School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science

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Interest in Aquaculture has increased worldwide as fish consumption has increased concurrently with decreasing catches of wild fish. In Kentucky and the southern United States, aquaculture production focuses on raising freshwater species commercially. This Masters program is designed to provide students with the academic foundation for further graduate studies. Each student will have a graduate committee.  

A bachelor’s degree in Aquatic Science is highly valuable—often essential—for careers in Kentucky’s natural resource and environmental agencies. It provides the scientific foundation, field skills, and regulatory knowledge needed to manage and protect the state’s water resources, fisheries, and ecosystems.

Upon completion of either program, a student should have knowledge of production and reproduction of primary aquaculture species, basic physiology and nutrition of Aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate species, mechanics and operation of primary production methods, causes and controls of pathogenic organisms, the function and manipulation of biological and chemical cycles in ponds along with RAS systems, genetic applications in aquaculture & fisheries, water quality management skills for both aquaculture and conservation applications, basics of marketing and business aspects of aquaculture, and the design and analysis of experiments.

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