University of Missouri

Graduates of Agricultural Education are the teachers, communicators, leaders, trainers, and advocates for the agricultural industry. Ag Education, Communications, and Leadership faculty know our most valuable agricultural resource is people - our faculty invest in students to help them achieve their goals through integrated advising, teaching, engagement, and research. Agricultural Education students facilitate change through evaluating and growing processes and people. Our program has cultivated close relationships with a variety of agricultural youth organizations and companies; faculty use these connections to provide authentic learning opportunities where students work alongside industry professionals. Students in agricultural education use the flexibility of the degree program to customize their undergraduate experience. Students may choose an emphasis in Teacher Certification or Communications and Leadership. Successful Agricultural Education students have a strong interest in agriculture and a talent for working with people. Our graduates teach, communicate, lead, and grow people in the agricultural industry using the technical, human, and conceptual skills they improve through their undergraduate program. Popular careers include Agriculture teacher, Public Relations Specialist, Strategic Communications Specialist, Workforce Development trainer, commodity organization representative, governmental agriculture specialist, and Youth Specialist. Many of our graduates live in work in rural Missouri communities as the Agriculture teacher/FFA Advisor. These teachers work on a year-round contract to facilitate student success in FFA, Classroom teaching, agricultural mechanics, greenhouse, and food science laboratories, and Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs. A large proportion of our Agricultural Communications and Leadership graduates go to work for agricultural businesses, agricultural communications and marketing firms, commodity organizations, governmental agriculture organizations, or for University of Missouri Extension. These individuals use their leadership and communication skills to lead advocacy campaigns, implement brand strategy, crisis communication, graphic design, membership services, human resources, producer programs, youth development, and many other careers. Graduates of Agricultural Education are hired for a variety of careers, as their broad-based knowledge of agriculture and their ability to develop/work with people is needed by many organizations.