Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
In the Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary occupation, workers teach courses in the agricultural sciences. O*NET rates it as extensive preparation, which usually means graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. It leans on instructing, speaking, and reading comprehension. A regular part of the work is to keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. Its interest code is SIR. Social leads at 6.2 out of 7, so expect helping, teaching or caring for people, with Investigative next at 5.4. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking leading, persuading and making business decisions.
What they do
Teach courses in the agricultural sciences. Includes teachers of agronomy, dairy sciences, fisheries management, horticultural sciences, poultry sciences, range management, and agricultural soil conservation. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Main tasks
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
- Supervise laboratory sessions and field work and coordinate laboratory operations.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as crop production, plant genetics, and soil chemistry.
Skills
- Instructing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Learning Strategies
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on instructing and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SIR takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Doctoral Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Agriculture Instructor
- Agriculture Professor
- Agronomy Professor
- Animal Science Professor
- Associate Professor
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.