Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications, MS
for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications (on campus & online)
The M.S. in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications is a professional degree for training community and organizational developers, professional trainers, Extension agents, communications officers, educational assessment professionals, customer service specialists, and agriculture classroom teachers to address issues as they pertain to teaching and learning in and about food, agriculture, natural resources, and the environment. Students are typically interested in either furthering their career in Extension, agricultural organizations and community agencies, and agricultural classrooms in secondary education. For on-campus students studying full-time, we also work with students interested in gaining licensure for teaching agriculture in Illinois public schools for grades 5-12.
Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications can be pursued as an online degree. Please refer to our website for more information.
Admission
We are looking for highly motivated students with strong academic records. Students with backgrounds in agriculture, education, behavioral or social sciences are especially encouraged to apply. The minimum undergraduate grade-point average for admission is 3.0 (A = 4.0). Applicants for the online/off-campus program are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). International applicants from non-English-speaking countries should meet the minimum requirements for English proficiency established by the Graduate College. To receive full consideration for admission (and financial aid opportunities if you are applying for the full-time, on-campus program), please apply by February 15 for possible admission the following fall semester. The admission deadline for part-time online students is April 15 for the following fall semester.
Each applicant’s undergraduate transcript will be evaluated for completion of general education courses required for licensure by the Illinois State Board of Education. Students with deficiencies may be admitted with the stipulation that these be met before completion of the master’s program.
Financial Aid
We are committed to funding as many of full-time on-campus students who are making timely progress as possible. The duration and amount of our commitment varies. Funding may include fellowships, research assistantships, and/or teaching assistantships. These opportunities typically include stipends and tuition waivers. In some cases, fees are also waived. All applicants are automatically considered for all department funding opportunities; there is no separate application process. Federal and state financial aid is completely separate from the support provided by our department. For information regarding federal and state financial aid, please refer to the Office of Student Financial Aid.
for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications (on campus & online)
This degree program can be completed either on campus or online; with or without a thesis, the requirements are listed below:
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | 21 | |
| ALEC 400 | (Foundations and Pathways of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication) | 3 |
| ALEC 410 | Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation (Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) | 3 |
| ALEC 505 | Science and Art of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| HDFS 590 | Advanced Research Methods (Advanced Research Methods ) | 4 |
| HDFS 591 | Qualitative Methods | 4 |
| or HDFS 594 | Intermed Statistical Analysis | |
| ALEC 599 | Thesis Research | 4 |
| Electives | Thesis requires 11 hours | 11 |
| Comm in Env Social Movements 3 hours | ||
| Youth Development Programs 4 hours | ||
| Beginning Agriculture Teachers Seminar 2 hours | ||
| Second Year Agriculture Teacher Seminar 1 hour | ||
| Volunteer Management (Volunteer Management) 3 hours | ||
| Interpersonal Intelligence for Professional Success 2 hours | ||
| Critical Approaches to Leadership Practice 3 hours | ||
| Leading Professional Organizations and Communities 2 hours | ||
| Collaborative Leadership 3 hours | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Capstone Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required | 15 | |
| ALEC 400 | (Foundations and Pathways of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication) | 3 |
| ALEC 410 | Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation (Program Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation) | 3 |
| ALEC 505 | Science and Art of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| ALEC 540 | Volunteer Management (Volunteer Management) | 3 |
| ALEC 545 | Research Methods and Design (Research Methods) | 3 |
| ALEC 595 | Capstone Curriculum Project (Capstone Seminar) Prereq ALEC 545 | 3 |
| Electives | Capstone requires 17 hours | 17 |
| Comm in Env Social Movements 3 hours | ||
| Youth Development Programs 4 hours | ||
| Beginning Agriculture Teachers Seminar 2 hours | ||
| Second Year Agriculture Teacher Seminar 1 hour | ||
| Interpersonal Intelligence for Professional Success 2 hours | ||
| Critical Approaches to Leadership Practice 3 hours | ||
| Leading Professional Organizations and Communities 2 hours | ||
| Collaborative Leadership 3 hours | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
Other Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
|---|---|
| Other requirements and conditions may overlap | |
| Minimum Hours Required within the Unit | 5 |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required overall: | 12 |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 |
for the degree of Master of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education, & Communications (on campus & online)
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications Program
Graduate Program Coordinator: Eric Morgan
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications Program website
174 Bevier Hall, 905 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-3165
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications Program email
College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences
College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences website
Admissions
Grad College Admissions & Requirements
Agricultural Leadership, Education & Communications Program Admissions & Requirements