Graduate Programs
Agricultural Education-- Online & On-Campus (Ag Ed)
Orientation & Program Emphasis
The Agricultural Education program is a professional degree for students who have completed the requirements of a four-year curriculum in agricultural education or allied fields of study. We offer both off-campus (online) and on-campus programs. Areas of concentration include program planning, curriculum development, teaching methodologies, instructional technologies and youth development. Students in the program complete course work in both education and agriculture for professional development to become high school or community college instructors of agriculture programs, extension agents or other related work areas.
Programs & Degrees
The University of Illinois offers a Masters of Science graduate degree in agricultural education both as an on-campus program and an off-campus (online) program through the Division of Academic Outreach.
Master's Degree
Students in the on-campus degree Master's degree program in agricultural education may pursue state certification for teaching high school agriculture. The Council on Teacher Education serves as the governing body for certification at the University of Illinois, and specific course work can be planned for students to meet requirements for both certification and the Master of Science degree. The program is open to students from a variety of curricula in addition to agricultural education students including those interested in agricultural, consumer, and environmental sciences. More information on courses and requirements.
The off-campus (online) Master's degree program in agricultural education enables students to take a series of web-based and site-based courses, which meet the same requirements as the traditional on-campus degree program. The program has a history of providing courses for anyone interested in learning how to conduct research related to teaching and learning, and how to provide effective instructional programs related to agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences. Students may enroll in individual courses for personal or professional enrichment (non-degree seeking student), or can apply for admission to the master's degree program in agricultural education. More information on courses and requirements.
Doctoral Degree.
The department does not offer a doctoral program in Agricultural Education.
AgEd Faculty
James Anderson
Corey Flournoy
Admissions Requirements
We are looking for smart, diverse, curious, and highly motivated students with strong academic records: Students with backgrounds in education, behavioral or social sciences, or family and consumer sciences are especially encouraged to apply. The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 (A = 4.0).
Applicants for the off-campus (off-campus) program are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), but applicants for the on-campus program must take the GRE. As a guideline, GRE scores should be above 500 for the quantiative and verbal tests and and 4.0 for analytical writing, though the Admissions Committee may admit candidates below these scores if the student demonstrates compelling strengths in other areas. GRE scores should be no more than 2 years old at the time of application.
International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must have official TOEFL scores of at least 575 (written version) or 233 (computer-based version) to be eligible for admission.
Applicants must have an advanced undergraduate course in statistics that includes descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, probability, correlation, ANOVA or regression. This requirement may be waived under special circumstances. However, if admitted, students who do not have this background will be expected to complete a statistics course in their first year.
In addition to academic potential, we particularly recruit students whose interests and career goals fit the focus of our program and its faculty. Applicants should clearly describe why our program is a good fit for their interests, and identify one or more faculty members with whom they would like to work.
Application Information
Application deadline. Jan 15 for following fall admission.
Application fee: $60.00 for USA students; $75.00 for International students. Apply here.
Student Applications
We had 6 applicants for the Fall 2006 on-campus Ag Ed entering class. Two were offered admission and one enrolled.
Highlights of Student Accomplishments (2005-2006)
There were 7 on-campus Agricultural Education students in 2005-2006.
3 AgEd students presented a paper at a professional meeting
3 AgEd students were author or co-author on a refereed journal article or book chapter
3 AgEd students earned an award or received a grant
3 AgEd students were Fellowship holders
Financial Information
Tuition & Fees. 2005-2006 $8,900 (state residents) $21,750 (non-state residents) Students who have an assistantship also usually receive a tuition waiver. (See financial assistance for tuition waiver information).
Financial Assistance
All of our students in 2005-2006 received assistantships or fellowships.
The financial support that we provide is completely separate from state or federal grants and loans. Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for more information about those programs.
Our typical offer of admission to an on-campus AgEd student includes one year of guaranteed funding at the 25% level. This corresponds to working 10 hours per week as a research or teaching assistant and receiving a 9-month stipend of approximately $6,200. Students who have at least a 25% assistantship (10 hours per week) qualify for a full tuition wavier. This applies to both state and non-state tuition rates. The tuition waiver does not apply to student and service fees. We also have several fellowships that provide support to students. See Financial Assistance for more information.
Our on-campus M.S. in Agricultural Education typically takes 2 years to complete. Though we do not guarantee financial support in the second year we have typically been able to provide it.
We do not provide financial support to on-line students. However, they may be elibible for financial aid.
Employment of Graduates
In the past five years there have been 27 Master's degrees granted through our on-campus program. Most of the graduates of this program (about 60%) obtained jobs teaching agricultural education is high schools. Another 20% of our graduates are employed by extension in various states across the country and the other 20% of our graduates take positions in various positions in private and public agriculture-related organizations. In the past five years we have also awarded a number of degrees through our off-campus program. Most of the participants in this program are already employed and are returning to earn their Master's degree to obtain new knowledge and improve their skills to qualify for better pay and advanced positions.
Information for Students with Disabilities
The Disability and Educational Resource Center for students with disabilities provides information to students. http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/
Housing
The Housing Office provides Information about both on-campus and community housing. http://www.housing.uiuc.edu/
Child Care
The Child Care Resource Service provides referral information to students and others who are interested in finding child care in the community. http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/CCRSCare/
For more information contact the Graduate Program Director: Dr. Ramona Faith Oswald (roswald@uiuc.edu).