About the College
The College of Agricultural Sciences, the first of the colleges established at Penn State, awarded the nation's first baccalaureate degrees in agriculture in 1861. Today, the college is widely recognized as one of the nation's premier institutions for agricultural research and education programs.
The college includes 12 academic units and 67 cooperative extension offices, one in each of Pennsylvania's counties. Ranked as one of the largest and comprehensive agricultural colleges in the country, the College has a budget of nearly $165 million.
Our Land Grant Mission
As part of Penn State, Pennsylvania's sole land grant university, the College supports the land grant mission through:
- Teaching: formal classroom or college instruction
- Research: unbiased, objective research that brings the best science to bear on practical problems
- Public service: nonformal education through extension and outreach
Undergraduate Studies
Undergraduates can choose from 20 majors, 22 minors, 3 two-year programs, and 3 certificate programs. About 85 percent of the college's undergraduates come from non-agricultural backgrounds, and 43 percent are women.
Enrollment
Total college undergraduate enrollment: 2,221
College undergraduate enrollment at the University Park campus: 1,642
Total college graduate student enrollment: 443
Scholarships
The college has one of Penn State's largest scholarship programs, awarding more than $1.8 million to nearly 700 students annually.
Internships and Student Research
The college encourages its students to gain work experience by completing an internship related to their major program of study. To help students find a perfect fit, the college maintains a computer database with more than 2,000 internships at more than 300 companies and government or public agencies. Students also have many opportunities to pursue research projects with faculty; to showcase their research efforts at college, University, and national events; and to coauthor publications with faculty.
Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences
Sixty-four academically talented high school students attend the Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences at Penn State for five weeks each summer. More than 1,400 students have attended the school since its inception. Many of these students later attend Penn State and the College of Agricultural Sciences. Please visit http://www.pgse.org/ for more details.
Cooperative Extension and Outreach
Penn State Cooperative Extension is a statewide network that links the resources of the college and University to Pennsylvania's citizens. Cooperative extension educational programs reach more than 750,000 households annually with research-based information and educational programs.
Penn State Cooperative Extension educational programs are delivered through seminars, workshops, computer-assisted learning, distance education, and the Internet.
4-H/Youth Development
Pennsylvania 4-H, a component of cooperative extension's youth development program, annually involves more than 104,000 young people statewide in a wide variety of life skill programs designed to promote critical thinking, self-worth, civic and personal responsibility, and sensitivity for individual differences.
Conferences and Short Courses
Drawing nearly 7,000 participants worldwide, the college administers more than 60 outreach programs each year, delivering knowledge relevant to agribusinesses, government agencies, and professional associations by hosting conferences, seminars, and short courses.
Graduate Studies
Each year the college enrolls nearly 500 students from all corners of the world to conduct graduate study and research at Penn State. Graduate programs are offered in 15 major areas within the college. In addition, students may choose to enroll in 10 interdisciplinary programs that are supported by faculty advisers in the college. Historically, 90 percent of these graduate students receive assistantships in support of their education.
Research
The College spent nearly $82 million in the 2006 fiscal year to conduct research in support of our mission to support the food and fiber systems of the state, the nation, and the world. Scientists work on fundamental and practical research on such topics as renewable energy, new methods to predict and respond to pest impacts on crop, livestock, and human systems, environmental protection, food safety and quality, and economic and community development. The College maintains a variety of specialized research facilities, including the Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in North East, the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Landisville, and the Fruit Research and Extension Center in Biglerville. The Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, the Stone Valley Experimental Forest, and a variety of livestock and domestic fowl facilities comprise nearly 14,000 acres of research forest and farmland available to faculty, staff, and students in support of our research enterprise.
International Programs
The college is committed to integrating international activities into its research, teaching, and extension activities, recognizing that exposure to and appreciation of international issues essential to shaping successful future leaders. Faculty, staff, and extension personnel are active on every continent. Students have expanded opportunities to study abroad as part of their curriculum, which includes an International Agriculture minor option. Students from all over the world enroll in our programs, greatly enriching the Penn State community.