Collaborative Education Program on Turfgrass Management

On March 25, 2003, MSU entered into an agreement with four Chinese universities to develop and implement a program of higher education in turfgrass management in China for Chinese students. The participating universitesare: Sichuan Agricultural University, Northeast Agricultural University, Beijing Forestry University and Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture. This collaborative education program is designed to let students in China obtain an MSU Bachelor of Science degree in turfgrass management, meeting a growing need in China.

 

The parties seek to establish long-term, strategic relationships for a broad range of cooperative activities, including study abroad, research, and graduate studies.

 

A total of 21 students who entered the turfgrass program as the first cohort in 2003 arrived in the United States in September 2007.  Their agenda includes intensive coursework on the MSU campus followed by a four-month internship.  They will graduate in June 2008

Contents of the program:

 

A.      Academic Schedule. MSU and the four Chinese universities will develop a joint curriculum for the program, based on acceptable credits from each university. The program will require five years of study for each student, the first two spent in basic studies at the hosting Chinese universities, the third spent in intensive English training, and the fourth and fifth spent taking turfgrass management courses approved and supported by MSU and performing an internship. If enrolled students in the second and later cohorts of the program meet the minimum English requirements to advance to specialized studies without the year of intensive English training, MSU may choose to waive the intensive English training.

 

B.         Admission. To be enrolled in the program initially, students must have passed the Chinese national entrance examination, been enrolled by the Chinese universities, and meet MSU admission requirements.  To advance to the specialized studies after the first three years, students must have a minimum test score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

 

C.         Credits. Sixty of the credits MSU requires for a bachelor of science degree may be earned at the hosting Chinese universities and transferred to MSU (subject to prior MSU approval of the credits to be transferred) and the remaining sixty credits must be earned through MSU-approved courses.

 

D.      Teaching Methods. According to the curriculum, the Chinese faculty will teach the first three years of courses at the hosting universities. For the fourth and fifth years, Program teaching will consist of MSU faculty face-to-face teaching in China; MSU trained and approved Chinese faculty teaching; distance education jointly organized by MSU and the Chinese universities; and last-semester field internships in the United States, Australia, or other suitable locations, arranged by MSU faculty.

 

E.         Degree. Successful completion of all of the academic program requirements as implemented by the parties in accordance with the agreement will result in the award of a bachelor of science degree from MSU and graduation certificates and the bachelor of science degree diploma from the Chinese universities.