Available On-Campus and by Distance Education

The Master of Science program in Agricultural Education is available as an on-campus program, but many complete by distance education with no on-campus courses or meetings. This program of study is viewed as a practitioner’s program oriented strongly towards improving the candidate’s professional proficiency and status. Candidates are expected to complete a creative component in the field of agricultural education. The creative component should focus on a specific need in agricultural education and be presented in a scholarly manner. Candidates must pass a final oral examination conducted by the candidate’s academic plan committee. The oral examination focuses on courses taken, professional experiences, and defense of the creative component.

Students will become well-versed in the following learning areas as a graduate student in Agricultural Education at Iowa State University:

• Delivery Systems: Select, organize, and implement appropriate delivery systems to fit a variety of teaching and learning situations.
• Learning Systems: Model and utilize appropriate learning principles and theories in agriculturally related learning situations.
• Evaluation: Select, organize, and implement appropriate formative and summative evaluation strategies for accountability and program improvement.
• Philosophy and Knowledge Base of Agricultural Education: Develop a foundation for one’s personal philosophy of agricultural education by synthesizing and evaluating appropriate philosophical models.
• Needs Assessment Analysis: Develop and evaluate appropriate strategies for analyzing and assessing educational needs, situations, and processes.
• Planning and Development: Organize educational programs utilizing appropriate planning and development models.
• International Agricultural Education and Technology Transfer: Organize and evaluate international agricultural education programs based upon the principles of technology transfer.
• Research Design and Analysis: Design, conduct, report, and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research utilizing appropriate design and analysis models.
• Administration, Supervision and Leadership Development: Organize, conduct, and evaluate activities that further the mission of Agricultural Education, provide growth opportunities for its practitioners, and foster development of a vision for the profession.
• Policy and Trends in Agricultural Education: Monitor the development of trends and administration of policies in and outside the discipline of Agricultural Education and explain their impact or potential impact on the discipline.

Academic Plan Requirements

Note: 22 credits must be earned at Iowa State University.

Other courses available through the Department

• AGEDS 5110 Professional Agricultural Presentation Practices. On-line and resident. 3 cr.
• AGEDS 5250 Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education. On-line only. 1-6 cr.
• AGEDS 5610 Technology Transfer and the Role of Agricultural and Extension Education. On-line and resident. 3 cr.
• AGEDS 5680 Qualitative Interviews and Focus Groups. On-line only. 3 cr.
• AGEDS 6150 Seminars various topics. Resident only. 1 cr.
• AGEDS 6250 Leadership, Administration, Supervision and Management of Agricultural Education Programs.  Resident only. 3 cr.

The master's non-thesis (creative component) academic plan committee in Agricultural Education consists of at least one member of the graduate faculty, a major professor from the major or program. 

A student & the major professor can choose to add up to two additional committee members.

M.S. Admission Procedures

Application Deadlines

Master's applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year for either a Spring, Summer or Fall semester start.

Click here to learn more about MS admissions requirements