of an external examiner will be to a maximum of $500 and must be in accordance with current guidelines of the Province of Nova Scotia regarding per diem rates and travel policies. Supervisors are responsible for arranging to cover any additional expenditures through approved sources prior to the defence. Room bookings and notices for thesis examinations are arranged by the graduate program assistant of the NSAC Research & Graduate Studies Office, in consultation with the supervisor and student. The student is responsible for booking any AV equipment (e.g. computer projection unit, laptop computer, overhead, etc.) needed during the examination. The Thesis Defence document, an outline of all procedures to be followed for arranging examinations, is available from the Graduate Coordinator. Because extensive revisions may be required, students should not enter commitments that prevent them from devoting full attention to correcting inadequacies immediately after the examination.

Examination Format
The thesis shall be defended orally before the Thesis Examining Committee and any other interested persons who choose to attend. A public announcement of the examination shall normally be posted at least two weeks before the event. A defence consists of a 10- to 20-minute survey by the candidate of the scope of the problem and the main achievements in the research. This is followed by questions and comments from the external examiner and the student's response. After the members of the Thesis Examining Committee and the audience have questioned the candidate, the Thesis Examining Committee deliberates in camera, basing the decision on both the quality of the thesis and the candidate's ability to defend it.

Examination Results
The outcome is decided by consensus of the members of the Thesis Examining Committee present. Theses are either approved or not approved. The categories are:
• Approved as submitted.
• Approved upon specific corrections being made. A clear timetable for
completion of the revisions must be presented to the student, normally with a maximum of one month to complete the revisions. The supervisor is usually asked to monitor the required changes. Usually at least two members of the examining committee read the revised thesis to provide final approval.
• Rejected but with permission to re-submit a revised thesis for re-
examination. A clear timetable for completion must be presented, normally with a maximum of one year to re-submit. Major revisions may be on grounds of form as well as content. When re-submitted, the thesis will be re-read by an examining committee that includes at least two members from the original thesis examining committee. The thesis shall be sent to an external examiner who may be the original external examiner if the Chair of the examination considers this desirable. The revised thesis shall be defended in the usual way.
• Rejected outright. The rejection may be on grounds of form as well as
content. The candidate or supervisor may appeal this decision to the Chair of the examination in writing within five working days of the decision. If the Chair deems the evidence to be sufficiently strong, the Chair of the examination shall initiate the procedure for a re-examination. No more than one appeal may be entertained, and the examination Chair's decision shall be final.

In all cases, all members of the examining committee must submit written examination reports, dated and signed, which shall become part of the candidate's file. The Chair's written report shall summarize the outcome of the examination process, the final decision, and any conditions attached. In the case of an outright failure or failure with a right to re-submit by a specific date, the Graduate Coordinator must send a written notification of failure to FGS.

Presentation of Thesis for Graduation
Deadlines
Students are responsible for presenting to FGS one copy of the corrected and approved thesis for a formal check at least one week before the deadline date for submission of approved theses to FGS (the deadline date is published annually in the Dalhousie University Graduate Studies Calendar and the NSAC Graduate Program Procedures Manual).

Binding and Distribution
Following a format approval by the FGS, students are responsible for presenting to the FGS six unbound copies of the corrected and approved thesis. Only good quality photocopies or printed copies will be accepted. In addition, each student is to present a corrected and approved copy of the thesis to the Research & Graduate Studies Office. The Dalhousie Faculty of Graduate Studies will arrange for binding of the six copies of the thesis and its subsequent distribution as follows:
• one copy to the author
• one copy to the student's supervisor
• one copy to the student's department
• one copy to the NSAC Library
• one copy to the Dalhousie University Library
• one copy to the National Library of Canada.

The Dalhousie University Library arranges for the production of a microform copy to be retained in the National Library, Ottawa, and listed in Dissertation Abstracts International or Masters Abstracts International. The National Library can then circulate such copy according to the International Inter-Library Loan Code, with full copyright protection; it also guarantees a permanent record of the thesis. The Dalhousie University Library retains one bound copy in the University Archives.
At the time of submitting the unbound, approved thesis (original and five copies) to the FGS office, the student will present a cheque for $120* payable to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Office, Dalhousie University, to cover the cost of binding. The cost of binding each additional copy of the thesis is $20*. An additional charge will be made (where appropriate) to cover mailing costs.
* Binding cost is subject to change without notice.

CONVOCATION

Graduate students have the option of attending convocation ceremonies at either NSAC or Dal. Convocation ceremonies are held at NSAC in May and at Dal in May and October. Students must fulfill all requirements, including the payment of all fees, prior to graduation. Applications to graduate (Intent to Graduate form) are available at the Research & Graduate Studies Office or on Dal's website (www.registrar.dal.ca/forms) and must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator by July 2 for graduation in October and by December 3 for graduation the following May.
Any graduating student who is unable to appear at convocation is expected to notify the Graduate Coordinator in writing prior to April 15 for Spring convocation (or October 1, for Fall convocation at Dal). Students whose accounts are delinquent on April 15 will not receive their degree parchment or their transcripts. For October graduation the date is September 1.
When a student has fulfilled all the requirements for the degree (including payment of all program fee requirements and any continuing fees) in advance of the official graduation date, a letter to that effect can be obtained from the Faculty of Graduate Studies Office, Dalhousie University. The Confirmation Letter Request form is located on the FGS website (www.dalgrad.dal.ca/forms/students).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND REGULATIONS

For additional information pertaining to the graduate program
such as academic deadlines, mandatory training requirements,
change of supervision, rights and responsibilities of students
and supervisors, appeal processes, etc., graduate students are
advised to consult the Graduate Program Procedures Manual (www.nsac.ca/research/graduatestudies/studenthandbook.pdf).

GRADUATE CURRICULUM LISTING

Graduate Courses
Graduate courses are intended for students registered in the M.Sc. program and may be taken by undergraduate students only under exceptional circumstances.

Required Regular Courses
These courses are restricted to graduate students.
AGRI5700: Communication Skills and Graduate Seminar
AGRI9000: Graduate Thesis

Recommended Regular Courses
Where an undergraduate student wishes to take one of these graduate courses, the following signatures are required for approval: the instructor(s), the relevant Department Head(s), and the Graduate Coordinator.
AGRI5710: Module Course I
AGRI5630: Intermediate Statistical Methods (STAT4000)
AGRI5720: Applied Statistics and Experimental Design for Agriculture

Other Regular Courses
Where an undergraduate student wishes to take one of these graduate courses, signatures of the following are required for approval: the instructor(s), the relevant Department Head(s), and the Graduate Coordinator.
AGRI5270: Economic Entomology
AGRI5350: Animal Research Methods
AGRI5360: Protein Nutrition
AGRI5365: Vitamins in Animal Nutrition
AGRI5380: Quantitative Genetics
AGRI5390: Molecular Genetic Analysis of Populations
AGRI5440: Organic Environmental Analysis
AGRI5520: Plant Breeding Methods
AGRI5530: Nitrogen in Crop Production
AGRI5560: Advanced Crop Physiology
AGRI5705: Module Course II
AGRI5740: Advanced Studies in Food Chemistry

Special Topics Courses
Special Topics courses may be taken by undergraduate students only under exceptional circumstances. The following signatures are required for approval: the instructor(s), the relevant Department Head(s), and the Graduate Coordinator.
AGRI5210: Special Topics in Environmental Microbiology
AGRI5220: Special Topics in Weed Science
AGRI5240: Special Topics in Environmental Impact
AGRI5260: Special Topics in Plant Pathology
AGRI5310: Special Topics in Applied Ethology
AGRI5320: Special Topics in Animal Nutrition
AGRI5340: Special Topics in Animal Physiology
AGRI5370: Special Topics in Animal Breeding and Genetics
AGRI5410: Special Topics in Soil Fertility
AGRI5430: Special Topics in Environmental Analysis
AGRI5460: Special Topics in Soil and Water Management
AGRI5470: Special Topics in Analytical Instrumentation for Researchers
AGRI5510: Special Topics in Plant Breeding
AGRI5540: Special Topics in Crop Physiology
AGRI5570: Special Topics in Agricultural Biotechnology
AGRI5610: Special Topics in Animal Product Technology
AGRI5760: Special Topics in Ecology

