Minors - Agricultural Education and Communication - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS

Agricultural and Natural Resource Communication Minor

The undergraduate minor in agricultural and natural resource communication provides students with an opportunity to gain a basic understanding of and develop a skill level for communication techniques in agriculture, natural resources, and life sciences. The agricultural and natural resource communication minor is structured for those students who want to learn how to communicate more effectively in the workplace.

A minor in agricultural and natural resource communication can help prepare you for careers in communications, marketing, video production, government relations, sales, recruitment, social media, journalism, and many others!

Coursework Requirements:

Courses are offered on digital media development, desktop layout and design, special event and instructional workshop planning, intercultural communications, social media strategy development, technical writing, social media, and oral communication, all within the context of agricultural and life sciences.

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Agricultural Curriculum and Development Minor

The undergraduate minor in agricultural curriculum and development prepares students for formal and non-formal curriculum development and training. It can provide further education for becoming an agricultural educator, agricultural trainer, and/or a curricular designer for formal and non-formal educational settings, especially when paired with a technical content focus such as animal sciences, horticulture, food science, or others.

While this minor will equip students with tools and skills to develop quality curriculum that can be applied to a variety of settings, minoring in agricultural curriculum and development does not include teacher certification.

Coursework Requirements:

Fifteen (15) credit hours need to be completed with a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA to obtain a minor in agricultural curriculum and development.

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Extension Education Minor

The extension education minor supplements the major and prepares students for careers in the Cooperative Extension Service. The minor offers course work in non-formal and formal educational methods, adult education, leadership, youth programs and communication methods, along with field experience.

Coursework Requirements:

In addition to equipping students with the skills needed to educate others effectively, coursework also emphasizes expertise in the broad area of agriculture.

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Career Opportunities:

Agricultural Extension educator
4-H/Youth Development Extension educator
International Extension educator
Nonformal educator for governmental agencies, organizations, or corporations

Job Placement:

There are a multitude of job opportunities in Extension throughout the United States. More than 16,000 Extension agents are employed across the 3,154 counties in the U.S. Florida, alone, has approximately 370 agents who conduct non-formal educational programs in agriculture, natural resources, family/consumer science, marine science, and 4-H/youth development. Besides Extension, career opportunities could include various government and nongovernment organizations.

Leadership Minor

Students in the leadership minor will develop fundamental skills, capacities, and knowledge necessary to assume leadership, supervisory, or management positions in public, private, and non-profit organizations. Because the minor is interdisciplinary, it draws on the expertise of faculty and staff in colleges across the campus including Agricultural and Life Sciences, Business Administration, Health and Human Performance, Journalism and Communications, Psychology, and Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Course Requirements:

In order to be considered for the leadership minor, students must complete the Add a Minor form in ONE.UF before they complete 90 credit hours* in their respective program of study. Additionally, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be approved. The minor is open to all University of Florida students.

The minor will only be conferred for a student if they meet the following criteria after acceptance in the minor:

Overall GPA of 3.0 in all courses taken in the minor
Earn a B or higher in AEC 3414: Leadership Development
Complete 15 hours of coursework in approved leadership minor courses

*90 credit hours is a parameter that prevents students from delaying graduation in an effort to earn the minor. However, if completion of the minor will not delay your graduation, this requirement may be waived.

To view available courses and requirements, click here!

Additional Resources

UF Undergraduate Minors
- A minor may not inherently overlap with the student’s major (e.g., a History major may not pursue a History minor).
- Students must complete a minimum of 6 credits of coursework exclusive to the minor that will not count toward the major or other minors (including AEC Electives for 6 credit difference coursework).