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The Department of Agricultural and Extension Education offers several undergraduate and graduate courses that emphasize social issues and educational processes relevant to agricultural, community, and extension educators. These courses directly support academic programs available through the ALCE department. We also offer courses that contribute to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online Masters of Agricultural and Life Sciences degree program. Example courses offered by the department include:

ALCE 4054  Internship in Cooperative Extension
This course offers off-campus participation experience for those preparing to become extension agents in the cooperative extension service.

ALCE 5074  Foundations of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education
In this course, students will learn the history and philosophy of agricultural education and the cooperative extension service along with the interrelationship of the two, including a common heritage. Leaders of both agencies, along with their philosophies, are discussed.

ALCE 5154  Partnerships and Volunteerism
Students will develop competencies in the development and direction of community volunteer partnerships and collaborations. Students will explore current volunteer development models, collaboration process theory, and key management areas including: 

  • Visioning
  • Organizing a partnership or collaboration
  • Creating motivating volunteer positions
  • Recruiting, screening, and interviewing
  • Orientation and training
  • Supervising
  • Evaluation
  • Retention and resolution
  • Risk management
  • Measuring program effectiveness 

Several developing courses are currently available as special study:

ALCE 5044  Program and Curriculum Design in Agricultural and Extension Education
Participants in this course will analyze theoretical and research literature related to planning educational programs for adults with specific attention to how various viewpoints help us understand programming practice. We will specifically analyze the political, ethical, and technical issues facing adult, extension, and agricultural educators.  

ALCE 6014  Theoretical Foundations of Non-Formal Learning
This course is an overview of the theory and practice of “non-formal” learning, with particular attention to emerging paradigms and historical debates. Primary course goals are to gain working understandings of an array of “non-formal” learning theories and to develop specific pedagogies based on those understandings for opening up new possibilities of learning outside of “formal” educational arrangements. Emphasis is on adult and community education settings and issues relevant to agricultural and extension educators, including:  

  • Extension education
  • Community-based education
  • Training and international development
  • Workplace/organizational education
  • Social movements/social activism 

For additional courses, please visit the Undergraduate Catalog and the Graduate Catalog.

Extension & Community Education Mission Areas

Learning

Discovery

Engagement