The Agricultural Education and Advocacy degree program is for students who excel at working with people, sharing information and solutions, and promoting agriculture. This program prepares students to communicate the complex science of agriculture to youth and adults.
Students participate in a semester-long senior capstone experience in a school, county extension office, non-profit organization, or federal agency gaining over 200 hours of educator experience. This experience is combined with over 60 hours of coursework in agricultural subject areas such as animal science, plant science, agricultural economics, and agricultural mechanics.
Career Opportunities
Graduates will be prepared for careers in both formal and informal education focused on agriculture. Formal education opportunities include teaching in the middle school or high school classroom. Informal education opportunities include working in Extension and the public or private sectors of industry. Additionally, graduates may seek to attain Rank III teaching certification in Agricultural Education.
Teacher Certification
Besides receiving the B.S. in Agricultural Education and Advocacy, students completing the requirements obtain a letter of endorsement to teach agricultural education.
Requirements for teacher certification are as follows:
You must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) after you have completed, or complete during the semester in which you apply, 60 semester hours of course work and AEA 110 Introduction to Agricultural Education and Advocacy and have at least a 2.75 grade-point standing (on a 4.0 scale). See a full description of “Admission, Retention and Completion from Teacher Education Programs ” in the College of Education section of this Catalog.
Applicants are evaluated on an interview, recommendations, scholastic achievement, demonstrated skills, and professional commitment and goals. A student’s progress is continuously monitored, assessed, and reviewed throughout the teacher education program as described in the Teacher Education Programs section of this Catalog. You must successfully complete assessment items and portfolio items as required. Further, you must successfully complete the Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam and a professional exam, scoring above cutoff scores specified by the State Board of Education for each exam. After completing these exams, students hired by Kentucky schools will complete a one-year paid internship as a first-year teacher and will be evaluated at least three times by a three-person committee before certification is completed.
Note: Because graduation and teacher certification requirements change frequently, students should obtain more complete information from their advisors.
Graduation Requirements
To earn the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Advocacy, the student must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours with at least a 2.75 grade-point average (required for Teacher Certification). A minimum of 45 credit hours must be from upper division courses (300 level and above). Remedial courses may not be counted toward the total hours required for the degree.
Suggested Agricultural Education and Advocacy 4-Year Plan