Education for Agricultural Professionals

Have you ever thought about being a teacher? Would you like a job where there are plentiful employment opportunities? Would you like the opportunity to work with both agriculture and people? Would you like a career where you can inspire young people and feel like you have accomplished something important at the end of the day? If you answered Yes to any of these questions, LEAP (Licensure in Education for Agricultural Professionals) may be the program for you.

LEAP is a web-based, teacher certification program in agricultural education offered through NC State University. The program is available nationwide and is delivered through online education technologies. LEAP is academically challenging and requires a serious commitment from those enrolled. The program certifies individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in agriculture, natural resources and closely related disciplines to teach agriculture in school settings.

The ultimate goal of this program is to increase the supply of qualified agricultural education teachers. There is a national shortage of agriculture teachers. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a class "A" teaching license from the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina teaching license is recognized by 45 states, Department of Defense schools, and the U.S. Territories. The teacher education program at North Carolina State University is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

This program may lead to Professional Licensure.

Admission Requirements

LEAP is a rigorous program and requires significant commitment.

• A baccalaureate degree in agriculture, natural resources, or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.
  • 24 credit hours of agriculture content is required for an agricultural teaching license. If these hours are not met prior to applying to the program, you can add these content courses to your LEAP program hours. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers several introductory agriculture courses at a distance that can be taken to satisfy the requirement, or coursework may be completed at a local community college
• Minimum 2.75 GPA on all collegiate-level work

Program Requirements

The LEAP program requires 15 credit hours. Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA in all coursework. (If the courses are to be applied toward a graduate certificate or master’s degree, a 3.0 GPA is required.) Only courses in which you earn a grade of “C” or higher can be counted toward licensure requirements.

All LEAP students are assigned an advisor. The advisor will assist you in selecting courses and determining the appropriate course load.

Applying to the LEAP Program

Step 1

Send transcripts of your academic work to Misty Lambert: mdlamber@ncsu.edu or Desiree Mallon: ddmallon@ncsu.edu (unofficial copies are OK). We will then create a LEAP Plan listing the coursework you have credit for and the remaining required coursework needed for your licensure.

Step 2

You must apply for admission to NC State University. You have three options:

• Enroll in the Agricultural and Extension Education graduate certificate program. This is a formal graduate program. You will need to complete a Graduate School application (opens in new tab) online. The AEE graduate certificate requires 15 graduate-level credit hours and must be completed within four years. You must have an undergraduate degree prior to application review. A 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required for admission to the Graduate School. Applicants must abide by the department’s application deadlines.
• Enroll as a Non-Degree Studies (NDS) student. NDS-PBS (Non-Degree Studies, Post-Baccalaureate Studies) students are limited to two (2) courses per semester and are not considered students in the department. You will need to complete an application online (on the application under the Enrollment Term & Objective, select “Begin an Online or Distance Education Program/Certificate” and you can find “Licensure in Education for Agricultural Professionals” in the dropdown box under the “Licensure” section). This route is ideal for students who have less than 15 credit hours needed to complete LEAP or cannot complete the program within four years. Starting off as NDS is also ideal for those who need some or all of the 24 hours of agricultural content in addition to the 15 hours of LEAP content or need to boost their GPA for a graduate school admission. Students are limited to 30 credit hours as NDS and two courses per semester.  If not planning on transferring courses into a graduate program, this option also allows flexibility to take the undergraduate version of our courses.
• Enroll in the Agricultural and Extension Education master’s degree program. The application process for a master’s degree in Agricultural Education and Human Sciences is the same as for the graduate certificate program. This option is ideal for students who are already considering earning a master’s degree but must be completed within six years. A 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required for admission into the Graduate School. Applicants must abide by the department's application deadlines.

Note: A student can enroll in non-degree studies or the graduate certificate program and then apply to the AEE master’s program at a later date. A total of twelve (12) credit hours taken as NDS or in the graduate certificate program can be applied in the master’s program, but only six (6) NDS credit hours can apply towards the graduate certificate program. The time limit to complete a master’s (6 years) or certificate (4 years) program begins with the earliest course applied towards said program.

Step 3

After admission to the university, students work with their LEAP advisor to register for classes.

Career Prospects

The Licensure in Education for Agricultural Professionals program is tailored to professionals who have a bachelor’s degree and seek licensure to teach agriculture in a middle or secondary school. In response to the national demand for licensed agricultural education teachers, the ultimate goal of this program is to increase the supply of qualified middle and high school teachers. LEAP certifies individuals who have baccalaureate degrees in agriculture, natural resources and closely related disciplines to teach agriculture in public, private, and charter schools.

Graduates of this program receive a Class “A” teaching license from North Carolina, which has reciprocity in 40+ other states, the exceptions being Alaska, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Texas (though all states can be licensed).