M.A. with Specialization in Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Education

The agriculture, food, and environmental education (AFEE) program combines the resources of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), two of the University's most highly regarded academic units.

“As an AgEd student ..., you can experience the small, residential atmosphere of the St. Paul Campus with the diversity of the Twin Cities. The flexibility of the program allows you to gain knowledge in traditional and non-traditional areas that will prepare you for teaching or agribusiness industry and marketing.” —Andrew Conrad
Faribault, Minn.
2000 Graduate

Program Features

• Excellent placement rates in "life impact" careers.
• Access to a wide range of technological and quality facilities.
• Personalized instruction in AFEE classes of about 15-30 students each.
• Faculty who care about you and your future, and will advise you at every step of the way.
• Flexible major that makes you marketable for a broad range of job opportunities. You may teach or pursue many areas of agribusiness because you have developed people skills plus a broad base of agricultural education.

Your Studies Will Include. . .

• Agronomy and horticulture
• Animal science
• Applied economics
• Soil science
• Natural resource management
• Agrimechanics technology
• Food science

Other courses relating to your study include the physical and biological sciences, mathematics, communication, and liberal education courses such as social sciences, citizenship, public ethics, international perspectives, cultural diversity and the environment.

As well as education and leadership development courses:

• Foundations of education
• Methodologies for teaching
• Program planning
• Leadership, training, and development

For more information, write, call, fax or e-mail:

How Does the M.A. Program Differ from the M.Ed. Program?

While the M.A. is sometimes perceived to be more prestigious than the M.Ed., there is little programmatic evidence available to support this conclusion. Persons with specific career goals are encouraged to discuss options with faculty and prospective employers to determine if there is a preference.

Admission to the M.A. degree typically requires an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale and requires a score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE - IMPORTANT: Changes to the GRE Testing System). Admittance to the M.Ed. degree requires an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.8, and no admission test is required.

Tuition rates differ between the Graduate School which administers the M.A. program and the College of Education and Human Development which administers the M.Ed.

Most of the resources of the entire University are available to both M.A. and M.Ed. students, however applicants should be aware that they may encounter difficulty if they attempt to register for 8000-level courses outside of the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). Students who later choose to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Minnesota will be able to apply all of their credits earned in a completed M.Ed. degree toward the doctoral degree but will not be able to use their M.Ed. degree to meet residency requirements. On the other hand, M.A. students typically earn four residency units. From a practical perspective, this difference appears to have minimal impact on students.

See also:

How to Apply

Admission Information for International Students

People

Required Curriculum

Course Descriptions for Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Education (AFEE)

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Employment

Minnesota – A Great Place to Live

Revised March 2004