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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Agricultural and Human Sciences

Agricultural Leadership Development Concentration in AEHS

Leading Our Communities

In our Master’s degree programs, you will learn the breadth, depth, and diversity of leadership across contexts (teams, organizations, communities). Our work is rooted in the foundational research of the discipline, and you will gain the skills and knowledge to effectively work with a global constituency. We emphasize positive and applied learning environments and communities of practice so that you will not only leave fully prepared to excel in your careers but have a network of individuals whom you may call throughout your professional life.

Master of Science in Agricultural Education and Human Sciences with a concentration in Agricultural Leadership Development

In the M.S. program, students gain practical experience in conducting research. The M.S. option is ideal for students with an interest in pursuing a doctoral program or with a strong interest in research and program evaluation.

  • 36 semester hours
  • 24 hours of core courses
  • 6 hours of thesis research
  • 6 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.

Master of Agricultural Education and Human Sciences with a concentration in Agricultural Leadership Development

The Master of Agricultural Education and Human Sciences is designed for students who desire a master’s degree as their final degree. It culminates in a capstone experience during the student’s final semester. 

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

Students must demonstrate a mastery of the theories, principles, and practice of extension education through a self-directed creative or research project. Follow the process for the culminating project:

  • Register for AEHS 693 or AEHS 620.
  • Present the results of the project to the AHS faculty and students at an end-of-semester seminar.

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.

MR requirements are 3 hours of either: 

  • AEHS 620 – Special Problems in Agricultural and Extension Education (3 hours)
  • AEHS 693 – Master’s Supervised Research (3 hours)

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.

More Information for Graduate Students

Certificates and Minors

Students can enhance their careers or educational programs with a graduate-level certificate or minor.

Is a certificate or minor right for you? 

Graduate Student Handbook

We’ve created a guide to applying to a graduate program in Agricultural and Extension Education and succeeding when you get here.

Review the handbook 

Contact Us

For questions or more information about our graduate degree programs, contact Dr. Annie Hardison-Moody, director of graduate programs.

Learn more about our graduate programs