Agricultural Information Science (AIS)
	Agricultural Science (AGS).

Students may choose to focus their studies in two areas of emphasis: agricultural science and human resource management. The agricultural science emphasis prepares individuals for career opportunities in formal educational settings. The human resource management emphasis prepares individuals for careers in extension, training and development, government agriculture agencies, and agribusiness. Students seeking teacher certification complete a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural and Extension Education.

What is Agricultural Science?
Agricultural Science prepares individuals for a variety of agricultural careers. Many agricultural businesses and organizations are seeking graduates with a diversified knowledge of agriculture and life sciences, which includes production agriculture, business, leadership and management. Many graduates become involved in agriculture business and industry, production agriculture operations, international agriculture development or pursue advanced study in areas such as nutrition and agricultural education.

Agricultural Science allows students to develop a concentration of science and specialized agricultural study. Students can pursue a bachelor of science in agriculture and develop specialization areas that will serve their individual needs and interests. Students complete 128 semester hours of coursework, which includes 33 hours of natural science and 58 hours of agricultural science. Thirty hours will be agricultural science electives, which must be taken from two academic departments within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students must select agricultural science electives that are closely related and compliment each other. By selecting electives from two academic departments, students can develop two specialization areas, such as agricultural pest management and agronomy or agricultural economics and animal science. A minimum of 16 hours of the agriscience electives must be 4000 level courses or above, and a maximum of 4 hours may be selected from lower division courses.

What type of jobs do graduates obtain?
AIS and Agricultural Science graduates can be found in the following occupations (partial list):

	County Agricultural Agent
	High School Agricultural Education Instructor
	4-H Youth Agent
	Agribusiness Public Relations Agent
	Farm and Ranch Manager/Owner
	USDA Employee (ASCS, SCS, FmHa, etc.)
	Mississippi Dept. of Agriculture Employee
	Banker
	Farm Broadcaster
	Poultry Supervisor
	Farm Machinery Dealer
	Real Estate Broker
	Pesticide Certification Specialist
	Farm Consultant
	Fertilizer Salesperson
	Horticulture Specialist
	Agrichemicals Salesperson
	Agricultural Insurance Agent
	Farm Co-op Manager

How is the AISE curriculum organized?
The AISE major has two options:
 

	Teaching
	Leadership

The teaching option prepares individuals to be teachers of agricultural education in high schools and community colleges, with the necessary courses for certification by the Mississippi Department of Education. This option requires 134 semester hours for graduation.

The leadership option prepares individuals for employment in other occupations in extension work, agricultural industry, government service, and agricommunication. This option requires 128 hours for graduation.

Both options require students to select a specialization in one technical agriculture area to give them a knowledge base for decision making. Also, students must complete general education requirements of the university and college.

What are the approved areas of specialization?
Specialization areas are required for students majoring in AIS teaching or leadership options. Teaching option students must take 9 credit-hours and leadership option students must take 15 credit-hours of specialization courses.

AIS leadership option and teaching option areas of specialization include production agriculture, agribusiness, agricultural mechanics, horticulture, natural resources (forestry/wildlife), and agriscience.

The agriscience specialization is a new specialization. It prepares teaching option students to teach in the new agriscience courses taught in public schools and leadership option students to enter graduate programs in technical agriculture areas.

AIS leadership option students can also specialize in agricommunication. This specialization is a multi-disciplinary program that blends courses in agriculture and communications. The purpose is to prepare students for work in public relations, broadcasting, writing, and other areas of agriculture industry where communications skills are important.

How is the curriculum in Agricultural Science organized?
The Agricultural Science curriculum is designed to provide maximum flexibility for the agriculture student. Agricultural Science majors are required to take courses in at least 7 different departments within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the School of Human Sciences , including an agricultural production/science requirement of 30 hours. Students who plan to manage a diversified agriculture operation can benefit greatly from the freedom this curriculum provides.

Using free electives, a student can take 72 hours of agriculture courses in this major. This ability allows students to develop both depth and breadth of knowledge in agriculture. Also, students who plan to work on a masters degree in agriculture can use these courses to meet prerequisites for graduate courses.