Agricultural Education Minor

Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus

The Agricultural Education minor addresses subject matter competency requirements for the Single Subject-Agriculture and the Agriculture Specialist teaching credentials. Students must obtain prior program approval from the Single Subject Content Advisor for Agriculture Education in selecting approved electives courses. This is based on the student's prior agricultural background and the completion of major-specific courses. Students are encouraged to express interest in this minor early in the academic program in order to get proper advisement relative to all requirements for teaching in the public schools.

Teaching Credential 

Students can declare their candidacy for teaching while pursuing the undergraduate degree. The minor in Agricultural Education should be declared early during the student’s academic career to ensure requirements for obtaining certification to teach are met. Early field experiences are a part of the minor and are required for entrance into the credential program.  Another precondition is gaining experience in the agriculture sector with either 2000 hours gained after high school graduation or 1500 hours prior to high school graduation plus another 1500 post high school graduation, for a total of 3000 hours.

Teacher candidates are required to enroll in post-baccalaureate work to obtain the Single Subject in Agriculture and Agricultural Specialist credentials. Candidates must complete a minimum of 30 units of post-baccalaureate coursework. The Single Subject Content Advisor in Agricultural Education can provide more information. It is to the advantage of the post-baccalaureate teaching candidates to be simultaneously enrolled in the Master of Agricultural Education degree program. 

Program Learning Objectives

1. Explore theories and practice strategies necessary for the development of leadership in youth populations enrolled in school-based agricultural education programs.
2. Design curriculum and strategies for the implementation of student work-based learning projects in school-based agricultural education programs.
3. Define and meet requirements for admissions to teacher credentialing programs.
4. Apply appropriate technology for effective teaching in school-based agricultural education learning spaces.
5. Develop foundational technical agricultural and agricultural science content knowledge aligned with specific subject matter requirements.

Minor Requirements and Curriculum

• At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
• At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
• No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.