Cross-referenced Courses
Cross-references with undergraduate courses are shown in brackets.
AGRI5250: Soil Microbiology (MICR4000)
AGRI5450: Environmental Soil Chemistry (SOIL4000)
AGRI5620: Ruminant Digestive Physiology and Metabolism (NUTR4000)
AGRI5750: Biotechnology (GENE 4003)

GRADUATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

AGRI5210: Special Topics in Environmental Microbiology
Instructor: Prof. Stratton
This course will allow students to study a particular topic in the field of environmental microbiology in more depth than would be practical in a general course. The student will choose a topic in consultation with the instructor. An in-depth literature search will be required, and the material gathered will be discussed in weekly tutorial sessions. Laboratory work will be conducted when required and if appropriate to the topic chosen. Topics for study can be of either a theoretical or applied nature, with the needs of the student being a primary factor in finalizing the topic.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5220: Special Topics in Weed Science
Instructor: Prof. Sampson
Topics might include: evolution of weeds, impact of weeds on human history, weed ecology and physiology, crop/weed interactions, herbicide chemistry, physiological and biochemical behaviour of herbicides in plants, environmental fate of herbicides, mycoherbicides, and biorationals. Two term projects and a research critique will be required.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5240: Special Topics in Environmental Impact
Instructor: Prof. Stratton
This course will allow students to study a particular topic in the field of environmental impact or environmental toxicology in more depth than would be practical in a general course. The student will choose a topic for study in consultation with the instructor. An in-depth literature search will be required, and the material gathered will be discussed in weekly tutorial sessions. Laboratory work will be conducted when required and if appropriate to the topic chosen. Topics for study should be related to the student's area of research or interests.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5250: Soil Microbiology
cross-referenced as MICR4000
Instructor: Prof. Stratton
This course is designed to provide an intensive study of the microbiology of soils and will emphasize nutrient cycling and biodegradation. Topics covered include the relationships between the abiotic and biotic components of soils; the microbial biochemistry of the carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, and selected micronutrient cycles; heavy metal cycling; and the microbial degradation of industrial wastes and pesticides. The laboratory classes will concentrate on techniques to monitor the microbial biomass in soil and the microbial components of nutrient cycles. These include new advances in bacterial taxonomy and identification and the use of gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography in quantitating nutrient cycling. In addition to a major term paper, a comprehensive laboratory report on the entire term's lab work, and a single take-home examination, graduate students will be required to:
• modify the term paper into a critical review of some aspect of soil
microbiology, chosen in consultation with the instructor (the review must be current and in depth; it must be written in manuscript format and will be graded accordingly);
• perform additional laboratory exercises not assigned to undergraduate
students, use more replicates, perform a full statistical analysis of data, and provide a report in manuscript format;
• give a seminar to the class on their term paper topic.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2008/2009.

AGRI5260: Special Topics in Plant Pathology
Instructors: Profs. Gray and Singh
This course will be custom-designed to meet the specific needs of graduate students specializing in the area of plant pathology who need further specific knowledge and/or skills.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5270: Economic Entomology
Instructor: TBA
Insect pest management in agriculture with emphasis on a selection of non-chemical approaches to insect control, e.g. natural, mechanical, physical, cultural, biological, biochemical, and/or legal control. According to the student's interest, a section on chemical control can be included. This course is consistently in accord with the theory and principles of integrated pest management (IPM) and consequently, the term assignments will incorporate the study of sampling techniques and monitoring methods of insect pests and related beneficial arthropods. Attendance at certain relevant seminars may be required and directed readings may be assigned.
A case history of a major agricultural insect pest will be prepared to satisfy the course requirement. The material will be submitted in term paper format and also delivered in an oral presentation. The case history will include the life cycle, host plants, pest status, damage, losses, control measures, research needs, and IPM programs pertinent to the particular species.
Winter semester – 2 lecs and 1 tutorial per week.

