Apply to LEAP at https://applygrad.ncsu.edu/apply/
If you’ve ever envisioned yourself working with agriculture and people or thought about inspiring young people in a classroom setting, the LEAP program may be for you.
Licensure in Education for Agricultural Professionals (LEAP) is an online teacher certification program in agricultural education. Upon completion, LEAP graduates are certified to teach agriculture in schools.
What is LEAP?
Offered through NC State, the LEAP program is available nationwide and is delivered through distance education technologies. The program provides a teaching license to individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in agriculture, natural resources, and closely related disciplines to teach agriculture in school settings. The goal of the program is to address the shortage of qualified agricultural education teachers.
Students who successfully complete the program will receive a class “A” teaching license from the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina teaching license is recognized by 40+ states, Department of Defense schools, and the U.S. Territories. The teacher education program at North Carolina State University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Admission Requirements
- A baccalaureate degree in agriculture, natural resources, or closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.
- 24 credit hours of agriculture content is required for an agricultural teaching license. If these hours are not met prior to applying to the program, you can add these content courses to your LEAP program hours. NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers several introductory agriculture courses at a distance which can be taken to satisfy the 24 credit hours needed.
- Minimum 2.75 GPA on all collegiate-level work
LEAP is a rigorous program and requires significant commitment.
Program Requirements
The LEAP program itself requires 21 credit hours. Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA in all coursework. (If the courses are to be applied toward a graduate certificate or master’s degree, a 3.0 GPA is needed.) Only courses in which you earn a grade of “C” or higher can be counted toward licensure requirements.
All LEAP students are assigned an advisor. The advisor will assist you in selecting courses and determining the appropriate course load.
Click on each course name to view more information and when they’re offered.
(3 hours). A course in educational psychology is required for teacher licensure. This is a course that is offered at almost any university that has a teacher education program and also at some community colleges. At NCSU the course is
EDP 304; however, the number of seats in the online section is often limited. You can complete this course at any institution, as long as it transfers to NC State University as educational psychology. If you are not sure, contact faculty in the AEE Program at NC State. Many of our students have also taken the course PSY 263 at Community College or
PSYC 2060 through Louisiana State University Continuing Education to meet this requirement. Please be aware that courses such as Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, or Adolescent Development do not meet this requirement.
(3 hours – offered in Fall and Spring). This course examines the role, mission, structure, and organization of agricultural education as it operates in the public school system. The University of Delaware aided in the development of this course. This course is usually taught every fall and summer.
(3 hours – offered in Fall). Techniques for instructing students is the focal point of this course. Testing, grading, student management and other related topics are also covered. Faculty at the University of Arizona and Washington State University assisted in the development of this course. This is one of the first courses people who have been employed to teach agriculture should take.
(3 hours – offered in Spring). One of the major responsibilities of the agricultural teacher is to develop the leadership potential of young people through the FFA program. This course teaches how to operate and manage the FFA program. University of Missouri faculty assisted in developing this course. This course is taught every spring semester.
(3 hours – offered in Fall). Experiential learning is a hallmark of agricultural education. Students in this course learn how to involve students in supervised agricultural experience (SAE) programs. Fort Valley State University was involved in the design of this course. This course is taught every fall semester.
(3 hours each – 524 offered in Spring, 529 offered in Fall). Principles of program planning applied to educational programs about agriculture; theory and field experiences in planning, organizing, and evaluating secondary agricultural education programs; development of plans for conducting all aspects of the complete agricultural education program.
(3 hours – offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer). Successfully complete a teaching internship in a school under the direction and guidance of an experienced teacher. Distance education technologies such as Skype and Google Talk are used to observe teaching and to conference with the students. There may also be live observations from NCSU faculty members. This course is available in the fall and spring but should be completed after you have taken the majority of the other courses. You will spend eight weeks in a school observing and teaching. For people who are hired to teach on a provisional or emergency teaching certificate, this requirement can be done on-the-job in the school in which you are employed. For those not teaching, we will help you locate a school and make arrangements for this experience.
The five core AEE courses are all web-based. Students need access to the internet and a computer that can handle streaming video and audio. Students will also need a word processing program and PowerPoint.
Program Costs
LEAP students pay tuition at North Carolina State University. Visit the Student Services website for current distance education course fees. Students who are in the LEAP program and take two courses a semester may qualify for federal loans and other financial aid.
