BS Agriculture in Agriculture Teacher Education

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Illinois State University

Program Overview

The BS Agriculture in Agriculture Teacher Education at Illinois State University prepares students to become agriculture educators by combining a strong foundation in agricultural sciences with professional teacher-education training and classroom experience. Students study areas such as crop and soil science, animal science, agricultural mechanics, agricultural leadership and curriculum development, while completing the university's teacher-education requirements and student teaching to prepare for agricultural education careers.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their agricultural foundation through courses such as AGR 100 – Introduction to Agriculture, AGR 109 – Agricultural Careers and Leadership, and introductory agricultural science subjects. This stage builds an understanding of agriculture while beginning the academic and general-education preparation required for the degree.

Year 2: Students progress into more specialised agricultural subjects, including AGR 110 – Introduction to Animal Science, AGR 120 – Introduction to Plant and Soil Science, and AGR 214 – Agricultural Mechanics and Technology. These courses strengthen practical agricultural knowledge that students will later be able to translate into secondary agricultural education.

Year 3: The focus shifts increasingly toward teaching practice and agricultural education, with courses including AGR 273 – Agricultural Education, AGR 220 – Agricultural Leadership, and AGR 332 – Methods and Procedures in Agricultural Education. Students develop skills in instructional methods, agricultural program planning and leadership while continuing advanced agriculture coursework.

Year 4: Students complete advanced professional preparation through AGR 333 – Methods and Procedures in Agricultural Education, AGR 395 – Professional Seminar in Agriculture Education, and the AGR 399 – Student Teaching experience. The program requires 10 credit hours of AGR 399 Student Teaching, giving students an extended opportunity to apply their agricultural and teaching knowledge in an educational setting.

Focus areas:

Agricultural science, agricultural education, teaching methods, agricultural leadership, agricultural mechanics and technology, curriculum development, classroom instruction, student teaching and agricultural program planning.

Learning outcomes:

Students develop agricultural subject knowledge together with the ability to plan and deliver agricultural instruction, develop educational programs, apply teaching methods, demonstrate leadership and gain supervised classroom teaching experience.

Professional alignment (accreditation):

The Agriculture Teacher Education sequence includes Illinois State's required professional education courses and 10-credit-hour student-teaching component, preparing students for the professional pathway into agricultural education. The university identifies Agriculture Teacher Education as an education-focused undergraduate major within its College of Applied Science and Technology.

Reputation (employability rankings):

Illinois State University places Agriculture Teacher Education within its recognised Agriculture and Environment and Education academic areas, while the program is supported by faculty with specialist backgrounds in agricultural education, agricultural leadership and communications, agricultural mechanics and technology, and research in experiential learning.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Agriculture – Agriculture Teacher Education major at Illinois State University gives students substantial classroom and field experience before graduation. Students begin working with learners before their final student-teaching placement through clinical experiences, observations, tutoring, small- and whole-group instruction, field experiences and professional meetings, while the program combines agricultural subject knowledge with professional education coursework.

Students can build practical teaching and agricultural experience through:

Pre-student-teaching classroom experience: Agriculture Education students receive numerous opportunities to enter classrooms before student teaching, allowing them to observe teachers, interact with students and progressively practise teaching.
Clinical experiences: Students complete supervised experiences that can include observation, tutoring, non-instructional assisting, small-group instruction and whole-class instruction in schools, professional development schools, campus laboratory schools and approved community settings.
Student teaching: AGR 399 – Student Teaching is a required 10-credit-hour component and serves as the culminating practical experience, where students take responsibility for teaching learners under the supervision of a cooperating teacher.
Diverse classroom exposure: Teacher candidates must complete 50 clinical hours in a diverse setting, giving future agriculture educators experience working with students from varied backgrounds.
Professional practice/internships: Illinois State's Department of Agriculture reports that more than half of Agriculture students complete an internship, with an average of more than 75 students participating each summer. Agriculture majors can earn credit through AGR 398, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Agriculture Career Fair: Students can use the university's Agriculture Career Fair to identify internship and professional-practice opportunities connected to their career goals.
Teacher Education Center: The Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center coordinates teacher-education requirements, clinical experiences, student-teaching placements and the performance-based assessment system.
School and agency partnerships: Illinois State works with school districts and professional agencies to provide candidates with opportunities to observe and interact with PreK–12 students and teachers, plan and implement lessons, and complete assessments.
Agricultural subject preparation: The curriculum includes agriculture courses covering areas such as agricultural science, agronomy, animal science, agricultural mechanics, agricultural resources, horticulture and soil science, giving future teachers a broad agricultural foundation.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Agriculture – Agriculture Teacher Education major at Illinois State University prepares students for careers in agricultural education while also developing skills applicable to agricultural communication, extension, leadership and other agricultural fields. Students receive classroom experience before student teaching, complete the edTPA, and graduate with strong preparation for professional agricultural education roles.

Typical career opportunities include:

Agriculture Teacher/Educator
Extension Educator
Agricultural Communications Specialist
Agricultural Education/Training Professional

The degree supports career progression through:

Career services and employer access: The Department of Agriculture and Illinois State Career Center support students through the Ag Career Fair, Hire-A-Redbird job and internship listings, and connections with agriculture employers.
Strong demand: Illinois State states that there is a national shortage of agricultural educators at the secondary level, with hundreds of positions estimated to remain unfilled because of insufficient numbers of agricultural education graduates.
Salary potential: Illinois State reports an average base starting salary of $43,403 for agriculture educators in the Midwest.
Professional experience: Students are encouraged to obtain volunteer, part-time, summer, internship or co-op experience, while the university provides an internship coordinator within the Department of Agriculture.
Teacher licensure: Successful completion of the Agriculture Teacher Education sequence makes students eligible for an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with an Agricultural Education endorsement for grades 9–12, subject to the applicable state requirements.
Accreditation value: Illinois State reports that its teacher education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). This provides additional professional value for students pursuing teacher preparation.
Graduate outcomes: Illinois State's university-wide 2025 graduating-student survey reports 97% of graduates employed within six months, while 96% reported being prepared for their next step after graduation. These figures are university-wide rather than specific to Agriculture Teacher Education.
Further career options: Beyond school teaching, Illinois State identifies opportunities in agricultural research, administration, informal education, sales, management, agricultural communication, extension and youth development.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into a master's degree in Agricultural Education and Leadership at Illinois State University, which is designed to advance knowledge and skills in both formal and informal agricultural education. Illinois State also notes that a master's or doctoral degree can be important for advancement, particularly for university administration, student affairs, research and academic careers.