Applications for the degree - The Maschhoffs Inc.-sponsored Master of Science in Animal Sciences-Swine Production Management - clost at the end of January 2008.

The programme is designed as a two-year program for high-caliber students with a B.S. degree in Animal Sciences or an associated discipline.

"It's aimed at students planning a career in production management within the swine industry," explained Michael Ellis, a professor in the Department of Animal Sciences. "In the future, these individuals will need an increasingly broader range of technical and business management skills and practical experience if they are to be successful.

"Our program will combine the academic rigors of a master's degree at the U of I with extensive practical experience and involvement in applied research studies carried out within The Maschhoffs Inc."

Chad Pilcher, who grew up on a small, purebred hog farm near Paxton, is the first graduate student in the new program.

"It's a great opportunity," said Pilcher. "It is a unique experience--a program that combines the academic strengths of the U of I with first-hand involvement in the The Maschhoffs Inc. system.