College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Engaging Students
Search for Chronic Disease Risk Factors in
Horses Leads to Clues about Prevention
Bringing New Life to an Eroding Stream
Value-added Soybeans to Save Money and Environment
Expanding the Learning Experience
Crossing Traditional Boundaries of Science
To Find Health Solutions
Hobby-size Planes May Be Future of
Early Warning System
Improving Local Economies Through Agritourism
Incentive Payments May Reduce Phosphorus Pollution
Protecting Milk’s Flavor and Nutritional Value
Finding a Healthful and Environmentally Friendly Use For Peanut Skins
Supporting Virginia’s Expanding Wine Industry
Virginia Tech Reaches Top 10 in Agricultural Research
Entrepreneurship Education Puts Business Owners in the Express Lane
E-learning Option for Place-bound Professionals
Financial Planning – From the Farm to the Household
New Graduate Program to Train Faculty in Agricultural Education Fields
Farmers’ Markets from Diverse Communities Benefit from Sharing
Families, Food, and Fun
Developing Disease-free Mosquitoes
Mites Make Right in Honduras – or Not?
Help for the Hippos of Zambia
New Graduate Program to Train Faculty
in Agricultural Education Fields
To fill the demand for professionals and faculty members in the agricultural extension and education fields, the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education (AEE) recently began offering two new graduate degrees through the Virginia Tech Graduate School.
The Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees are offered through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and focus on applications of social science theory in agriculture and life sciences venues. Students who complete this new program will receive a M.S. or a Ph.D. in Life Sciences with an Agricultural and Extension Education major.
“There is a high demand for students in this area through Cooperative Extension, higher education, community agencies, and the agriculture industry,” says Rick Rudd, head of the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education. “The Ph.D. program will focus primarily on developing future faculty members to fill roles in like departments across the country and around the world.”
According to Rudd, AEE has historically offered a M.S. and Ph.D. in partnership with Career and Technical Education New Graduate Program to Train Faculty in Agricultural Education Fields in the School of Education. While this partnership still exists and will continue to offer students teacher certification in agriculture and serve students who have interests in career and technical education, the new degree programs offer a greater level of flexibility and can serve a wider array of student interests.
The Ph.D. program is primarily designed to prepare future faculty members in agricultural education fields (teaching and learning, leadership, and extension). Students will also be prepared to pursue careers in administration, community and nonprofit organizations, and for-profit organizations.
Master’s students in the new major will prepare for leadership roles in for-profit, nonprofit, and community organizations. They will enter jobs in mid-level management, training and development, teaching, extension, and business. Some students will use this option to prepare for a Ph.D. in agricultural and extension education fields.
The degree program began in fall 2007 with eight students (seven Ph.D. and one M.S.). The department anticipates growing the program to serve 20 Ph.D. students and 10 M.S. students by fall of 2010.