MAGNOLIA— Southern Arkansas University’s accreditation has been expanded to include a Master of Science in Agriculture degree according to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association which provides accreditations for universities in this region.
“This new degree will offer an opportunity for graduate studies in agriculture that has simply not existed before in southern Arkansas,” said SAU President Dr. David Rankin. “The Master of Agriculture is an important part of our continued efforts to expand the university’s graduate programs.”
Dr. Penny Haase-Wittler, assistant professor of agriculture, began the process of adding a Master of Agriculture degree upon arriving at SAU in January of 2005.
“I feel that in order to remain competitive, we need to stay current with what individuals are requesting in the community,” Haase-Witler said.
The program begins October 1 and already has about 10 students enrolled. Because the semester has already started, students signing up for the first semester of school will complete a minimester. The minimester may sound abbreviated in nature, but actually requires students to double up on coursework to complete their semester the same time as everyone else on campus, Haase-Wittler said.
The 36 hour semester program has two tracks, one which requires students to write a thesis and the other non-thesis will require students to work with agriculture entities and professionals to advance their skills.
Early in the process of trying to make the degree a reality on campus, Haase-Wittler did a statewide needs assessment to find out what the response would be to adding the degree program at SAU. The results showed the promise she expected to find.
“I found that individuals in the state, particularly in the southern part of the state, were interested in a Master of Agriculture,” she said. “Most of the respondents were holders of a bachelor’s degree, and for the most part, said they would come and take master’s courses in agriculture at SAU.”
But without the support of key people at SAU, Haase-Wittler said no amount of hard work would have made the program a reality.
“The support of administration has been astounding, they supported it 100 percent and I couldn’t do it without their support and the support of the ag faculty as well,” she said.
Dr. Corbet Lamkin, vice president of Academic Affairs, said he was supportive of the Master of Agriculture program and thinks its main advantage is that it can be applied to people who have undergraduate degrees in agriculture science, agriculture business or agriculture education.
“We are excited about having this degree in southern Arkansas,” Lamkin said.
