Agricultural Information Science and Education

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Dr. Vance Watson, Dean

Dr. Walter N. Taylor, Department Head and Graduate Coordinator

130 Lloyd Ricks

662-325-3326  

The Department of Agricultural Information Science and Education offers graduate courses leading to the following degrees:

·          Master of Science in Agriculture with a  concentration in Agricultural

and Extension Education

·          Educational Specialist, Doctor of   Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Education with a concentration in Agricultural and Extension Education.

Three options are available in the Master of Science in Agriculture degree program with a concentration in Agricultural and Extension Education:  Research, Leadership, and Teacher Certification.

Admission Criteria—To obtain admission to the graduate program, the applicant must meet all the general requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies.  The Master of Science teacher certification option, the Educational Specialist degree, and the Doctoral degree programs are offered through the College of Education and all requirements of that college must be met.  A student applying to the Master of Science teacher certification option must have an undergraduate degree in an agricultural science and submit GRE verbal, quantitative, and analytical scores.  The student must qualify for admission to teacher education by presenting an ACT score of 21 (SAT equivalent of 860) with no sub-score below 18, or by obtaining at least the following scores:

Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST)

                Reading                                 170

                Writing                                   172

                Mathematics                          169

OR

Computer Based Test

                Reading                                316

                Writing                                  318

                Mathematics                         314

The applicant to the Educational Specialist degree program must have a 3.20 GPA and those to the Doctoral degree a 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in all prior graduate study.

Provisional Admission—The student who has not fully met the requirements stipulated by the University and the appropriate department for admission to graduate study may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status.  Such students must have as their initial objective advancement to regular status.

A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate level courses on the program of study taken at Mississippi State University in order to achieve regular status.  Neither transfer hours nor unclassified graduate hours can be used to fulfill this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student may be dismissed from graduate study.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Program of Study/Completion Requirements -

Master of Science (M.S.)—A minimum of 30 hours of course work in a planned program of study must be completed for the M.S. degree.  A minimum of one-half the total credit hours on the program of study must be at the 8000 level.  In the thesis option, the student must take at least six hours of research/thesis (up to six hours of these substitute for course work hours).  The required courses for the research option are:  AIS 8803, AIS 8006, AIS 8403. AIS 8503, and ST 8114 or EPY 6214 or other graduate level statistics courses.  The required courses for the leadership option are AIS 8803 or AIS 8403, AIS 8503, AIS 8523, and AIS 8263 or AIS 8203.  The remaining courses in the research and leadership options may be a combination of approved electives or those to comprise a minor.  A faculty member from the minor area should also be a member of the student’s graduate committee.

Depending on the courses taken at the undergraduate level, a student in the teacher certification option may be required to take three-six additional hours of prerequisite course work.  Specific course requirements for the teacher certification option are EPY 6313, EPY 6033, EDF 8355, EDF 8363, EDX 8173, AIS 6403 or AIS 8503, AIS 8403, and AIS 8606.  Faculty in the Department of Agricultural Information Science and Education must approve substitutions for any of the above courses.  A student must have earned at least a 3.00 GPA on course work taken on the program to be eligible to student teach.  An Application for Admission to Student Teaching form must be submitted to the Director of Clinical/Field Based Instruction one semester prior to student teaching.  The student must submit a Praxis-Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) score of at least 152 to the Mississippi State University College of Education to meet graduation requirements and to the Mississippi Department of Education to obtain licensure.  To be eligible for graduation, students must also have a 3.00 GPA after admission to the program.

To secure a Mississippi educator’s license, the student must request that ETS send a copy of his or her score on the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT to Mississippi State University (Code R1480) or to MSU Meridian (Code R3336).  It is imperative that the student retains the originals of test scores in a safe place.

In accordance with statutory provisions, the Mississippi Department of Education, Jackson , Mississippi, has adopted the rules and regulations on issuing and renewing teaching licenses, which are set forth in Guidelines for Mississippi Educator Licensure, July 1999.  The licensure program is applicable to all teacher licenses.  Satisfactory completion of any teaching curriculum offered by the College of Education will enable the graduate to apply for teaching licensure in Mississippi , but this institution can neither waive any licensure requirements nor authorize substitutions for mandatory courses.  Mississippi State University has submitted and received approval for its programs.  Consequently, a student who plans to transfer from another university or college to the College of Education should consult with the Director of Clinical/Field-Based instruction or an advisor in the College of Education to ascertain the general education, professional educational, and specialized education courses which must be completed to obtain a teaching license in the field or fields of his or her choice.  Since teacher licenses are issued by the Mississippi Department of Education only, and not by the teacher education institutions, applications for licensure and original test scores must be filed with the Mississippi Department of Education by the applicant.  Information concerning teacher licensure can be obtained from the Office of Clinical/Field-Based Instruction.

