Master of Agriculture in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Environment

Program Description

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Environment (SAFE) degree program is an online degree designed to prepare working professionals for studies in agriculture that focuses on sustainable practices. 

This program’s curriculum explores a variety of modern agricultural pursuits framed by sustainable practices that will include non-traditional and viable enterprises in agriculture, alternative value-added products, modern farming techniques, food safety, and small business marketing. It is a program ideal for small landowners, urban farmers, value-added and cottage food makers, educators, government agents, or anyone interested in local food production.

Explore about this degree at: www.shsu.edu/safe

Admissions

Students are accepted for fall admission only. Students seeking admission to the graduate program in Agricultural Sciences must submit the following to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

1. Graduate Application
2. Application fee
3. 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.
4. A resume of professional work experience.
5. A personal essay that addresses your interest in the program, post-graduation intentions, learning expectations, and current involvement in agriculture.
6. Three letters of recommendation from professional references.
7. 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.

Degree Requirements

This degree is designed to be a broad-based degree, including thirty-seven hours of coursework. A minimum of fifteen hours from agri-business, agricultural education, agricultural engineering technology, animal science, horticulture/crop sciences, and/or agronomy is required. In addition, the curriculum includes courses in research methodology and agricultural statistics, and a graduate seminar. The remaining semester hours are designated as electives and can be taken in agriculture or from a related field. The degree is designed to provide comprehensive knowledge and capabilities in several fields of agriculture.