Well-equipped laboratories are located in Worrilow Hall, the Allen Biotechnology Laboratory, the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station Farm, and adjacent buildings. Equipment available for graduate student research includes an amino acid analyzer, preparative ultracentrifuges, an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, a blood gas analyzer, UV-Vis spectrophotometers, photomicroscopes, fluorescent microscopes, a tissue processor, a rotary microtome, gas chromatographs, liquid scintillation counters, a gamma counter, continuous culture fermentors, environmental chambers, a respiratory calorimeter, an oxygen bomb calorimeter, HPLC, FPLC, PCR thermocyclers, ELISA plate diluters and readers, an X-omat autoprocessor, and electrophoresis and DNA sequencing equipment. 

An excellent food microbiological research and teaching laboratory is equipped for batch and continuous fermentations, anaerobic microbiology, and bioengineering investigations. 

Laboratory space and specialized food processing equipment are available for heat sterilization, freeze-drying and other preservation studies on foods. Laboratory and pilot scale packaging equipment, which includes a vacuum-sealing machine with controlled atmosphere capabilities and computer facilities, are also available. 

The Allen Biotechnology Laboratory, completed in 1997, is a state of the art, biosafety level 2 and 3 facility for research and graduate instruction in the areas of highly pathogenic and exotic (foreign) avian disease agents and recombinant poultry micoorganisms. Additional animal facilities for nutrition, physiology, and infectious disease research are available on the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station Farm. 

An applicant for graduate study in Animal and Food Sciences should have an appropriate background from the Baccalaureate degree, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75, and a 3.00 average in his/her major. Undergraduate preparation for most areas of study should include general and organic chemistry, biology/microbiology, biochemistry, physics, and calculus. For students lacking appropriate preparatory course work, additional courses applicable to certain areas of study may be required prior to admission. A Graduate Record Examination combined score (quantitative + verbal sections) of 1075 on the general exam in desirable. Exceptions may be made for students with special backgrounds, abilities, and interests. All students must provide three letters of recommendation from former professors, a completed Graduate Studies Application form, and a completed assistantship form if applying for financial aid. Foreign students must demonstrate competence in the use of the English language by a TOEFL score of 575 or greater and provide evidence of sufficient financial support for the course of the degree program. Foreign students applying for a teaching assistantship must have a TOEFL score of 600 or greater. Applicants may be requested to visit the department for a personal interview before a final decision concerning admission is made. Admission to the graduate program is dependent upon availability of an appropriate faculty expertise in the student's area of study. 

Please refer to the chapter "Financial Aid" in this catalog. 

The Ph.D. degree program provides the necessary flexibility to design an appropriate plan of study and therefore has only minimal course requirements. A doctoral committee will be appointed within six months following matriculation. The committee shall consist of not less than four nor more than six faculty or professional members nominated by the graduate advisor and approved by the Department Chairperson. Participation from industry, government or other academic departments on the doctoral committee may be required depending on the student's area of research. At least one member of the committee shall be from outside the Department of Animal and Food Sciences. However, not more than half of the committee members shall be from outside the Department. Departmental Adjunct Faculty shall be considered as "outside" members in their participation on doctoral committees. The committee is responsible for approving the student's course work and research program. The committee will prepare, administer, and evaluate the student's comprehensive and final examinations and will supervise and approve the dissertation. The student's faculty advisor serves as chair of the doctoral committee. 

Core Courses and General Requirements. All students pursuing the Ph.D. will complete the following core courses; ANSC 865 Seminar or FOSC 865 Seminar, ANSC 969 Doctoral Dissertation, CHEM 641 Biochemistry, CHEM 642 Biochemistry, and a statistics course [FREC 608 Research Methods, FREC 806 Research Techniques and Procedures, or equivalent]. Attendance in Graduate Seminar (ANSC 865 or FOSC 665) is required each semester for all graduate students. Beyond the core courses, no specific number of courses completed or credits earned are uniformly required. The student and advisor in concert with the doctoral committee will select appropriate course work based on the student's background and major and minor (if applicable) area(s) of specialization for the Ph.D. Consideration will be given to the student's prior training and experience at the undergraduate (B.A. or B.S.) and M.S. and/or D.V.M. (if applicable) level(s). Students with more advanced training and experience will need fewer courses to complete their Ph.D. program. General requirements for the Ph.D. are based on a period of residency, writing of a satisfactory research proposal and dissertation, and passing the comprehensive and the final oral examinations. The candidate's doctoral program will consist of a combination of doctoral committee-approved formal courses, seminars, individual study, and research credits as needed by the student. 

Research Proposal. Advancement to degree candidacy requires successful oral defense of a research proposal. The proposal will be submitted to the doctoral committee at least ten working days prior to the scheduled defense. The student will give an oral presentation summarizing the proposal. The committee members will question the student to verify that the student understands the research problem and the experimental approaches needed to address it. The committee will also ensure that the student has the proper training and resources to do the research. As a result of the meeting, the student may be required to revise the proposal and/or take additional course work. The research proposal defense should precede the comprehensive examination. 

Comprehensive Examination. Successful completion of the comprehensive examination is required of all Ph.D. students prior to their admission to candidacy. The examination normally is given to the student after completion of all course work and selection of a dissertation topic. The student is required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 at the time of the examination. The examination will cover the student's major and minor (if applicable) areas of study. Each member of the student's doctoral committee will submit examination questions to the student via the advisor who will administer the written portion of the comprehensive examination. Following completion of the written exam, the advisor will return the student responses to the appropriate committee member for their evaluation. Students passing the written examination may continue for the oral portion of the comprehensive examination generally given within one month of the completion of the written examination. In the oral portion of the comprehensive examination the student must appear before all committee members and demonstrate competency in this forum. A favorable vote by a majority of the committee including the major advisor is required for passing. Based on the performance of the student in the comprehensive examination, the committee may recommend one of the following actions: 

1. The student be admitted to candidacy, without qualification or subject to fulfillment of certain conditions. 
2. The student be reexamined at later date. 
3. The student be disapproved unconditionally for the degree. 

Final Oral Examination. Upon recommendation of the doctoral committee, a Final Oral Examination of the dissertation will be scheduled for the doctoral candidate who has satisfied all other requirements for the degree. The examination must be scheduled at least three weeks prior to the time the examination is to be held. The examination, which is open to the public, shall be related in a large part to the dissertation but it may cover the entire field of study of the candidate. The examination will be administered by the student's doctoral committee. The student will give an oral presentation (seminar) summarizing the dissertation research. Committee members will question the student about the dissertation and related subject areas to verify that the candidate fully understands the research findings and their implications. A favorable vote of a majority of the members of the committee is required for passing. If the candidate fails, it is the responsibility of the doctoral committee to determine whether he/she may take another examination.