Agricultural and Extension Education

Department Head: Dr. Michael Newman
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Kirk Swortzel
120 Lloyd-Ricks-Watson Building
Box 9745
Mississippi State, MS  39762
Telephone: 662-325-7837
E-mail: kirk.swortzel@msstate.edu

The Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communication program in the School of Human Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees.

1. Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with a concentration in Teaching or Leadership
2. Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Science with a concentration in Agricultural and Extension Education

Admission Criteria - Master of Science Degree

To obtain admission to the master's program, the applicant must meet all the general requirements of the Office of the Graduate School.  Specifically, an applicant must:

• Meet all MSU Graduate School requirements for admission.
• Complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), with scores competitive with other applicants (recommended).
• Have an upper-division undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (approximately last 60 undergraduate hours).
• Provide the names and e-mail addresses of three individuals who can provide a letter of recommendation.  These letters of recommendation will attest to the applicant's academic performance and potential ability to successfully complete gradeuate degree requirements.
• Write a statement of purpose (500-1,000 words) describing the applicant's purpose for undertaking graduate study, including professional plans and career goals.
• International non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores indicative of ability to successfully complete graduate work (see International Admission requirements in this catalog).

A student applying to the Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Extension Education in the teacher certification concentration must have an undergraduate degree in an agriculturally-related field and submit GRE scores.  The student must qualify for admission to teacher education by presenting an ACT score of 21 (SAT equivalent of 860) or by obtaining at least the following scores:

Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST)

Grad Skills Test

Subject	Score
Reading	156
Writing	162
Mathematics	150

Admission Criteria - Doctor of Philosophy

To obtain admission to the master's program, the applicant must meet all the general requirements of the Office of the Graduate School.  Specifically, an applicant must:

• Meet all MSU Graduate School requirements for admission.
• Complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), with scores competitive with other applicants.
• Have earned a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from an accredited college or university.
• Have at least a 3.00 grade point average on previous graduate coursework.  
• Provide the names and e-mail addresses of three individuals who can provide a letter of recommendation.  These letters of recommendation will attest to the applicant's academic performance and potential ability to successfully complete gradeuate degree requirements.
• Write a statement of purpose (500-1,000 words) describing the applicant's purpose for undertaking graduate study, including professional plans and career goals.
• International non-native speakers of English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores indicative of ability to successfully complete graduate work (see International Admission requirements in this catalog).

Provisional Admission

An applicant who has not fully met the GPA requirement stipulated by the University may be admitted on a provisional basis. The provisionally-admitted student is eligible for a change to regular status after receiving a 3.00 GPA on the first 9 hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University (with no grade lower than a C).  The first 9 hours of graduate courses must be within the student's program of study.  Courses with an S grade, transfer credits, or credits earned while in Unclassified status cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student shall be dismissed from the graduate program.  Academic departments may set higher standards for students to fulfill provisional requirements; a student admitted with provisional status should contact the graduate coordinator for the program’s specific requirements.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance

Unsatisfactory performance is defined as failure to maintain a B average in graduate courses attempted after admission to the program, a grade of U, D, or F in any course, more than two grades below a B, failure of the preliminary/comprehensive examination, an unsatisfactory evaluation of a thesis or dissertation, failure of the research defense, or any other failure of a required component on one’s program of study.  Any one of these or a combination of these will constitute the basis for the termination of a student’s graduate study in a degree program.

Upon the recommendation of the major professor or the graduate coordinator and the college dean, a student whose academic work is unsatisfactory at any period during a given semester or term will be forced to withdraw from a graduate program.  A student forced to withdraw can appeal to the department faculty.  If upheld by the faculty, then the student can submit a written appeal to the Director of the School of Human Sciences.  If upheld there, the student may appeal to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  See Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedure in this catalog.

Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with Leadership Concentration - Thesis

Core Courses
AELC 8803	Applying Research Methods to Agricultural and Extension Education	3
or AELC 8703	Evaluation of Agricultural and Extension Education Programs
Graduate-level electives including a required statistics course		9
AELC 8403	Directing Learning Experience in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8503	Program Planning and Development in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8413	Methods of Planned Change in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8801	Graduate Professional Seminar in Agricultural and Extension Education	1
AELC 8263	Public Relations in Agricultural & Extension Education	3
or AELC 8203	Advanced Communications in Agricultural and Extension Education
Thesis
AELC 8000	Thesis Research/Thesis in Agricultural and Extension Education	6
Total Hours		31

Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with Leadership Concentration - Non-Thesis

Core Courses
AELC 8803	Applying Research Methods to Agricultural and Extension Education	3
or AELC 8703	Evaluation of Agricultural and Extension Education Programs
AELC 8403	Directing Learning Experience in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8503	Program Planning and Development in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8413	Methods of Planned Change in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8801	Graduate Professional Seminar in Agricultural and Extension Education	1
AELC 8263	Public Relations in Agricultural & Extension Education	3
or AELC 8203	Advanced Communications in Agricultural and Extension Education
Graduate-level coursework		9
AELC 8100	Creative Component Project in Agricultural and Extension Education	6
Total Hours		31

The remaining courses in the leadership concentration may be a combination of approved electives or those courses to comprise a minor.  A faculty member from the minor area should also be a member of the student’s graduate committee.

Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with Teaching Concentration - Thesis

Core Courses
EDX 8173	Special Education in the Regular Classroom	3
EPY 6033	Application of Learning Theories	3
or AELC 8693	Philosophical Foundations of Agriculture and Extension Education
AELC 8503	Program Planning and Development in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8403	Directing Learning Experience in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 6113	Methods of Teaching Agriscience	3
AELC 6403	Development of Youth Programs	3
AELC 6703	Experiential Learning Programs in Agriculture	3
AELC 8603	Teaching Internship in AEE I	3
AELC 8613	Teaching Internship in AEE II	3
AELC 8801	Graduate Professional Seminar in Agricultural and Extension Education	1
Thesis
AELC 8000	Thesis Research/Thesis in Agricultural and Extension Education	6
Total Hours		34

A student who chooses to complete a thesis must pass a final thesis defense and submit the thesis to complete degree requirements.

Depending on the courses taken at the undergraduate level, a student in the teaching concentration may be required to take 3-6 additional hours of prerequisite coursework.

Faculty in Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communication must approve substitutions for any of the above courses. 

Master of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education with Teaching Concentration - Non-Thesis

Core Courses
EPY 6033	Application of Learning Theories	3
or AELC 8693	Philosophical Foundations of Agriculture and Extension Education
EDX 8173	Special Education in the Regular Classroom	3
AELC 6113	Methods of Teaching Agriscience	3
AELC 6403	Development of Youth Programs	3
AELC 6703	Experiential Learning Programs in Agriculture	3
AELC 8100	Creative Component Project in Agricultural and Extension Education	6
AELC 8503	Program Planning and Development in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8603	Teaching Internship in AEE I	3
AELC 8613	Teaching Internship in AEE II	3
AELC 8801	Graduate Professional Seminar in Agricultural and Extension Education	1
AELC 8403	Directing Learning Experience in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
Total Hours		34

A student who chooses to complete a Creative Component Project must pass the final defense of the Creative Component and complete an oral comprehensive examination over all coursework completed.

Depending on the courses taken at the undergraduate level, a student in the teaching concentration may be required to take 3-6 additional hours of prerequisite coursework.

Faculty in Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communication must approve substitutions for any of the above courses. 

A student must have earned at least a 3.00 GPA on coursework taken on the program to be eligible to enroll in AIS 8603 and AIS 8613  (teaching internship).  An Application for Admission to Student Teaching form must be submitted to the Director of Clinical/Field Based Instruction one semester prior to student teaching.  The student must submit the minimum Praxis II – Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12 (PLT) score as required by the Mississippi State University College of Education to meet graduation requirements and to the Mississippi Department of Education to obtain licensure.  To be eligible for graduation, students must have a 3.00 GPA after completion of all coursework and internships.

To secure a Mississippi educator’s license, the student must request that ETS send a copy of his or her score on the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) to Mississippi State University (Code R1480) or to MSU Meridian (Code R3336).  It is imperative that the student retains the originals of test scores in a safe place.

In accordance with statutory provisions, the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson, Mississippi, has adopted the rules and regulations on issuing and renewing teaching licenses, which are set forth in Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure, July 1999.  The licensure program is applicable to all teacher licenses.  Satisfactory completion of any teaching curriculum offered by the College of Education will enable the graduate to apply for teaching licensure in Mississippi, but this institution can neither waive any licensure requirements nor authorize substitutions for mandatory courses.  Mississippi State University has submitted and received approval for its programs. Consequently, a student who plans to transfer from another university or college to the College of Education should consult with the Director of Clinical/Field-Based instruction or an advisor in the College of Education to ascertain the general education, professional educational, and specialized education courses which must be completed to obtain a teaching license in the field or fields of his or her choice.  Since teacher licenses are issued by the Mississippi Department of Education only, and not by the teacher education institutions, applications for licensure and original test scores must be filed with the Mississippi Department of Education by the applicant.  Information concerning teacher licensure can be obtained from the Office of Clinical/Field-Based Instruction and Outreach.

Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural and Extension Education Concentration

Agricultural and Extension Education
AELC 8593	Historical Foundations of Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8693	Philosophical Foundations of Agriculture and Extension Education	3
AELC 8243	Administration and Supervision in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8513	Volunteer Development in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8413	Methods of Planned Change in Agricultural and Extension Education	3
Other AELC credits		15-21
Statistics, Research, and Evaluation
AELC 8803	Applying Research Methods to Agricultural and Extension Education	3
AELC 8703	Evaluation of Agricultural and Extension Education Programs	3
AELC 9583	Analysis and Interpretation of Data in Agricultural and Extension Education Research	3
EPY 9213	Multivariate Analysis in Educational Research	3
EPY 8214	Intermediate Educational and Psychological Statistics	4
Minor or Supporting Area
Graduate-level coursework		12-18
Electives
Graduate-level coursework		0-12
Dissertation
AELC 9000	Dissertation Research/Dissertation in Agricultural and Extension Education	20
Total Hours		78-102

The minimum requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree is the completion of 90 semester hours of graduate credit on an approved program of study above the bachelor’s degree.  This 90-hour requirement can be partially met by previous graduate coursework.

Students must pass a written and an oral comprehensive examination in both the major and minor/supporting area. To be eligible for the preliminary/comprehensive examination, a graduate student must have a 3.00 GPA on all graduate courses taken after admission to the degree program. Students must also pass the final dissertation examination.  The student’s graduate committee supervises the dissertation and examinations.

Health Promotion Emphasis

Ph.D. students in Agricultural and Extension Education may select an emphasis in health promotion by taking courses in the Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion Department's Health Promotion curriculum. These courses must be approved by the Health Promotion graduate coordinator.  This program is designed to equip students for careers as public health educators, health promotion specialists, and health scientists. Students in this emphasis may sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist exam offered by the National Commission on Health Education Credentialing (www.nchec.org) when they have successfully completed at least 25 hours in the Health Promotion area.