Agriculture is an applied science with many disciplines. Agricultural Information Science is the science of assisting others to learn how to access, analyze, apply, and amend information to solve problems in agriculture. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to enter professions requiring extensive knowledge and skill in solving agricultural and agriculturally related problems. Students are prepared to meet agriculture industry need’s for individuals who can create, access, disseminate, apply amend, and integrate information to solve problems in agriculture. Agricultural Information Science graduates may become involved in a variety of occupations in agricultural business and industry, education, production, Extension, public relations, and others. A minimum of 124 semester hours is required for this major. Students may choose to complete an emphasis in either Agricultural Science or Human Resource Management. These emphases are achieved by completing 16 hours of specified courses and five hours of electives as approved by an AIS advisor. Those students who elect to minor in communication instead of selecting one of the two concentrations can do so by taking 21 hours of specified courses.

The Agricultural Science Emphasis is designed to provide skills for individuals seeking careers in production agriculture or secondary school education. The Human resource Management Emphasis is designed to provide skills for individuals seeking careers in business and industry and Extension.

All students in Agricultural Information Science are required to have their own personal computer. Students should consult with the department for equipment specifications prior to purchasing.

Students desiring to receive certification to teach in secondary agriculture programs will need to complete certification requirements. This can be accomplished by completing a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural and Extension Education, Teacher Certification Concentration. To enroll in this program, individuals must possess a bachelor’s degree in an agriculture area and meet requirements for regular admission to the Master of Science degree program. The minimum GPA requirement is 2.75 on a 4.0 scale during the last two years (approximately 60 hours) of undergraduate academic work or a 3.0 minimum on 24 hours of graduate level courses. Individuals must apply to Teacher Education. Individuals must present an ACT score of 21 (SAT equivalent of 860) with no sub score below 18 or minimum score on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) to meet teacher certification standards in Mississippi. The minimum scores are 170 on Reading, 172 on Writing, and 169 on Mathematics; or on the Computer Based Test (CBT), 316 on Reading, 318 on Writing, and 314 on Mathematics. Applicants to teacher education must complete the “Verification of Work Experience with Children and Youth” and provide two letters of recommendation.

Exit requirements include a 3.0 GPA, mastery on an oral comprehensive examination administered by the Graduate Committee and submission of the required score on the Praxis II—Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)—to the Mississippi State University College of Education and to the Mississippi Department of Education to obtain licensure.

Graduates will have knowledge of (1) agricultural and ecological information sciences; (2) principles of teaching and learning; (3) basic agricultural sciences; (4) theories and principles of human communication; and (5) agricultural business principles.

Graduates will be able to (1) plan and conduct education programs in classroom and community settings; (2) assess a prioritize the needs and goals of various audiences; (3) develop strategies to meet constituents’ needs and accomplish goals; (4) assess the appropriateness of strategies and revise the strategies as needed; (5) communicate effectively orally and in writing to various audiences; and (6) access and analyze information.

In capstone courses, students produce and present reports that demonstrate the performance learning objectives. In addition to faculty assessment, external assessors from other departments and from typical clientele audiences observe presentations and provide feedback.

Field experience supervisors and co-curricular sponsors, along with student participants, provide feedback about the field experience using a form based on the learning objectives.

 

 

Suggested Programs of Study: