Kellogg Community College and Michigan State University have expanded the institutions’ Agricultural Operations Program to offer students a brand new KCC associate degree program and two certificates from MSU.
The institutions’ new Agricultural Science Program includes options for students to earn their Associate in Agricultural Science degree at KCC and either an Agricultural Operations Certificate or a Food Processing, Technology and Safety Certificate from MSU at the same time, with all coursework completed entirely at KCC.
(The Food Processing, Technology and Safety Program is pending final approval by the Higher Learning Commission.)
Agricultural Science Program Coordinator Kaite Fraser said Agricultural Science students are KCC and MSU students and have full access to support services at both institutions. Program studies encompass a variety of disciplines within the agricultural industry, including farm, water, weed and resource management; soil science and plant pathology; regulation, safety and compliance issues; and technology, including the use of drones for farm and facilities management.
Each program path also requires a 480-hour internship completed during the summer semester, where the students gain valuable hands-on experience in the field or in the agribusiness industry.
“The agricultural industry is incredibly broad,” Fraser said. “The expanded Agricultural Science program is designed to meet the needs of the industry and prospective students, filling necessary jobs in the agricultural field and preparing graduates for successful careers doing jobs they love.”
The application deadline for students who want to enroll in one of KCC’s Agricultural Science programs and begin their studies this fall is Friday, Aug. 9. Entrance to the program requires applying to KCC and the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology, applications for which are available on KCC’s website at www.kellogg.edu/agriculture.
KCC launched its original Agricultural Operations Program in partnership with Michigan State University in the Fall 2017 semester, initially offering students the opportunity to earn an Associate in General Studies degree at KCC while simultaneously earning an Agricultural Operations Certificate through MSU. The first eight graduates of that program walked at MSU’s commencement ceremony this spring.
“KCC is so proud of our first agricultural program graduates, who were trailblazers in a new field of study at KCC,” Fraser said. “We’re looking forward to watching as they apply what they learned to become leaders in agriculture in our area and beyond.”
For more information about the KCC’s Agricultural Science Program, contact Program Coordinator Kaite Fraser at 269-565-2092 or kfraser@msu.edu.
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