Agricultural Education and Communication

Two specializations are offered: agricultural education, and communication and leadership development. Each requires core technical agriculture courses and preprofessional education. Department advisors help students in selecting appropriate electives.

Agricultural Education

With a focus on disseminating scientific knowledge, agricultural education and communication professionals empower communities to gain a balanced understanding of food systems, natural resources, and related sciences. Agricultural Education and Communication students supplement core technical agriculture courses with teaching, leadership, or media experiences.

Communication and Leadership Development

With a focus on disseminating scientific knowledge, agricultural education and communication professionals empower communities to gain a balanced understanding of food systems, natural resources, and related sciences. Agricultural Education and Communication students supplement core technical agriculture courses with teaching, leadership, or media experiences.

Students will learn the knowledge and skills needed to educate individuals, enhance leadership in communities and organizations and communicate ideas and issues to different audiences. Through formal courses and internship experiences, students will learn to apply principles of communication and educational theory to work-based settings; to create, interpret and analyze written and oral messages and multimedia presentations used in agricultural and life sciences; and to educate and communicate agricultural issues effectively to various audiences.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Agricultural education specialization: Achieve a passing grade on the state of Florida's Professional Knowledge Exam for teacher certification.
• Communication and leadership development specialization: Achieve a minimum grade of C in AEC 4052, the communication and leadership development capstone experience, as evaluated by a committee of faculty.
• Achieve minimum grades of C in AEC 3030C and AEC 3033C.
• Achieve a minimum grade of C in a department internship course (AEC 4942, AEC 4943, AEC 4944 or AEC 4948) or a capstone experience course (AEC 4052).
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Content

1. Describe, explain and apply fundamental pedagogical concepts, skills and processes.
2. Describe, explain and apply fundamental concepts, skills and processes in technical agriculture.

Critical Thinking

1. Analyze and apply data from multiple assessments and measures to diagnose students’ learning needs, inform instruction based on those needs and drive the learning process.
2. Critique and assess data-informed research to improve instruction and student achievement.

Communication

1. Demonstrate written communication forms in a manner appropriate in agricultural education.
2. Develop oral communication presentations in a manner appropriate in agricultural education.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Assessment Types

• Technical agriculture coursework
• Clinical teaching and community profile assignments
• Exams
• Self-assessment
• Florida Department of Education professional teaching certification exam
• Florida Department of Education Agriculture Subject Matter exam

Applicants who should complete the SSAR:

• Attended a high school regionally accredited in the United States for at least three years.
• Attended a DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) school.

Applicants who should not complete the SSAR:

• Attended a secondary school located outside the United States for more than one semester.
• Studied a curriculum that did not follow the standard U.S. system.

Required: At least three full years of your most recent secondary school transcripts, including courses in progress (grades 9, 10 and 11 + senior schedule) in both the native language of instruction and a word for word certified English translation (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts are accepted electronically via the status Check Status page for the review process, while official transcripts and translations are required upon enrollment.

All applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English proficiency. English proficiency examination results, such as TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, are encouraged for non-native English speakers, but are not required for freshman admission. SAT or ACT results are required for all freshman applicants.

• A copy of your transcript for any school you have attended with the grades you have earned
• A list of your high school activities including jobs, clubs, sports, community service, etc.
• Information about your parent(s) or guardian(s), such as educational background, occupation and employer information

Add UF as a university to receive your application and review our specific application requirements.

Fill in your profile information. Your profile is where you'll enter information that will be sent to all schools to which you apply. The University of Florida requires the following sections:

• Information about who you are and how to contact you, your address, citizenship, high school and family information
• Current-year coursework
• Honors and distinctions
• Activities and experiences

Complete the UF Supplement. This includes a few additional short-answer questions so that we can learn more about you when reviewing your application.

Complete the essay questions. The essay helps our admissions staff get to know you better. Use this space to tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t learn elsewhere in your application. And remember, the best essay topic for you is going to be the one that you are most excited to write about.

Once you have submitted your application, a link will appear on your status page to create your Student Self-Reported Academic Record (SSAR). List your high school courses and grades exactly as they appear on your transcript. You must complete the SSAR by December 1 for your application to be complete. If you begin the SSAR separately before submitting your UF application, be sure to link it to your application once your application has been submitted.

Submit your test scores to UF no later than December 15. You may either self-report your SAT and/or ACT scores through your application status page or send official scores from the testing agency. Since accuracy is critical, students who choose to self-report should have a copy of their SAT/ACT score report(s) available to reference when submitting their scores. Because UF superscores both the SAT and ACT, we encourage you to submit scores for all SAT or ACT tests you have taken. If admitted, students who have self-reported their scores in the admissions process will be required to submit official scores from the testing agency to UF by May 1. UF Institutional Codes:

You may request to begin your studies in either the Summer B or Fall term. The term requested DOES NOT affect the consideration of your application. If you are admitted, we will try to offer you the term you requested, but space limitations may mean you receive an offer for a different term.

When you submit your application, pay the $30 nonrefundable fee by credit card unless you qualify for a fee waiver. In both the Common and Coalition applications, you can indicate in the profile section if you qualify for a fee waiver.

You will receive an email 24-48 hours after submitting your application with instructions to create your MyAdmissions application status credentials. Once completed, you can log in to the MyAdmissions app status portal to keep track of your application status and the materials that UF has received. This is also where you will find the link to create your SSAR.