Free online agriculture courses are available through two universities that participate in the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These courses provide students with flexible scheduling and cover many aspects of the agriculture industry.
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Information And Requirements For Free Online Agriculture Courses
Utah State University, Tufts University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture offer free online agriculture courses. The courses offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are part of a continuing education program designed for people who are interested in sustainable agriculture. The other courses listed in this article are part of the OpenCourseWare (OCW) project that involves many universities, some in countries other than the U.S. OCW users complete courses without help from the professor and do not earn credits or receive a grade.
List Of Free Online Agriculture Courses
Agricultural Science and Policy I at Tufts University
Natural resource conservation is the focus of this course on agricultural policy and science at Tufts University. OCW users learn how agricultural conservation affects the ability to have strong and healthy water, environmental and agricultural systems. Lectures are available online and cover topics such as the Clean Air Act, erosion, USDA conservation programs and water pollution. Other resources available include quizzes, an exam, readings, an image gallery and additional resources; all are accessible to OCW users.
Agricultural Science and Policy II at Tufts University
This OCW course discusses the importance of conserving natural resources in order to have environmental, food and agricultural systems that are healthy. Crop breeding, livestock production and plant-pest interaction are the focus of the course. The course is comprised of 26 lectures, an image gallery for livestock, crop pests and nutrient management, readings, quizzes and exams; all can be downloaded from the site.
Surface Irrigation Design at Utah State University
This OCW course consists of a series of video lectures that give OCW learners an overview of the evaluation and design of systems for surface irrigation. The video lectures are presented in both MP4 and WMV (Windows Media Video) formats. Some of the topics discussed include irrigation requirement, surface irrigation simulation, SIRMOD surface irrigation evaluation, design and simulation software (only runs on a PC) and different surface irrigation systems, including blocked-end and free-draining. A downloadable textbook is also included in the course's resources.
Sustainable Agriculture: Basic Principles and Concept Overview at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
USDA developed the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to help farmers and agriculture professionals with topics pertinent to the industry. Students enrolled in this free online course learn about profitable farming systems that are sound environmentally and benefit communities. In order to participate in this course, a student must first register.
Strategic Farm/Ranch Planning and Marketing at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
This free online agriculture course may appeal to learners who want to know more about how to market and/or manage a farm or ranch business. The topics covered apply to aspiring business owners who are either in the transition or start-up phases of developing their businesses. Users learn about management practices and strategies of marketing, along with looking at new business ideas. Like the previous SARE course, registration is required before a student can access the course materials.
Earn Real Credit From Free Courses
While the free courses above don't award credit directly, there are two widely recognized andaffordable options for students to gain real college credit.
Option #1: Pass a CLEP Exam
The College Board's 33 CLEP exams allow you to test out of your general education requirements. Credit is accepted at 2/3 of colleges and universities in the U.S.
Option #2: Prepare a Portfolio
LearningCounts.org helps you prepare a portfolio that proves your knowledge. A faculty expert then recommends how much credit should be awarded. The process is call 'prior learning assessment'.
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