Master's Degree
Core Courses
Philosophical Foundations of Agricultural and Extension Education provides an overview of the development of agricultural and extension education in the United States by examining the significant educational philosophies, historical events, scientific innovations, legislation and policy shaping agricultural and extension education today.
Logical structure and the method of science. Basic elements of research design; observation, measurement, analytic method, interpretation, verification, presentation of results. Applications to research in economic or sociological problems of agriculture and human environmental sciences.
Course description coming soon.
This course focuses on concepts, methods,strategies and learning theories relevant for both formal and nonformal education settings. The course will address the relationship between teaching methods and the learning experience in food, agricultural, and natural resources contexts.
Application of theoretical models and research on effective teaching in secondary agricultural education
programs. Teaching strategies, planning required, and instructional management for students with varying backgrounds. Evaluation of student learning and teacher evaluation of instruction.
Program Planning focuses on the specifics of the planning end of the Program Planning and Evaluation process. Emphasis is placed on the principles, theories, and skills of the program processes including planning, designing, implementing an educational program.
The intent of this course is to prepare students to be effective educators in non-formal settings such as Extension education. Students will learn theoretical concepts and their application for planning an effective educational program to meet learning needs of the target audience. Concepts presented will include conducting needs assessments for planning educational programs, educational program development, writing educational objectives, lesson planning, effective teaching methods, and assessment.
The course explores theoretical models of program development, with emphasis on a conceptual model for program planning. The course will include discussion of stakeholder involvement throughout each phase of the planning process.
The intent of this course is to teach students how to plan and conduct a meaningful and useful evaluation in extension and non-formal settings. Students will gain knowledge and skills in planning evaluations; designing evaluation studies and evaluation instruments; collecting and analyzing data; and using evaluation results. Students will learn evaluation theoretical concepts and their application in real-life situations.
This course is designed to provide an overview of theory and practice applicable to evaluating non-formal educational programs. Grounded in program theory, this course will allow students to examine and communicate who they are as evaluators, help them determine the types of evaluation methods that work best for specific circumstances, and provide
an opportunity for applying program theory to evaluation projects. Topics include: styles and methods of evaluation, designing evaluations to meet program needs, working
with program staff and stakeholders, providing evaluation feedback, and basic evaluation proposal writing skills.
This graduate level course is designed to develop an understanding and application of assessment relevant to agricultural education. Students develop, administer, and analyze formal, informal, and performance assessment techniques to monitor and evaluate student learning and guide modification.
The development of competencies in analyzing, interpreting and reporting the results of analyses of social science data in agriculturally related professions. Students will select appropriate analysis techniques and procedures for various problems, analyze data, and interpret and report the results of statistical analyses in narrative and tabular form.
Course description coming soon.
Course description coming soon.
Course description coming soon.
Course description coming soon.
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This course provides students the opportunity to learn about the establishment of the
Land Grant University system and its impact on higher education and society. Students will learn
about history and events that led to the passage of the Morrill Acts (1862, 1890) that established the
Land Grant System and consider the influence of the Act on contemporary higher education
institutions. Specific focus will be given to the tripartite Land Grant mission of teaching, research and
extension, and its role in addressing the contemporary challenges facing higher education. Students
will interact with leaders and influencers in higher education and have access to their insights
regarding the future of the Land Grant University system.
- Organizational concepts of leadership; administrative styles and structures; leadership for boards, committees, governmental bodies, and review of societal and political processes.
Films are a catalyst" (Clemens, 1999). They make you laugh, cry, cheer, and think. Flaum (2002) stated leadership is best learned in the leadership moment. Moreover, the principles of Andragogy advocate adult learners best learning when there is a practical application of the learning subject. Therefore, this course builds upon the study of leadership theory by allowing students to analyze, reflect, synthesize, and apply leadership theories, models and concepts in the context of film. The course materials encourage students to reflect, synthesize, analyze, and apply the information learned from major leadership theories and apply them to various scenarios and situations demonstrated in selected films.
This course will explore historical foundations of agricultural communications including selected philosophical concepts, how the field has changed over time, where it is today, and what it may look like in the future. In addition, this course will focus on an in-depth analysis and discussion of communication theories and their application and relevance to current issues in agriculture and agricultural communications.
Effective communication is at the heart of successful operation in every enterprise in agricultural and natural resources-based industries. Whether communicating interpersonally, inter-organizationally, or through the mass media, it is critically important to understand the communication process to achieve effective discourse on the major issues facing agricultural and natural resources industries.