AGRI5310: Special Topics in Applied Ethology
Instructor: Prof. Tennessen
Course content will vary. Topics covered will be chosen so as to meet the requirements of individual graduate students. Aspects could include the assessment of farm animal welfare, foraging behaviour, environmental enrichment, social dynamics of livestock, and early rearing environment and the effect on later behaviour.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5320: Special Topics in Animal Nutrition
Instructors: Profs. Anderson, Fredeen or Rouvinen-Watt
The course is designed to provide an opportunity to study specific aspects of animal nutrition. Aspects could include study of a particular nutrient, a process in nutrition, a nutritional state, or nutrient metabolism of a specific species, with focus on the research method. Students are advised to consult with their supervisors to determine the specific scope of the topic to be studied.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5340: Special Topics in Animal Physiology
Instructor: Prof. Duston, MacLaren or Rouvinen-Watt
This course is for students with a major interest in animal physiology. The course will consist of discussions, term papers, and presentations. Students will be expected to nominate topics for consideration and to prepare major reviews and class presentations of selected topics.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5350: Animal Research Methods
Instructors: Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences Faculty
This course is designed for students who are, or expect to be, working in Animal Science, or who have an interest in the methodology and ethics of animal research. The course will include consideration of some of the common or promising laboratory and field methods associated with domestic animal research, ethics of animal research, and the analysis, interpretation, and reporting of results. Students will be expected to participate in exercises, to contribute to discussions, and to present reviews on various aspects.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5360: Protein Nutrition
Instructor: Prof. Anderson
A study of the sources, availability, and metabolism of protein and amino acids for the domestic animal. Subjects addressed include sources of protein, factors affecting digestibility of protein, digestion and absorption of protein and nitrogen, urea recycling, individual amino acid metabolism, excretion of nitrogenous wastes in birds and mammals, and protein and amino acid requirements of animals.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2008/2009.

AGRI5365: Vitamins in Animal Nutrition
Instructor: Prof. Anderson
Vitamins and vitamin-like compounds are discussed in relation to the normal function of the animal. Vitamin metabolic interrelationships, assessments of adequacy, treatments of deficiency, and sources both natural and synthetic are addressed for all vitamins. Current literature relating to each vitamin as bioactive molecules is discussed.
Winter semester – to be arranged with instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2010/2011.

AGRI5370: Special Topics in Animal Breeding and Genetics
Instructors: Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences Faculty
Provides students with an opportunity to pursue more detailed studies in animal breeding and genetics. Topics will be decided on by the student in consultation with faculty members for the purpose of meeting the student's specific needs as defined by the thesis research. Delivery will be a combination of directed reading and tutorial discussions.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5380: Quantitative Genetics
Instructor: Prof. Patterson
An introduction to quantitative genetics theory and to statistical techniques used in domestic animal improvement. Computing and statistical techniques will be demonstrated and presented, and relevant literature will be surveyed. Reference will be made throughout to performance recording programs used in Canada and throughout the world.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5390: Molecular Genetic Analysis of Populations
Instructor: Prof. Farid
This course is designed to give graduate students some understanding of the theoretical aspects of population and molecular genetics. Various DNA fingerprinting techniques (e.g. minisatellites, microsatellites, RAPD-PCR, FRLP-PCR and SSCP-PCR, and their applications in population genetic studies) will be discussed. Students will acquire hands-on experience with some of these techniques. Analysis of molecular data to estimate intrapopulation populations (heterozygosity, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium) and interpopulation parameters (test of heterogeneity of allele frequency distributions, genetic distances, phylogenetic analysis, bootstrapping, F-statistics) will be covered.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5410: Special Topics in Soil Fertility
Instructor: Prof. Percival
The course is designed to provide an opportunity to study specific aspects of soil fertility. Topics may include the influence of soil biological, chemical, and physical properties and processes on nutrient absorption and plant growth, with emphasis on essential plant nutrients in the soil and methods for evaluation, as well as the use of inorganic and organic amendments.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5430: Special Topics in Environmental Analysis
Instructor: Prof. Hoyle
Students may apply to undertake either a specially designed course in environmental analysis, or to undertake additional work further to AGRI5440. This may be facilitated with written consent from the instructor who then assumes personal responsibility for supervising the work.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5440: Organic Environmental Analysis
Instructor: Prof. Hoyle
This course has limited enrollment.
The course will involve the study of the analytical chemical techniques used in the analysis of environmental samples obtained from the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. Included in this study will be the sampling methods used for air, water, soil, food, and wastes, and modelling of environmental contamination. In addition, government regulations, hazard assessment, and public awareness of these issues will be discussed. In addition to successfully completing examinations, graduate students will be required to:
• write a major paper on an important topical issue;
• present that paper as a seminar before departmental faculty, staff, and students; and
• write a research proposal prior to starting the laboratory project.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2008/2009.

