Agriculture - Agricultural Education and Leadership

The Agricultural Education and Leadership sequence is designed to advance student's skills and knowledge in the field of both formal and informal agricultural education. Through a cross-disciplinary approach utilizing courses and resources from a variety of departments and programs on campus, individuals can tailor a program to provide the skills and knowledge to advance the student in their career.

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

• have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
• have a minimum 2.8 GPA (on a scale in which an A is a 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work
• present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

A student applying to the master's program in Agriculture - Agricultural Education and Leadership must submit:

• Two letters of recommendation
• A statement of interest
• A resume
• TOEFL scores (International students only)

Letters of Recommendation

References are submitted through the admissions system. Your references need to include their contact information on official letterhead.

Statement of Interest

Your statement of interest should include:

• why you want to study at Illinois State University’s Department of Agriculture
• your professional experience
• career goals
• research interests
• other experience specifically applicable to our program

Resume

Include your work history and skill set.

TOEFL Score (International Students Only)

International students must have a TOEFL score of at least 92 iBT, 237 computer-based, or 580 paper-based; the minimum acceptable IELTS score is 6.5 band.

Faculty Approval

In addition to the admission application, admission to the MS program requires approval from a faculty member in the program who shares your academic interest and is willing to serve as your faculty supervisor. That review is conducted when your application materials are forwarded from the Admissions Department.

The required resume, statement of interest, and recommendation letters are used in this review so faculty members can be informed of your background and interests.

Global Access to Online Degree Programs

When applying, international students applying to a fully online program must agree to our international online and hybrid programs disclosure and disclaimer statements. Due to limited on-campus courses, immigration documentation cannot be issued for students seeking F-1 or J-1 status.

Admission Dates and Deadlines

Graduate Assistantship Information

Assistantships are for students admitted and enrolled in the MS in Agriculture program. Graduate Assistants get tuition waivers, however, they still pay fees.

We offer a limited number of graduate assistants on a competitive basis. GRE test scores and previous academic achievement are important considerations in this review.

Applications for assistantships are available on the Illinois State jobs website. 

Application deadline for Fall assistantships is March 31.

Cost & Funding

See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.

Graduate Coordinator