Graduate Catalog
2023-2024
 
Policies, Procedures, Academic Programs
Animal and Poultry Sciences
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
The building is located on the corner of Washington Street and West Campus Drive, the former site of a student parking lot. When it was opened in 1981, it was called the Animal Science Building. It was later named Litton-Reaves Hall.
3050, Mail Code:0306 Blacksburg VA 24061
Litton-Reaves Hall
Degree(s) Offered:
• MS
MS Degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Offered In:
Blacksburg
• PhD
PhD Degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Offered In:
Blacksburg
Email Contact(s):
Web Resource(s):
Phone Number(s):
540/231-4731
Application Deadlines:
Fall: Aug 01
Spring: Jan 01
Summer I: May 01
Summer II: Jun 01
Directions
To get Google Maps directions from:

The Graduate School
to
Litton-Reaves Hall

Get Directions

Department Head : David Gerrard
Graduate Program Director : Sally Johnson
Professors: Alan Ealy; Mark Estienne; David Gerrard; Elizabeth Gilbert; Scott Greiner; Honglin Jiang; Sally Johnson; James Knight; John Maurer; Kathryn Medler; Michael Persia; Robert Rhoads; Edward Smith
Associate Professors: Fernando Biase; Samer El-Kadi; Dan Eversole; Erica Feuerbacher; Leonie Jacobs; Timothy Jarome; Vitor Mercadante; Gota Morota; Michelle Rhoads; Robin White; Cynthia Wood
Assistant Professors: Azahar Ali; Chun-Peng Chen; Lisa Gunter
Paul Mellon Distinguished Chair of Agriculture: Sally Johnson

Animal and Poultry Sciences Introduction

The Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences at Virginia Tech offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Students may specialize in the areas of genetics, genomics, immunology, management, muscle biology, nutrition, physiology, and product quality assurance. Interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs are encouraged and students are given wide latitude to develop customized programs of study directed toward specific career goals. The department has 32 faculty members who serve the needs of about 600 undergraduate and about 60 graduate students.
Offered In (Blacksburg)

Degree Requirements

Minimum GPA: 3.0
Institution code: 5859
Testing Requirements:
  • TOEFL
    • Paper
      • 550.0
    • Computer
      • 213.0
    • iBT
      • 90.0
  • GRE
    • General Test
      • Verbal : 150.0
      • Quantitative : 150.0
Master's Degree. The Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences allows for both thesis and non-thesis master's degrees. Minimum total graduate credits (5000-level or higher) for thesis option: 30; minimum research credits: 6; minimum graded credit hours: 20.  The non-thesis option must include Project and Report: 6 hours minimum; minimum graded graduate credits for non-thesis option: 24. Seminars: minimum 1.
Offered In (Blacksburg)

Degree Requirements

Minimum GPA: 3.0
Institution code: 5859
Testing Requirements:
  • TOEFL
    • Paper
      • 550.0
    • Computer
      • 213.0
    • iBT
      • 90.0
  • GRE
    • General Test
      • Verbal : 150.0
      • Quantitative : 150.0
PhD Degree. Each Ph.D. student must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours of graduate study and a dissertation. Minimum Research and Dissertation hours: 30. Minimum 5000-level or higher graded courses: 27. Seminars: minimum 2.
Follow Graduate Catalog procedures.

Animal and Poultry Sciences Facilities Introduction

State of the art laboratories supporting all areas of graduate research are located in Litton Reaves on campus.  Biosafety Level 2 animal research laboratories also are located in the building.  The well-equipped laboratories offer expertise in microscopy, molecular biology, chromatography, protein chemistry and body composition (DEXA).  Collaborations and partnerships with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine foster access to additional animal expertise and equipment.   The Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences actively disseminates information through regional meetings and national and international symposiums and conferences.  An integral component of the graduate student experience is participation in these venues.  

Facilities

Animal Research Facilities

The Department manages six livestock and poultry centers on-campus and at nearby Kentland Farm and the Virginia Tech Meat Science Center.  These include 

  • Poultry research centers with hatcheries, grower barns, a processing facility and a feed mill for the support and management of large chicken and turkey flocks.  
  • Barns and working facilities for the management of a 300-cow beef herd.  
  • Paddocks, pastures and stalls that house a riding herd of 40 horses and a research and teaching herd of an equal number.  
  • Farrow to finish barns that support a 70-sow swine herd. 
  • Copenhaver Sheep Center is home to 200 ewes for teaching and research. 
  • Environmental and metabolism labs capable of supporting BSL2 research in livestock and poultry are available. 

The Department maintains an equine exercise performance laboratory with nutrition and pasture management facilities at the Middleburg Agriculture Research and Extension Center.  The historical Kentland Plantation, 20 miles from campus, provides resources for grazing and animal research. The Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, each 100 miles from campus, provide additional resources for beef cattle forage nutrition and management. The Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Suffolk supports an active off-campus program in swine research and extension. 

Laboratory facilities

In addition to the state of the art equipment located in Litton Reaves, University supported proteomic, genomic and bioinformatics core facilities are available to our faculty and students. 

Add this course listing feed to your website.
XML Feed Widget

Course Listing for Animal and Poultry Sciences

 
Loading...