COURSE CURRICULUM

The Agricultural Education program at Southeast Missouri State University is a comprehensive pathway that combines professional teaching preparation with in-depth agricultural knowledge, requiring approximately 55–57 major hours along with 47 hours of professional education courses. The professional education component focuses on developing strong teaching skills, classroom management, and student engagement techniques. Courses such as Introduction to Education as a Profession, Psychology and Education of the Exceptional Child, and Development of the Adolescent help students understand how learners grow and how to support diverse student needs. A sequence of pedagogy and field experience courses, including multiple field placements and advanced teaching methods, prepares students for real classroom environments. The program culminates in Student Teaching, where students gain hands-on teaching experience, supported by a seminar that integrates theory with practice. A minimum grade of C is required in most education courses, with a higher standard for certain foundational classes.Alongside teaching preparation, students complete a strong agricultural core that builds expertise across various agricultural disciplines. Required courses include Communicating in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, and Agricultural Education Planning, which develop both industry knowledge and teaching-specific skills. Technical agricultural training is provided through courses such as Agricultural Mechanization, Plant Science with lab, Soils, Integrated Pest Management, Animal Science, and Introduction to Horticulture. These courses ensure that future educators have a well-rounded understanding of agriculture, enabling them to teach a wide range of topics effectively.Students also have flexibility to tailor their studies through elective options in areas like agriculture safety, precision agriculture, crop production, animal handling, and livestock management. Additional coursework in chemistry and mathematics strengthens scientific and analytical abilities. Overall, the program prepares graduates to become qualified agricultural educators while also equipping them with the versatility to pursue careers in agribusiness, training, and related agricultural fields.