Applied Agriculture Certificate

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Institute of Applied Agriculture
2123 Jull Hall
301-405-4685
iaa-request@umd.edu
www.iaa.umd.edu

Director: Glori Hyman

Through the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) students earn a UMD Lower-Division Certificate in Applied Agriculture.  Students may select one of the following concentrations:  Agricultural Business Management, Agricultural Leadership and Communication, General Turfgrass Management, Golf Course Management, Landscape Management, Ornamental Horticulture, Sports Turf Management, and Sustainable Agriculture. The IAA provides students with the entrepreneurial and technical skills needed to manage and lead successful agricultural enterprises.
The IAA has a separate admission policy which can be found on its website. Upon completion of the program, most students accept job offers.  Students who wish to earn a bachelor's degree may apply to transfer into University of Maryland undergraduate degree programs.

Agriculture Forward at the University of Maryland (Ag Forward) is an accelerated program for first-time university students who are interested in earning dual credentials from the University of Maryland, College Park. Students begin their studies in the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA). After successfully completing 30 credits at the IAA, completing General Education requirements in English and Math and earning a GPA of at least 3.0, students are eligible to transfer into a bachelor's degree program within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Students continue to earn their Certificate in Applied Agriculture while working on their bachelor's degree.

A Certificate in Applied Agriculture requires students to complete 60 credits and a 320-hour internship.  Each concentration area requires courses specific to its focus, and allows for elective courses so students may pursue their areas of interest.  All concentrations include the following required elements:

• fundamental studies (math, English, and oral communication)
• fundamental agricultural science (plant, animal, or nutrition)
• applied agriculture and career readiness (soil science; pesticide use and safety;  internship; and professional development)
• business management (courses selected from a list that includes agricultural entrepreneurship, marketing, human resources management, finance, business management, alternative enterprises, and business law).

All concentrations, aside from Agricultural Leadership and Communication, also require Fundamentals of Agricultural Mechanics.

Concentrations:

1. Agricultural Business Management and Leadership

• Agricultural Business Management
• Agricultural Leadership and Communication
• Sustainable Agriculture

2. Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Management

• Landscape Management
• Ornamental Horticulture

3. Turfgrass and Golf Course Management

• Golf Course Management
• Sports Turf Management
• General Turfgrass Management

Complete curriculum guides may be found on our website at iaa.umd.edu/programs.