This course is specifically designed to teach communication theory and concepts and research processes as they apply to important agricultural/natural resource issues. The major objective of the course is to enhance students' ability to think critically and develop effective strategies and tactics that draw on the theoretical frameworks and methodologies most central to the communication process for agricultural communications professionals.
This course focuses on audience identification, writing, editing, formatting and production of social science-based materials for publication. Much of the course content is in the context of developing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the master's thesis or other research manuscript. Principles include communicating information relevant to human subject research in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences to research peers.
The purpose of this course is to assist graduate students in the preparation of their thesis or dissertation research proposal. Students will produce the first three chapters of their thesis by the end of the course.
This course provides students with the experience of navigating the research grant writing process, covering the process from idea conception through planning, proposing, receiving, executing grant-funded projects. Students will write an independent grant proposal as a major assignment in this course.
Course description coming soon.
Identify agricultural audiences, conduct analyses, and use results to evaluate and produce online media that utilizes design fundamentals, visual communication theories, and new media technology.
This course provides students with graphic design and software skills specific to industries in Agriculture, Food, and Life Sciences. Students will learn to use industry-standard software (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Microsoft Excel, etc.) to prepare text and graphics and package them for use in print production.
This course introduces a structured approach for dealing with the organizational and human aspects of technology transition, including the key concepts of resistance and change management, organizational change, communications, and processes by which professional change agents influence the introductions, adoption, and diffusion of technological change.
This course is designed to provide the expertise required to design and conduct survey research. Students will understand the instruments (scales/questionnaire) used in data collection processes and acquire the statistical skills necessary to develop and test these survey instruments. This course uses both theory and practice. Hands-on training will be provided via SPSS package for data analyses, and Qualtrics will be used for web-based surveys.
This course provides an opportunity to learn about global agricultural and extension education issues, challenges and opportunities relating to agricultural development. The course emphasis is on building necessary knowledge and skills for analyzing global agricultural and extension education issues and formulating alternatives for agricultural development. This course has been designed to help graduate students understand agriculture and extension education with a global perspective.
This course facilitates the development of critical and creative thinking through the study of theoretical underpinnings, cultural models, and support processes. Students will grow to engage in critical and creative thinking processes in order to solve problems they face and will face in their studies and careers through the critique of the processes used by others and the guided application of the processes to personally relevant problems.
Combines theoretical discussions with practical experience regarding communication about environmental issues and provides introduction to natural and applied science topics related to the communications plan.
Course description coming soon.
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This course focuses on leadership potential development of students to serve in various agribusiness's, organizations, and associations. Course content includes an investigation and critical analysis of major leadership theories and models. The course serves to facilitate the expansion of the sphere of leadership influence of agriculturalists in their communities and homes.
This course will cover three broad areas (Global Horticulture, Sustainable International Development, Human Health and Nutrition) and is intended to be multi-disciplinary. Students should use their contextual knowledge to add to discussions.
Research applications using qualitative, quantitative and Q methodology. Subjectivity and abductive reasoning explored with a limited research project. Professional research skills, including ethics, process, team research and manuscript development.
Program Summary
Cost per credit hour:
2023-2024: $600
2024-2025: $610
Learn more about Tuition and Cost
Average time to complete: 24 months
30–36 Hours
University Contact
These campus coordinators can help you navigate Great Plains IDEA. Click on the university name to learn more about how Great Plains IDEA works at that campus.
Dana MassettiAshley Schultz
Bria Sledge
Stacy Duffield
Brianna Cooper-Kordinak
Ashlee Murden
Cathy Hamilton
Janice Clawson
As a non-traditional college student in my early 50s, living and working in the Pacific Island of Guam, choosing the right program for graduate studies was very important to me. The process of selecting the right program was intentional – it had to offer a diverse student population, professors with real-life experiences, a safe space to share cultural perspectives, and a curriculum that offered classes that were aligned with students’ educational and professional goals. The Great Plains IDEA program met and exceeded all my expectations. Concepts from every course have been applied in my profession to the extent that it has aided in the expansion of our services and the population we serve. As I reflect on these successes, I attribute much of it to the genuine care of the GP IDEA professors who were as passionate about the success of each student as they were in the subjects they taught. GP IDEA was definitely the right program for me!