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AEE Graduate Degree and Licensure Options

M.S.

Students may choose between the Thesis or Non-thesis options. Students who are on assistantship are required to complete a Thesis. The Non-thesis option is reserved for distance education students or full-time students who have obtained the approval of the advisor and department head.

Core Courses - Thesis 12 hrs or Non-Thesis 11 hrs

Concentration Courses – Thesis 12 hrs or Non-Thesis 15 hrs

*Graduate students who need the Agriscience endorsement (449), giving them the ability to teach Agriscience for Science credit must complete the AGSC 5050 summer course. See the Director of the Agricultural Education program for details pertaining to AGSC 5050.

Electives - Thesis 6 hrs or Non-Thesis 9 hrs

The Electives listed above are recommended, especially for those seeking the TN Practioner's License to teach Agriculture/Agriscience. Electives different from the ones listed above must be approved by your Advisor in AEE. Graduate students who are also seeking the Practioner's License to teach must also have completed the following.

• Bachelor's degree in an area of Agriculture (minimum GPA of 2.75) from an accredited university
• PRAXIS II Exam for Agriculture (5701); 147 is a passing score
• PRAXIS PLT (Principles of Learning & Teaching) Exam (5624); 155 is a passing score
• Two additional online courses:
  • TELC 2009 Managing the Learning Environment
  • TELC 2012 Teachers as Agents of Change

REQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO COURSEWORK

In addition to the above courses, students must also complete the following tasks in the suggested timeframe to matriculate and graduate with the M.S. in Agricultural Sciences, Concentration Agricultural and Extension Education. 

• Within the second semester of enrollment, (after completing 9 credit hrs) each graduate student should work with their advisor to complete their program of study and advancement to candidacy form. For Graduate Assistants (GA's), the stipend will be withheld if they do not complete and submit the form to the School of Graduate Studies and Research in a timely fashion;
• Before the end of the second semester of enrollment, graduate students should present their research proposal to their thesis committee, faculty and fellow graduate students. This can also be done at the departmental seminars.
• If a graduate student is recommended to take prerequisites which are not graduate level courses, such courses’ credit hours and grades do not count towards their required graduate credit hours and grade point average, respectively. In other words, students pursuing the thesis or non-thesis option are required to take 30 and 35 credit hours of graduate level courses, respectively;
• Thesis writing is only 4 credit hours and the grade is awarded after completion, successful defense and submission of thesis to the School of Graduate Studies and Research; and
• To be in good standing as graduate student and to maintain graduate research assistantship, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.

DISTANCE EDUCATION OPTION

Both thesis and non-thesis graduate students will be given the opportunity to engage in distance education as part of the Agricultural and Extension Education program. Agricultural Educators and Extension Agents have very demanding jobs and TSU Ag Ed understands the demands. Therefore these audiences and other professionals who are NOT on assistantship will have the option of completing a significant portion of many of their courses at a distance. Some courses are almost all online, some are blended, and still others require a weekly visit to campus. See Dr. John C. Ricketts for details.

LICENSE TO TEACH

For students seeking teaching licensure in Agricultural Education and Agricultural Science Education all students must certify content knowledge area competency with either - a degree in Agricultural Sciences or meet the content demands of the certifying institution and pass the PRAXIS PLT and PRAXIS II Agriculture exams.

Students  seeking the teaching licensure in Agricultural Science must also complete AGSC 5050 – Methods of Teaching STEM in Ag. and Ext. Education AG ⁴⁴⁹ . Credit for AGSC 5050 course is awarded upon completion of an 80-hr CASE Institute at TSU offered in conjunction with AGSC 5050.

Post-bac Option: Students who hold a baccalaureate degree may enter the Post-bac licensure program. Students in this program must complete all courses in the degree plan (including Content Demands), plus AGSC 5050 – Methods of Teaching STEM in Ag. and Ext. Education AG⁴⁴⁹ and student teach one semester. Students interested in pursuing this option should contact the Ag Ed coordinator – Dr. John C. Ricketts.

Practioner's Option: The state of Tennessee allows school districts to recruit and select highly qualified individuals, ranging from promising recent graduates to seasoned professionals, who can bring maturity and a variety of work experiences to the teaching profession. Through a partnership with institutions of higher education and Tennessee local school agencies and the Tennessee Department of Education, exemplary individuals who meet state and institutional criteria may be offered a Practioner's License. Contact Dr. John C. Ricketts (Agricultural Education Professor & Ag Ed Licensure Director) and/or Dr. Chip Harris (Adjunct Professor of Agricultural Education/Director, Center for Career & Technical Education), for specific eligibility and program requirements

CONTENT DEMANDS FOR AGRICULTURAL ED⁴⁴⁸ & AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE ED⁴⁴⁹

AGSC 1410 Introduction to Animal Science or equivalent
AGSC 1200 Introduction to Plant & Soil Science or equivalent
AGSC 2010 Introduction to Agricultural Business or equivalent
AGSC 3090 – Power, Structure, and Technology Systems in Ag & Ext Ed or equivalent
AGSC 5020 – Experiential Teaching & Learning Methods in AEE
AGSC 5030 – Curriculum Development & Program Leadership in AEE
AGSC 5050 – Methods of Teaching STEM in Ag & Ext Education^{449 for the Agriscience Education Endorsement}

Doctorate

More information on Doctorate degrees coming soon.