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Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

Agricultural Leadership

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Steve Isaacs

Certificate Director

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

S123 Ag Science – North

Lexington, KY 40546-0091

859-257-3469

  • UC
Other programs from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment:
Urban and Community Forestry
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Food Systems and Hunger Studies (Undergraduate Certificate) - Online
Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies (Undergraduate Certificate) - Online

Agriculture contributes trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy annually with agriculture, food and related industries providing over 10% of U.S. employment.

Creating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today

Growing the next generation of leaders in agriculture requires intentional cultivation. This certificate provides a foundation in leadership focused on contemporary issues in agriculture, agricultural business, and food production. Through the lens of agriculturally related issues and industries, students will develop skills related to critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and project management. 

Program Requirements

Students must be in good academic standing at the time of admission. To complete the Agricultural Leadership certificate, students must successfully complete 12 credit hours. All certificate students must take AFE 342, AFE 390, AFE 490, one 300-level or greater approved elective course related to leadership, and one 200-level or greater elective related to communications.

 

AFE 342 Agricultural Leadership Foundations

An exploration of leadership in the context of agricultural industries. Major components will include applying historical and modern leadership theories as a lens for exploring contemporary issues, building a profile of personal leadership preferences, and learning how to successfully work in a team. (3 credits) Prereq: AFE 100 or consent of instructor

 

AFE 390 Agricultural Leadership Experience

The purpose of this course is to document one or more agricultural leadership experiences for completion of the Agricultural Leadership undergraduate certificate requirements. (0 credits) Prereq: Admission to the Agricultural Leadership Undergraduate Certificate

 

AFE 490 Agricultural Leadership Applications

An exploration of current and emergent challenges in the industries within Agriculture, Food, and the Environment and what skills must be developed to become an effective agent of change. Students will use transdisciplinary concepts related to leadership to analyze scenarios of relevance to the agricultural industry and will be provided with real- world experiences to strengthen their knowledge base. (3 credits) Prereq: AFE 342 or consent of instructor 

 

Electives

Students must complete one elective each from the Leadership and Communications categories.

 

Leadership Electives 
  • AEC 324 Agricultural Law 
  • AEC 325 Equine Law 
  • AEC 326 Principles of Environmental Law 
  • AEC 340 Human Resource Management in Agriculture 
  • AEC 532 Agriculture and Food Policy 
  • AFE 305 Government, Public Policy and Agriculture 
  • CLD 430 Leading in Communities: Vision, Action, and Change 
  • CLD 530 Fundamentals of Organizational Leadership 
  • MGT 301 Introduction to Managing Organizations 

 

Communications Electives  
  • AEC 320 Ag Product Marketing and Sales 
  • AED 210 Professional Development in Agriculture 
  • CLD 325 Writing for Community Media 
  • CLD 400 Agricultural Communications Campaigns 
  • COM 281 Communications in Small Groups 
  • COM 287 Persuasive Speaking 
  • COM 312 Learning Intercultural Communication Through Media and Film 
  • COM 315 Understanding Workplace Communication in a Diverse US Society 
  • COM 325 Introduction to Organizational Communication 
  • WRD 208 Multimedia Writing 
  • WRD 222 Current Events and Public Engagement: US Citizens, Global Citizens 

Admission Instructions

Current University of Kentucky Students

  1. Submit a request through myUK to add the Undergraduate Certificate in Agricultural Leadership as an "additional major".
  2. Once your request has been processed, you will receive an email outlining the next steps.

New Certificate ONLY students

  1. Navigate to UK's Undergraduate Application Portal.​
  2. Apply to UK with a "Non-Degree Application".
  3. On the "Applicant Information" page under Applicant Type, select "Certificate".
  4. Under Program of Study, select "Certificate in Agricultural Leadership".

Visiting Students from Other Universities

  1. Navigate to UK's Undergraduate Application Portal.​
  2. Apply to UK with a "Non-Degree Application".
  3. On the "Applicant Information" page under Applicant Type, select "Visiting Student".
  4. Under Program of Study, select "Agriculture, Food and Environment - Non-Degree".
  5. Email CAFEAdvising and request to enroll in the Agricultural Leadership Certificate upon admission.

Contact

Steve Isaacs

Certificate Director

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment

S123 Ag Science – North

Lexington, KY 40546-0091

859-257-3469

Other programs from the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment:
Urban and Community Forestry
Food Systems & Hunger Studies
Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies
Food Systems and Hunger Studies (Undergraduate Certificate) - Online
Distillation, Wine and Brewing Studies (Undergraduate Certificate) - Online