PhD students will complete one three (3) credit hour independent study course in their home program/department that requires the student to develop a paper on the application of their specialty area to food/agriculture production based on a literature review, FEWS relevant research, or FEWS relevant experiential learning effort.
They will also present the results their paper at an appropriate public seminar, symposium or conference. The independent study course will be taken and graded by each student’s faculty supervisor or a faculty member in the student’s home program/department who supervises independent study.
The students will submit a one-page plan for their independent study to the Advisory Committee for approval prior to initiating, and they will share an abstract of their final paper and presentation date with the Advisory Committee for approval. Details on paper options are below.
- The literature review should summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without necessarily adding new knowledge. It will serve as a stepping stone to link published research in the students’ area of interest with agriculture. The appropriate length of the paper is 10-12 pages, single spaced, with 12-point font, inclusive of figures, tables and citations.
- The FEWS relevant research effort can be independent of or related to thesis research, and require the student to develop new knowledge related to the application of their specialty area to agriculture production. The associated paper should summarize knowledge gained and should be 3-5 pages, single spaced, with 12-point font, inclusive of figures, tables, and citations.
- The FEWS relevant experiential learning effort can involve volunteering or interning with a program/organization related to agriculture. Examples include volunteering at an agricultural extension office or nonprofit urban farm, working with state legislators or lobbyists on agricultural related efforts, or interning at the Texas Department of Agriculture.
- The associated paper should summarize the experience, and its relevance to the students’ field of interest. It should be 3-5 pages, single spaced, with 12 point font, inclusive of figures, tables, and citations.