Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership (B.S.) - Communication Specialization

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus

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Program Coordinator/Contact

Mary Christensen, Coordinator
Agricultural Leadership, Education, Communication and Science (ALECS)
Raven Precision Agriculture Center 295
605-688-5133

Joshua Westwick, Director
School of Communication and Journalism
Yeager Hall 211
605-688-4171

Program Information

The Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership Major is a multidisciplinary program that provides a strong foundation in agricultural sciences. The major allows students the flexibility to select a plan of study based on their interests and skills by choosing one of three specializations: Education, Communication, or Leadership. Students specializing in communication take courses in agriculture along with courses in the School of Communication and Journalism.

Graduates of the Communication specialization report agricultural information to farmers and ranchers, consumers, governmental agencies, agribusinesses, commodity groups, and legislators through positions in public relations, sales, marketing, journalism, social media, and the government.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Communication Specialization of the Agricultural Education, Communication, and Leadership Major, students will:

Demonstrate knowledge and skill across the broad field of the Agricultural, Food, and Natural Resources industries.
Demonstrate and apply in-depth knowledge of journalism and mass communication.
Explain the importance of and show evidence of ethical and professional behaviors.
Locate and evaluate information to solve real world problems.
Evaluate core competencies and create plans for effective lifetime learning.
Demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills.
Evaluate a diverse spectrum of agriculturally related global challenges to communicate culturally responsible solutions to a variety of audiences.

Equipment and Supplies

Agricultural Communication students need a laptop and appropriate software to successfully complete the coursework and be adequately prepared for their professional careers. Apple Macs are the dominate choice in the industry. Necessary software includes Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Word-compatible word processing software, as well as presentation and spreadsheet software, such as PowerPoint and Excel.

Course Delivery Format

The program offers coursework in classroom, studio, online, and field-based settings.

Requirements for Agricultural Education, Communication and Leadership Major - Communication Specialization: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication: ENGL 101 - Composition I (COM) [SGR #1] Credits: 3 and ENGL 201 - Composition II (COM) [SGR #1] Credits: 3
Goal #2 Oral Communication: CMST 101 - Fundamentals of Speech (COM) [SGR #2] Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity: SGR #3 Elective Credits: 3 and ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3 (recommended) or ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity:
SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics: SGR #5 Elective Credits: 3
Goal #6 Natural Sciences: BIOL 101 - Biology Survey I (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 2 , BIOL 101L - Biology Survey I Lab (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 1 , CHEM 106 - Chemistry Survey (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 3 , and CHEM 106L - Chemistry Survey Lab (COM) [SGR #6] Credits: 1

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Requirements

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 11

Students who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences must complete a minimum of 11 credits from the approved list of Group 1 courses. Some departments require specific courses from the list, whereas others leave the selection entirely to the student and the advisor.

System General Education Requirements and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Please review major requirements and the Group 1 list to determine if additional courses are required.

AS 101 - Introduction to Animal Science Credits: 3 (Major Requirement)
AS 101L - Introduction to Animal Science Lab Credits: 1 (Major Requirement)
PS 103 - Crop Production Credits: 2 (Major Requirement)
PS 103L - Crop Production Lab Credits: 1 (Major Requirement)
Group 1 Courses in Agriculture Credits: 4

Major Requirements

ADV 370 - Advertising Principles (COM) Credits: 3
AGED 119 - First Year Seminar Credits: 2
or MCOM 119 - First-Year Seminar in Communication and Journalism Credits: 2
AS 101 - Introduction to Animal Science Credits: 3
AS 101L - Introduction to Animal Science Lab Credits: 1
CMST 215 - Public Speaking (COM) [SGR #2] Credits: 3
or CMST 410 - Organizational Communication (COM) Credits: 3
MCOM 210 - Basic Media Writing (COM) Credits: 3
MCOM 210L - Basic Media Writing Lab Credits: 0
MCOM 220 - Introduction to Digital Media (COM) Credits: 3
MCOM 220L - Introduction to Digital Media Lab Credits: 0
MCOM 265 - Basic Photography (COM) Credits: 3
and MCOM 265L - Basic Photography Lab Credits: 0
or MCOM 331 - Video Production (COM) Credits: 3
and MCOM 331L - Video Production Lab Credits: 0
MCOM 394 - Internship (COM) Credits: 1-12 (3 credits required)
or MCOM 494 - Internship (COM) Credits: 1-12 (3 credits required)
MCOM 430 - Media Law (COM) Credits: 3
MCOM 434 - Advanced Multiplatform Storytelling (COM) Credits: 3
PS 103 - Crop Production Credits: 2
PS 103L - Crop Production Lab Credits: 1
MCOM 311 - News Editing (COM) Credits: 3
and MCOM 311L - Editing Laboratory Credits: 0
or  MCOM 438 - Watchdog Reporting Credits: 3
and MCOM 438L - Watchdog Reporting Lab Credits: 0
or PUBR 345 - Public Relations Writing Credits: 3

Capstone Requirements

Select from the following. Credits: 3-4

ABS 475 - Integrated Natural Resource Management Credits: 3
ABS 475L - Integrated Natural Resource Management Lab Credits: 0
AGEC 471 - Advanced Farm & Ranch Management Credits: 3
AS 389 - Current Issues in Animal Science Credits: 3
DS 480 - Dairy Farm Operations I Credits: 4
DS 480L - Dairy Farm Operations I Lab Credits: 0
DS 481 - Dairy Farm Operations II Credits: 4
DS 481L - Dairy Farm Operations II Lab Credits: 0
HO 434 - Local Food Production Credits: 2
HO 435 - Local Food Production: Harvest and Storage Credits: 2
PRAG 440 - Crop Management with Precision Farming Credits: 2
PRAG 440L - Crop Management with Precision Farming Lab Credits: 1
RANG 374 - Habitat Conservation and Management Credits: 4
RANG 374L - Habitat Conservation and Management Lab Credits: 0

Electives

Agricultural Elective Credits: 9
Select from the following disciplines: ABS, AGEC, AGED, AS, AST, DS, EES, FS, HO, NRM, PRAG, PS, RANG, VET, or WL
ADV, MCOM, or PUBR Elective Credits: 9
Electives Credits: 27-29

Total Required Credits: 120

Notes

Students must have at least 25 credits in 300+ level courses, excluding internships, cooperative education, or field experience courses.

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science
System General Education Requirements	31 Credit Hours
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Requirements*	11 Credit Hours
Major Requirements	38-40 Credit Hours
Electives**	45-47 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.
**Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.