The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN course ANSC 1101: Introduction to Animal Science.

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

  • A minimum of three years of experience teaching animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, or agronomy courses at the high school or college level
  • Evidence of experience designing science curricula and implementing with effective pedagogies. 
  • Firsthand experience working with or caring for animals

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

  1. Graduate degree in the field(s) of animal science, veterinary science, agricultural or animal science education. Degree must include coursework in animal science.
  2. Graduate degree in any field and 18 graduate semester credits in the field(s) of animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, or veterinary science
  3. Graduate degree in any field and six equivalent experience options from items A through M, below.
  4. Undergraduate degree in animal science, agriculture, or agriculture or animal science education with significant coursework in animal science and eight equivalent experience options A through M, below.

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 or #4 is selected above)

A: Graduate credits in animal science

Graduate credits in agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, or veterinary science will also be considered. These need not be taken as part of a degree program.

  • Three semester-length credits are considered one experience 
  • Can be applied up to eight times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course, include the title, where taken, and the number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Professional development workshops

Attend discipline-specific professional development workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars in animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, veterinary science, or agricultural and animal science education. Examples include events hosted by the Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators, the Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Education, or other relevant professional development events in the field.

  • 30 hours of professional development is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include the number of hours of each professional development activity you want to apply toward meeting the qualifications, and respond to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article, or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative work in the fields of animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, veterinary science, or agricultural and animal science education.

  • Each publication is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to eight times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, provide a copy of the cover of the publication, and of the page that lists your authorship. Describe the significance, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field.

D: Experience requiring regular use of animal science

May include agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, or veterinary science in the performance of professional responsibilities such as serving as a coach or judge for FFA, National Ag Day, or 4H. May include paid employment or volunteer work.

  • Two years of coaching or judging equals one experience. Each experience must be in a distinct role.
  • Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Significant personal practice in animal science 

Such an undertaking is intended to develop particular skills or understandings related to animal production; for example, experience operating or working on a farm.

  • Every two years of personal practice is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

F: Fellowships or awards

This includes recognition from school, district, state, regional, national or international organizations for recognition of your own accomplishments or the accomplishments of your students. Some examples of these awards include Outstanding Regional Ag Educator or Outstanding Ag Education Program, grants or fellowships from the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council, honorary FFA degrees and awards for FFA dairy teams.

  • Each fellowship or award is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

G: Participation in nationally normed assessment activity

This must be related to animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, veterinary science, food chemistry, biology, or environmental science such as Advanced Placement test grading in AP Biology or Environmental Science.

  • Can be applied one time

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your participation using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #10: Participation in a nationally normed assessment activity related to the field.

H: National Board Certification

Must be received in one of the five courses in the Animal Science Pathway of the CASE Program. Certification to teach each course requires the completion of an intensive professional development institute, generally ten days in length.

  • Each course certification is one experience
  • Can be applied up to five times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, discuss the significance of the certification, length of the training, and indicate the date and location where taken. Provide documentation, such as a certificate or letter.

I: Successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

These should be in animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, veterinary science, food chemistry, biology, or environmental science and may include dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college/university campus.

  • Two years of teaching is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

J: Scoring 80% or better on a department-provided exam.

Successful completion is worth three options

  • Can be applied one time

If you plan to use this option to meet minimum qualifications, please contact [email protected].

K: Discipline-specific leadership role in a secondary or postsecondary institution

Qualifying positions include leading efforts to obtain MDE agricultural education program approval at the high school, or a leadership role in a professional organization such as FFA, Minnesota Association of Agriculture Education, Minnesota Agriculture Education Leadership Council, or the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

  • Each distinct experience is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to three times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your leadership experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

L: Presentations at relevant conferences

These include local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as Minnesota Association of Agriculture Education or National Ag Day.

  • Each presentation on a distinct topic is considered one experience
  • Can be applied up to two times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

M: Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

These experiences must be in animal science, agriculture, ag business, ag economics, plant science, agronomy, or veterinary science.

  • Each semester in role is considered one experience
  • Can be applied one time

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field and/or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.

Questions?

The Apply to Teach a Course webpage describes the application process and outlines the steps to apply.

Applicants are welcome to email [email protected] with questions.