Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture
Program Description
The Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology offers an online Sustainable Agriculture Graduate Certificate Program to prepare working professionals for theories and practices in sustainable agriculture with a focus on agriculture food environment and production practices.
This program’s curriculum will enable students to acquire professional development and continuing education hours with specific courses in modern agricultural pursuits framed by sustainable practices with options in ag sales, agritourism, entrepreneurship and soil ecology. The curriculum is designed to include non-traditional and viable enterprises in agriculture and small business marketing. The program is ideal for small landowners, urban farmers, value-added and cottage food makers, educators, government agents, seeking knowledge, professional development or continuing education credit.
Explore about this degree at: www.shsu.edu/safe
The program is intended to serve:
- those seeking professional development or continuing education credit.
- non-agriculture graduates who wish to gained knowledge in sustainable agriculture practices.
- small land owners seeking advocacy concepts, marketing models and entrepreneurship ideas for sustainable agriculture enterprises.
Admissions
Students seeking admission to the graduate program in Agricultural Sciences must submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Graduate Application
- Application fee
- A bachelor degree from an accredited baccalaureate granting university in any field (degree need not be in Agriculture).
- Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher from BS conferring institution.
- A resume of professional work experience.
- A personal essay that addresses your interest in the program, post-graduation intentions, learning expectations, and current involvement in agriculture.
- Three letters of recommendation from professional references.
- Applicants from non-English speaking countries must present a score of at least 550 on the paper version, 213 on the computer version, or 79 on the internet-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
A holistic review of each student’s application file will be completed on a competitive basis.
Certificate Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| SAFE 5351 | Agricultural Advocacy | 3 |
| SAFE 5371 | Alternative Ag Enterprises | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Advanced Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship | ||
| Ag Sales and Communication | ||
| Agritourism | ||
| Soil Ecology | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
