Agricultural Education Program

http://ageducation.montana.edu

Agricultural & Technology Education

https://www.montana.edu/agtecheducation/

230 Linfield Hall
PO Box 172830, Bozeman , MT 59717-2830
Tel: 406-994-6663

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Shannon Arnold

Department Head: Dr. Dustin Perry

Faculty Directory

Overview of Online Programming

To best meet the ever-changing demands on learners' lives, this online Agricultural Education graduate program is designed to prepare graduates for entry into or advancement in formal and non-formal teaching careers. This program also develops professional leadership skills for other careers in agricultural leadership and communications.

The online master's degree program in Agricultural Education, with its various options, provides a program that can be tailored to meet each student's career goals. In addition to the wide variety of professional courses in agricultural education, offerings are also available from all academic Departments in the College of Agriculture, including agricultural economics, animal and range sciences, land resources and environmental sciences, plant sciences and plant pathology, and veterinary molecular biology. Specialization areas such as adult education, educational administration, career education, and curriculum coordination are also available through cooperation with the College of Education, Health and Human Development. 

Online Program Requirements

This online program offers three distinct pathways to completion, providing flexibility to accommodate students' professional and personal goals.

  • Thesis Option (Plan A) requires a thesis and a minimum of 30 credit hours, including 20 credits of traditional coursework and 10 credits dedicated to thesis preparation.
  • Professional Paper or Project Option (Plan B) requires students to complete a professional paper or project addressing a current research issue within their emphasis area. Plan B students must complete at least 30 credit hours, including 24 credits of traditional coursework and six credits for the professional paper.
  • Professional Master’s (Plan C) is a course-based pathway requiring 30 credit hours and the successful completion of a comprehensive written exam with a final oral defense.

Regardless of the chosen pathway, all students must complete the following core courses:

  • AGED 505 – Statistical Analyses for Agricultural and Technology Education
  • AGED 506 – Research Methods
  • AGED 507 – Program Planning and Evaluation
  • AGED 511 – Philosophy of Teaching and Learning in Agricultural Education
  • AGED 594 – Graduate Seminar

This structured yet flexible program ensures that students gain the necessary knowledge and skills to advance in their careers while accommodating their individual learning preferences and objectives.

Admission

Before you apply to the Agricultural Education program, take a moment to review the application requirements on the Agricultural Education homepage. Once all application materials are received, the Agricultural Education graduate committee will review the application (typically after the deadline). Application deadlines are July 1 for a Fall start, November 15 for a Spring start, and March 15 for Summer (international applicants must have materials two months before these dates)  Based on their review, the department will provide their recommendation to The Graduate School; all applications will receive a response through your application portal. Teaching and Research Assistantships may be available for qualified students. If interested, please direct your questions to the Departmental Graduate Coordinator, Dr. Shannon Arnold at Shannon.Arnold@montana.edu. 

Required Application Materials – to be added to the GS application

The following is a list of application materials required by the Department:  

  1. Letter of Intent:  Plans and interest in teaching and research in agriculture
  2. 3 Professional letters of recommendation
  3. Official transcripts
    1. 3.0 undergraduate GPA
  4. Writing Sample – up to 10 pages and may be a previous capstone project, thesis, journal article, or other scholarly work that exemplifies your writing abilities.
  5. (Optional) GTA application (check box and statement of interest in teaching)
  6. (GTA Application Only) - Phone interview

Graduate Programs 

https://www.montana.edu/agtecheducation/graduateprogram.html

Program Requirements

This online program offers considerable flexibility to students to help them meet their professional and personal objectives. The Department offers two pathways to completion. Plan A is the traditional thesis option while Plan B requires a project or professional paper. Plan A requires a minimum of 30 credit hours;  20 credits of course work and 10 thesis credits. Plan B requires a professional project based on a current research issue related to the student's emphasis area. Plan B students take a minimum of 24 credits of course work and six professional paper credits. The final selection of the student's research activity will be the student's responsibility in collaboration with the assigned faculty advisor and the graduate committee.