Officers of the Faculty
Fadlo R. Khuri
| President of the University |
| Zaher Dawy | Provost |
| Ammar Olabi | Dean |
Lara Nasreddine
| Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
|
Hadi Jaafar
| Associate Dean for Research and Innovation
|
| Bradley Jon Tucker | Vice-Provost and Registrar |
| Antoine Sabbagh | Director of Admissions |
| Lokman Meho | University Librarian
|
Faculty Administrative Support
| Tharwat Haddad | Student Record Officer |
| Nadine Abdelkhalek | Career Services Officer |
| Laila Houri | Financial and Facilities Manager |
| Wafa Khoury | Executive Officer |
| Alhan Shamseddine | Assistant to the Dean for Operations |
| Maya Nabhani Zeidan | Director of Continuous Academic Improvement |
| Caroline Rajeh | Research Support Officer
|
Coordinator of Graduate Programs
| Imad Toufeili | Coordinator of Graduate Studies Program
|
Historical Background
The MS graduate program at FAFS was initiated in 1956. The program aims to offer specialized training in a variety of fields in food and agriculture and to prepare students for further studies in Europe and North America. The first MS degree in horticulture was granted in 1958 and the first MS in food technology in 1959. Since then, FAFS has continued to adapt its graduate programs to meet the needs of an evolving regional demand. An MS in nutrition was introduced in 1963, and the first degree was granted in 1965. An MS in ecosystem management, a major of the interfaculty MS in environmental sciences, has been offered since 1997. FAFS currently offers MS specialization in animal science, poultry science, agricultural economics, irrigation, plant protection, plant science, nutrition, public health nutrition, food technology, food safety, ecosystem management, rural community development, and food security. FAFS also offers a non-degree food security graduate diploma - online.
Mission
The mission of FAFS is to foster the sustainable enhancement of the health and well-being of people and nature throughout Lebanon and the region. To achieve its goals, the faculty uses basic and applied research as well as student-centered learning to prepare leaders and agents of change to address issues of local and global relevance at the nexus of human nutrition, food security, and the sustainable use of resources.
Vision
FAFS is a reference academic center specialized in issues of agriculture, food, nutrition, and the environment for the enhancement of livelihoods, human health, and well-being, as related to the Middle East.
Graduate Study
The faculty offers the MS degree, with or without a thesis, in the following majors which include animal science, poultry science, agricultural economics, irrigation, plant protection, plant science, nutrition, food safety, and food technology. The faculty offers an MS in environmental sciences (MSES), major: ecosystem management (ECOM) as part of an Interfaculty Graduate Environmental Sciences Program (IGESP) and an Interfaculty Graduate Nutrition Program (GNP). The faculty also offers two interdepartmental graduate programs: an MS in rural community development (RCOD) and an MS in food security. MS in public health nutrition is a new graduate program offered jointly by the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) and the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS).
Students following a thesis program are required to take a minimum of 21 graduate-level course credits plus a thesis (equivalent to 9 credits). Exceptionally, students pursuing an MS in ecosystem management or food security are required to take a minimum of 24 graduate-level course credits plus a thesis (equivalent to 6 credits); students pursuing an MS in rural community development are required to take a minimum of 27 graduate-level course credits plus a thesis (equivalent to 6 credits); students pursuing the MS in public health nutrition are required to take a minimum of 34 graduate-level course credits plus a thesis. The thesis program may include a maximum of three tutorial course credits. Core regular courses should constitute a minimum of 12 credits excluding seminars and tutorials and a minimum of 15 credits in the case of ecosystem management, with graduate elective courses to be determined under the supervision of an adviser. Students following a non-thesis program are required to take a minimum of 27 graduate-level course credits. The program should include a minimum of 3 credits and a maximum of 6 tutorial credits with at least 12 credits being from core courses in the major. In the case of ecosystem management, a minimum of 27 graduate-level course credits are required in addition to a 3-credit project.
By the end of the first year, students would have had ample time to know the various specialties within their program and to become familiar with the professors and their concentrations. In addition, students would have taken the needed foundational courses necessary to make an informed decision about their research focus. Rules and regulations for graduate programs are given in the General University Academic Information section of this catalogue, and the Office of Admissions section include details about the Environmental Sciences Program. Information is also available in the FAFS Graduate Study Manual. Changes made after the publication of this catalogue will be made available through academic advisers. FAFS also offers a non-degree food security graduate diploma - online. Details of this program are provided below.
Graduate Research Requirements
Research Plan
- Graduate students are expected to present their research plan and to have a thesis committee meeting by the end of the first year of joining FAFS.
- Thesis students will have to register for FAFS 300 (0 cr.) in the second term. This course will guide them in their research proposal write-up and plan.
- The proposal defense will allow students (by the start of the third term at the latest):
- to have a clear plan for their research journey.
- to vet the research objectives and methodology with their committee members.
- to take the Proposal Review exam. The grade of a successful exam will be a Pass (P/F)
Thesis Committee Meeting (before the Thesis Defense)
A thesis committee meeting is to be held one term before graduation. This meeting will outline the up-to-date progress and challenges and the expected outcome of the thesis. This meeting can be combined with the comprehensive exam.
Thesis/Non-Thesis Data Handling
It is expected that the students deliver a data notebook, with an electronic version of the thesis data, to the major professor before graduation. A data notebook is to be examined by the major professor for proper research conduct. The above applies to the project/tutorial data of non-thesis students.
Thesis Format/Manuscript Submission
Each thesis-track graduate student is expected to prepare a manuscript/paper for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Accordingly, students are expected to prepare their thesis in a manuscript format.
With regards to its length, the whole thesis, excluding references, appendices, and all other supportive material for the thesis will include:
- A shorter literature review compared to the regular, non-manuscript format, thesis.
- A typical manuscript length for the materials and methods, and results and discussion sections.
- A formatting change would be needed to make the thesis/manuscript compatible with the relevant journal formatting requirements.
- By the time of graduation, students need to ensure that the manuscript is at least submitted to a peer-reviewed journal of relevance to the research topic/field of studies.
PhD Program
A PhD program in biomedical sciences/nutrition is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine. For more information, see Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center (FM/AUBMC) sections.