All course information is listed within this syllabus.

AGBIO 594: Agricultural Biosecurity and Food Defense Capstone Experience (3 credits). Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Prerequisites: AGBIO 520, AGBIO 521, AGBIO 801, and AGBIO 802

Instructor

Instructor for AGBIO 594.

Seogchan Kang, Ph.D.
Professor

Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
311 Buckhout Laboratory
University Park, PA 16802

E-mail: Use Canvas Inbox

If you need to contact me regarding your course, the best way is to send an e-mail through the Canvas Inbox. I will respond within 24–48 hours unless I am traveling or other circumstances limit my ability to use e-mail.

Educational Background

  • B.S., Seoul National University Chemistry
  • M.S., Seoul National University Chemistry
  • Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Physiological Chemistry

Research Interests

Plant-fungal pathogen interactions; fungal genomics and informatics; plant pathogen databases

For more information, please visit Seogchan Kang's directory page.

Course Overview

In this course, you will utilize the information acquired from previous public health preparedness courses to identify and develop a research topic of interest. The research paper will utilize a quantitative or qualitative approach to data analysis in order to support or refute a pre-selected hypothesis. Your paper must be original and designed in such a way that it contributes new knowledge to the field of public health preparedness. Your course instructor and/or chosen mentor will guide you through a step-wise process that culminates in the completion of your project.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate the fundamental principles and terminology of basic research design
  • Perform advanced academic literature searches and data acquisition through the use of varied library resources, public domain repositories, and internet search engines
  • Critically evaluate the research methodology used in recently published articles
  • Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative versus qualitative research analysis
  • Develop and organize complex ideas in a logical, orderly, and well-written fashion
  • Cultivate a professional appreciation for public health preparedness research

Course Schedule

For due dates, refer to the Course Summary on the Syllabus page in Canvas.

Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check the World Campus Course Catalog approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

Optional (Rental Only)

ISBN: 978-0134519029 (Spiral-bound)
Lester, J. D., & Lester Jr., J. D. (2018). Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide (16th ed.). Pearson Rental.

You may purchase course materials from Barnes & Noble College (the bookstore used by Penn State's World Campus). For pricing and ordering information, please see the Barnes & Noble College website. Materials will be available at Barnes & Noble College approximately three weeks before the course begins. Alternatively, you may obtain these texts from other favorite bookstores. Be sure you purchase the edition/publication date listed.

Assignments

All graded assignments in the course except for the final paper are considered ongoing assignments. The ongoing assignments collectively are worth a total of 110 points. The final paper is worth 100 points. The turnaround time for graded assignments is generally one week or less.

Grading Policy

The following table is the grading criteria for the course.

Grading Criteria
Requirement Cumulative Point Value Weight
Ongoing Activities 100 10%
Final Paper 100 90%
TOTAL: 200 100%

The following table is the grading scheme for the course.

Grading Scheme
Letter Grade Percentage
A 100% – 93%
A- < 93% – 90%
B+ < 90% – 87%
B < 87% – 83%
B- < 83% – 80%
C+ < 80% – 77%
C < 77% – 73%
C- < 73% – 70%
D < 70% – 60%
F < 60%

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information.

NOTE: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please see "Graduation" under World Campus Student Resources.

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Technical Requirements

This course is offered online and it is assumed you possess the minimum system requirements and computing skills to participate effectively. A list of technical requirements is listed on World Campus' Penn State Technical Requirements page.

Minimum Skills

  • You should have an understanding of basic computer usage (creating folders/directories, switching between programs, formatting and backing up media, accessing the internet).
  • You must be able to conduct word processing tasks such as creating, editing, saving, and retrieving documents.
  • You must be able to use a web browser to open web pages, download files, and search the internet.
  • You must be able to use an e-mail program to send and receive messages and to attach and download documents/files.
  • You must be able to download and install programs or plug-ins from the internet.

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Accessibility Information

Netiquette

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Penn State Policies

Login Policy

Students are expected to log in regularly to keep up to date with announcements, discussions, etc. The class will progress at a regular pace throughout the semester and there are specific due dates and times for assignments, etc.

Course Availability

Your course will be available to you beginning the first day of class and will remain open for one year. After one year the course will close.

Academic Integrity

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Please read the academic integrity guidelines for the College of Agricultural Sciences.

A lack of knowledge or understanding of the University's academic integrity policy and the types of actions it prohibits and/or requires does not excuse one from complying with the policy. Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences take violations of academic integrity very seriously. Faculty, alumni, staff, and fellow students expect each student to uphold the University's standards of academic integrity both inside and outside of the classroom.

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Copyright Notice

All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor's express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD40, Recording of Classroom Activities and Note-Taking Services, addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University's Code of Conduct, and/or liable under federal and state laws.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

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In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus' disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.

Accommodations for Military Personnel

Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.

Use of Trade Names

Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by World Campus, Outreach and Cooperative Extension, the College of Agricultural Sciences, or The Pennsylvania State University is implied.

Subject to Change Statement

Please note that this Course Syllabus is subject to change. Students are responsible for abiding by such changes.

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