Admissions

Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Sciences, Education, Extension and Communication

The graduate certificate will provide an opportunity for students to gain knowledge and experience in education and communication in the context of agriculture, as an enhancement to their existing graduate programs in a technical area. The certificate consists of 9 credits; 3 credits of introduction to the disciplines of communication, formal education, and non-formal engagement/extension, 3 credits with an education/engagement focus, and 3 credits with a communication focus.

Admission requirements for this certificate

  • This is a post-baccalaureate certificate for students who are currently admitted to a degree program at Purdue University and are not in the department of Agricultural Sciences Education and Communication.

When is each course is offered ?

  • ASEC 52000 - Foundations of Agricultural Education and Communication (Spring and Fall)
  • ASEC 54000 - Program Development in Agricultural and Extension Education or
  • ASEC 54500 - Teaching STEM through AFNR (Spring) 
  • ASEC 55100 - International Engagement and Development Strategies (Spring and Fall)
  • ASEC 56500 - Principles of Adult Education (Spring)
  • ASEC 53100 - Global Learning for AFNR (Spring)
  • ASEC 58500 - Science Communication (Spring)

Graduate Degrees (Ph.D., M.S., M.S. non-thesis)

Applicants applying for fall admission must submit an application by November 15. Funding is not a guarantee and is a separate decision from all admission decisions. Only completed applications will be reviewed. The ASEC Graduate Committee, which consists of four faculty members, will review completed applications. The review process typically takes 6-8 weeks. Complete applications include:

  1. Online Graduate Application Form
  2. Supplemental Questions
  3. Curriculum Vitae or Resume should be uploaded into your application
  4. Statement of Purpose
    • What are your professional plans and career goals? How will attending graduate school assist you in reaching those goals?
    • Describe your research, scholarly, or creative interests. What topics are of particular interest to you? Reviewers know that interests change over time but try to be as specific as possible.
    • Discuss how your experiences, skills, and abilities have prepared you for graduate study. Relevant topics may include coursework, work and research experiences, internships, presentations, exhibits, publications, and community service. If you describe a research or scholarly experience, include information on the topic, research mentor, your role, and outcomes.
    • Describe how your skills, preparation, and interests are a match for the program to which you are applying. Identify faculty who share your research and scholarly interests. Reviewers will want to know that you have researched the program, faculty, and key focus areas.
  5. Personal History Statement
    • Describe how your background and life experiences contribute to your ability to be both persistent and resourceful in graduate school.
    • Describe how your life experiences have prepared you to contribute to an academic community where scholars with diverse research interests, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences are supported, respected, and valued.
    • Optional:
      Please address concerns that you may have that your academic record does not reflect your true capabilities and discuss mitigating factors that have affected your academic record. Reviewers will be interested in understanding your accomplishments relative to your opportunities.
  6. Letters of Reference: Online submission through the electronic application is strongly preferred. Letters should be from references who can comment on academic/research achievements and abilities. Reference letters can also be sent directly to our department and must on be official letterhead.
  7. Official Transcripts: You must upload to the online application transcript(s) and /or academic document(s) for every institution of higher education you attended regardless of whether or not a degree was received. The uploaded transcript and/or academic document may be from the official or unofficial version of the document. An official transcript bears the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution.
  8. GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores should be sent to us by ETS, using school code 1631.
    The Committee will holistically review applications based upon your academic preparation, research experience, work experience, letters of recommendation, GRE scores and a strong academic statement of purpose and personal history statement that shows a fit to our program. All areas will be weighted equally when applications are reviewed.

Start the application process

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Us
If you have any questions about the ASEC Graduate Program. You may also contact ASEC Graduate Program Coordinator, 765-494-8439
Dr. Linda Pfeiffer currently serves as the ASEC Graduate Chair. She would be glad to assist you,