A written or oral final comprehensive examination is required for the student in the teaching and leadership degree options.  A student in the thesis option must pass a final thesis examination and submit the thesis.

Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)—The program of study for the Educational Specialist degree must contain a minimum of 30 semester hours above the master’s degree.  Required courses are AIS 7003, AIS 8203, or AIS 8263, AIS 8703, AIS 8803, AIS 6403, or AIS 8243.  A three-hour Directed Individual Study (AIS 7003) and a final written or oral comprehensive examination are required.

Doctoral Degrees (Ph.D. and Ed.D.)—The minimum requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degrees is the completion of 90 semester hours of graduate credit on an approved program of study above the bachelor’s degree.  Required courses for the Ph.D. include 24-36 hours of graduate credit in the Department of Agricultural Information Science and Education, (AIS 8593 is required), 23-26 graduate credits in College of Education core courses, 15 to 18 graduate credits in a minor or supporting area, 11 to 13 hours of elective credits, and 20 semester hours of research/dissertation.  Requirements for the Ed.D. degree are similar.  The students must complete 24-26 graduate credit hours in Agricultural Information Science and Education (AIS 8593 is required), 20-23 hours of College of Education core courses, 15-30 hours in a supporting area or minor, 11 hours of elective credits, and 20 hours of dissertation research.  Students in both degree programs must pass a written and an oral comprehensive examination in both the major and minor/supporting area.  Students must also pass the final dissertation examination.  The student’s graduate committee supervises the dissertation and examinations.

Academic Performance—Unsatisfactory performance may be defined as the failure to maintain a B average in graduate courses attempted after admission to the program, a grade of U, D, or F in any course, more than two grades below a B, failure of the comprehensive/preliminary examination, an unsatisfactory evaluation of a thesis or dissertation, failure of the research defense, or any other failure of a required component on one’s program of study.  Any one of these or a combination of these  may constitute the basis for the termination of a student’s graduate study in a degree program.

 To be eligible for the comprehensive/preliminary examination, a graduate student must have a 3.00 GPA on all graduate courses taken after being admitted to the degree program.

 Upon the recommendation of the major professor or the department graduate coordinator, and the dean, a student whose academic work is unsatisfactory at any period during a given semester or term may be forced to withdraw from a graduate program.  Both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Education define “unsatisfactory” as making more than two grades below C.   A student forced to withdraw can appeal to department faculty.  If upheld by the faculty, then the student can submit a written appeal to the department head.  If upheld there, the student may appeal the appropriate dean of the college where the degree is housed (either the COE OR CALS).

Prerequisites and Core Courses:

AIS 6103        Objectives and Procedures of Programs in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 6203        Applications of Computer Technology to Agricultural Information Science and Education.3 hours

AIS 6303        Applications of Information Technologies in Agricultural Learning Systems. 3 hours

AIS 6403        Development of Youth Programs. 3 hours

AIS 6443        Vo-Ed Curricula and Techniques of  Teaching the Rural Disadvantaged. 3 hours

AIS 6453        Cooperative Programs in Occupations Served by Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 6503        International Agricultural Education.3 hours

AIS 6990        Special Topics in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 1-9 hours

AIS 7000        Directed Individual Study. 1-6 hours

AIS 8000        Research/Thesis. 6 hours

AIS 8203        Advanced Communication in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8213        Comprehensive Instructional Programs. 3 hours

AIS 8243        Administration and Supervision in  Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8263        Public Relations in Agricultural Information Science and Education.3 hours

AIS 8403        Directing Learning Experiences in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8503        Program Planning and Development in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8523        Teaching Out-of-School Groups in Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8533        Workshop in Agricultural Information Science and Education.3 hours

AIS 8593        History, Philosophy, and Policy of Agricultural Information Science and Education. 3 hours

AIS 8606        Student Teaching in Agricultural Information Science and Education (admission to the graduate certification program, teacher

                        education and student teaching). 6 hours

AIS 8703        Evaluation of Agricultural Information Science and Education Programs. 3 hours

AIS 8803        Applying Research Methods to Agricultural Information Science  and  Education. 3 hours

AIS 8990        Special Topics in Agricultural Information Science and Education.1-9 hours

AIS 9000        Research/Dissertation. 20 hours