AGRI5450: Environmental Soil Chemistry
cross-referenced as SOIL4000
Instructor: Prof. Hoyle
Minimum enrollment: 10 students
The course is designed to provide an opportunity to study specific aspects of environmental soil chemistry. Topics may include the chemical composition of soils with special attention to soil biochemistry, and soil organic matter with an emphasis on organic matter/clay interactions, soil organic N, P, and S, and soil enzymology. Graduate students will be expected to participate in lecture/discussion sessions and complete required reading assignments. In addition, graduate students will be required to complete research papers and present their findings at in-class seminars.
Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2009/2010.

AGRI5460: Special Topics in Soil and Water Management
Instructors: Profs. Havard, Madani, and Gordon
This course will discuss the state-of-the-art soil and water management practices in either humid or arid regions, depending on the specific needs of the graduate students. Topics may include fundamentals of soil and water properties; drainage and water table control; management of farm irrigation and draining systems; salinity control; irrigation water requirements; drainage requirements for humid and arid regions; soil conservation; and computer modelling of irrigation and drainage systems. Guest speakers will be invited to share their experiences with the students.
Fall or winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5470: Special Topics in Analytical Instrumentation for Researchers
Instructors: Profs. Pitts, Hoyle, and Stratton
This course is designed to meet the needs of graduate students who are using analytical instruments in their research. The course will provide the graduate student with specific theoretical knowledge and the necessary practical skills required to properly use these instruments. The student will select two to three of the following areas for more general coverage or one for detailed consideration: gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, atomic analysis, DNA or protein electrophoresis, infrared or fluorometric analysis, NMR, mass spectrophotometry, and microscopy.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5510: Special Topics in Plant Breeding
Instructors: Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences Faculty
This course is designed to meet the specific needs of graduate students specializing in the area of Plant Breeding who need further specific knowledge and/or skills.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5520: Plant Breeding Methods
Instructors: Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences Faculty
Genetic and statistical principles underlying modern plant breeding methods are introduced. Those principles will be reinforced through the use of computer models. Cultivar development techniques for self- and cross-pollinated species are examined in detail. Applications of tissue culture, genetic engineering, and marker-facilitated selection are discussed. This course is open to students who have had introductory courses in genetics, plant breeding, statistics, and molecular biology.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5530: Nitrogen in Crop Production
Instructors: Profs. Li, Lynch and Burton
Students will study the transformations of N in air, soil, water, and plants, and consider crop requirements for N. Topics include the chemistry of N, the N cycle, N transformations in soil, N metabolism in plants, N transport in plants, N-fixation, N losses in agricultural systems, and an evaluation of N fertilizer in these systems.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructors. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2008/2009.

AGRI5540: Special Topics in Crop Physiology (A)
Instructors: Profs. Caldwell, Asiedu, Goodyear, Lada, and Martin
This course is designed to meet the specific needs of graduate students specializing in the area of Crop Physiology who need further specific knowledge and/or skills.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructors.

AGRI5560: Advanced Crop Physiology
Instructor: Prof. Caldwell
Physiological processes relevant to crop plant development and production of harvestable yield will be examined.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2009/2010.

AGRI5570: Special Topics in Agricultural Biotechnology
Instructor: Prof. MacLaren
This course is designed to meet the specific needs of graduate students specializing in the area of Agricultural Biotechnology who need further specific knowledge and/or skills.
Fall or Winter semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5610: Special Topics in Animal Product Technology
Instructors: Dept. of Plant and Animal Sciences Faculty
This course will review areas important in the technology of foods derived from animals (meat, fish, eggs, milk). Such areas could include chemistry (lipid oxidation, Maillard reactions), physics (changes caused by freezing, sol-gel conversion, colour) and microbiology (spoilage, pathogenic organisms, modified-atmosphere packaging, HACCP). Each student will be expected to present a review of a particular topic.
Fall semester – to be arranged with the instructor.

