Online Master's Degree in Agricultural Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Program Information

The extramural Agricultural Education Master of Science program is planned as a professional degree for students who have completed the requirements of a four-year curriculum in agricultural education or allied fields of study. 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. Only students in the on-campus degree option for agricultural education concentration 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 for on-campus students only.

The extramural 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.

To complete the degree, 32 hours of approved graduate level courses must be fulfilled. A thesis is optional; a non-thesis option is available requiring the submission of a research/professional paper. The AgEd master's program must be completed within five years after admission to the graduate college. Courses required in agriculture for the degree program may be selected from any department in the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), other than in Agricultural Education, including courses from other off-campus programming in ACES. Applications for graduate students are accepted once a year, and the deadline is January 15th of each school year. Application materials and information may be obtained through the Graduate College at the following URL: http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/general/application.html

Degree/Certificate: Masters Degree

Total Credit Hours: 32

Required Campus Visits: 0

Program URL: http://w3.aces.uiuc.edu/AgEduc/agedhome/grad_online.html

Program Contact: Heather Miller
Academic Outreach Program Director
College of ACES Programs
Turner Hall
N121
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 265-6568
E-mail: hmiller1@uiuc.edu
URL: http://www.continuinged.uiuc.edu