via CD-ROM and online

Benefits
Students who complete the M.S. in Agronomy will be able to

• understand agronomy broadly, yet in-depth, including the scientific principles underlying crop management and physiology, plant improvement, climatology, soil management and fertility, and integrated pest management;
• critically evaluate research in terms of design, content, potential application, and limitations with respect to agronomic systems;
• apply agronomic knowledge to real-world problems via application of scientific principles;
• understand moral, ethical, and legal perspectives of agricultural activities;
• understand the dynamics of groups of people and facilitate the accomplishment of individual and collective goals;
• effectively communicate with scientists, professionals, farmers, and the general public for the purposes of learning and informing;
• display competence in electronic communications and various Internet information services.

The leader
Ken Moore, ISU professor of agronomy, chaired a committee that developed the degree and now oversees the program. "This was not just extending the curriculum, but developing a curriculum specifically for working professionals," Moore notes. "We started with a huge matrix of outcomes, and the courses were based on those. Each course in this program is developed specifically for these students."

Curriculum and Admission