AGRI5620: Ruminant Digestive Physiology and Metabolism
cross-referenced as NUTR4000
Instructor: Prof. Fredeen
Prerequisites: NUTR3000, CHEM3006
This course is designed to provide an intensive study of food intake and digestion, and nutrient absorption and metabolism, in the ruminant animal. The course details current knowledge and focuses on aspects of future research interest. Students are expected to contribute to discussions and present reviews to the class on various aspects of the subject.
Fall semester – 3 lecs and 2 labs per week. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2008/2009.

AGRI5630: Intermediate Statistical Methods
cross-referenced as STAT4000
Instructor: Prof. Astatkie
Prerequisite: STAT3000, or permission of the instructor
Analysis of single-factor experiments, randomized blocks, latin squares, and factorial and two-level fractional factorial designs.
Fall semester – 3 lecs and 1 computer lab per week.

AGRI5700: Communication Skills and Graduate Seminar
Instructors: TBA
Through practical assignment, students will be able to test and develop their communication skills. Topics will include review, criticism, and writing of journal papers, grant applications, posters, seminars, lectures, and interviews. This course is required for students enrolled in the M.Sc. in Agriculture program.
Fall and Winter semesters – 2 lecs and 1 seminar per week.

AGRI5705: Module Course II
Coordinator: Prof. Caldwell
Prerequisite: AGRI5710
This course normally consists of three modules. Each module consists of one month of lectures or assignments dealing with a topic in the lecturer's area of expertise. Research interests of incoming students are taken into account each year when module topics are solicited. Students should not apply to take a module unless they have at least a second-year undergraduate background in the focus area. A formal evaluation is made at the end of each module.
Fall/Winter semester: Students registering for the module course in September must complete three modules between September and April (8 months).
Winter/Summer semester: Students registering for the module course in January must complete three modules between January and August (8 months).

AGRI5710: Module Course I
Coordinator: Prof. Caldwell
This course normally consists of three modules. Each module consists of one month of lectures or assignments dealing with a topic in the lecturer's area of expertise. Research interests of incoming students are taken into account each year when module topics are solicited. Students should not apply to take a module unless they have at least a second-year undergraduate background in the focus area. A formal evaluation is made at the end of each module.
Fall/Winter semester: Students registering for the module course in September must complete three modules between September and April (8 months).
Winter/Summer semester: Students registering for the module course in January must complete three modules between January and August (8 months).

AGRI5720: Applied Statistics and Experimental Design for Agriculture
Instructor: Prof. Astatkie
Prerequisite: STAT4000, AGRI5630, or equivalent
This course is designed to provide practical skills in statistical methods and experimental designs, and an appreciation of situations when more complex models and methods are required. Topics include linear and nonlinear regression, split-plot designs, repeated measures, and response surface methods. Students will be expected to successfully complete practical exercises and a project involving real experimental problems and data sets. Students will also be expected to acquire proficiency in at least one advanced statistical software package.
Winter semester – 3 lecs per week.

AGRI5740: Advanced Studies in Food Chemistry
Instructor: Prof. Pitts
Prerequisite: one undergraduate food science course or equivalent
This course is designed to allow graduate students to explore in detail various aspects of the chemical nature of agri-food products. This may include, but is not limited to, a study of naturally occurring components (functional foods and nutraceuticals), nutritional changes during value-added processing, and product formulation. The exact focus of the course will depend on the expressed interest of students in the course.
Fall or Winter semester, to be arranged with the instructor – 1 lec and 1 discussion per week.

AGRI5750: Biotechnology
cross-referenced as GENE 4003
Instructor: Prof. Wang-Pruski
Prerequisite: GENE2000 or equivalent
This course is to provide students with general information on the theory and technologies that are currently used in biotechnology. Course topics will include gene identification, transformation and expression regulations, tissue culture and cell culture techniques, and other genomics-related agricultural applications. Nutraceutical and and pharmaceutical applications will also be discussed.
Winter semester – 3 lecs and 3 labs per week. Offered in alternate years; next offered in 2009/2010.

AGRI5760: Special Topics in Ecology
Instructor: Prof. Nams
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor
This course will be designed to meet the specific needs of graduate students specializing in the area of ecology who need further specific knowledge and/or skills.
Fall or Winter semester – as arranged.

AGRI9000: Graduate Thesis
Students register for this course when they are engaged in research work for credit towards the M.Sc. in Agriculture degree.