Agricultural Education Concentration in AEHS

• 36 semester hours
• 15 hours of core courses
• 6 hours of thesis research
• 15 hours of electives
• Complete and defend a thesis

The master’s thesis should be an original research paper that is suitable for submission to a peer reviewed academic journal. The thesis topic should focus upon some aspect of their field that is (1) of interest to the student, (2) researchable in the published literature, (3)  manageable within the student’s graduate program time frame, and (4) agreed upon by the student’s  adviser and all Graduate Committee members. Basically, the thesis should contribute new data,  insights, and/or information to the academy related to AEHS disciplines, and not merely take existing data, insights, and/or information and reorganize them into a new format. Additional information about the thesis formats and guidance can be found in Appendix B of the AHS Graduate Handbook. 

Students will form a graduate advisory committee that will help them develop a plan of study and will guide the thesis.

• 30 semester hours
• 15 hours of core courses
• 15 hours of electives
• Complete a culminating project

Students must demonstrate a mastery of the theories, principles, and practice of agricultural and extension education through a self-directed creative or research project. 

Follow the process for the culminating project:

• Register for AEE 693 or AEE 620.
• Present the results of the project to the AEE 601 seminar class (enrollment is not required) or at a professional conference or extension meeting.

Distance education students can either use technology to present their projects or upload a video file to a file-sharing website to show to the class.

Below are examples of the types of self-directed creative or research projects students can create in the Agricultural Education degree program.

Action Research

Teachers select an aspect of their teaching to investigate. They record data and consider theories from the research literature, drawing conclusions about how teaching is influencing learning and vice versa, and informing future instructional decisions. The intent is to improve the teachers’ immediate classroom teaching; secondarily, if applicable, the intent is to generalize it across other contexts in the school or beyond. Students seeking an M teaching licensure are required to complete this type of culminating project. See frequently asked questions about action research projects.

Course or Curriculum Development

Develop a teaching unit or course that includes lesson plans, instructional materials, group activities, and assessment instruments. Some or all of the materials/activities will be implemented in an actual setting and evaluated. The student will reflect on the process and outcomes of the project.

Research Inquiry

Conduct a small-scale research project that is either a descriptive or correlative research study focusing on areas of concern for the profession such as job satisfaction, teacher turnover, needs assessment, etc. Students must use standard research procedures and protocols.

Coaching or Mentoring

Formally coach or mentor a beginning teacher or agent. The student develops a plan for the mentoring/coaching activity. An instructional coach provides ongoing consistent follow-up by way of demonstrations, observations, and conversations with new professionals as they implement new strategies and knowledge.

Students who complete the Master of Agricultural Education and Human Sciences with a concentration in Agricultural Education do not automatically receive teacher certification. We offer the LEAP (Licensure in Education for Agricultural Professionals) program for those who desire to become certified to teach agriculture in public schools. Students may work on the master’s program and LEAP simultaneously.

Students will be assigned a temporary faculty advisor. After one semester, students select a permanent advisor. The advisor will help the student develop a plan of study and will guide the culminating project.