Program hopes to fill gap in industry for meat science professionals.

July 16, 2018

1 Min Read
Iowa State to offer online graduate certificate in meat science
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The Iowa State University meat science program is offering a new online graduate certificate program.

The program is geared toward personnel in the food and meat industry but is open to anyone who meets the qualifications, said Rodrigo Tarté, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State. To earn a graduate certificate, students must complete 12 course credits. The program is still new, so there are only three courses being offered. As enrollment increases the department plans to create more courses, so people can choose classes that meet their needs.

“The nice thing about being 100% online is that people can take as little or as much time as they need,” Tarté said. “The program is designed to take about two years, but if people take a semester off or take more than one class a semester, that changes.”

Since the program is completely online, it’s not limited to those near campus.

“It provides an economical and practical option for everybody,” Tarté said.

The meat science program at Iowa State is celebrating its 100th anniversary, the university said. The program is being offered because there is a gap in the industry when it comes to meat science professionals.

“Many companies in the meat industry end up hiring people with related experience instead of the direct experience that they are looking for since there is a shortage of people that are educated in meat science,” Tarté said. “They end up taking time to teach them the skills they wanted in the first place, which can be costly.”

Those interested in earning the meat science online graduate certificate can apply online or request more information by going to www.agonline.iastate.edu and selecting "Meat Science" under "Programs."

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