Entering a career relating to the vast world of Canadian Prairie agriculture sounds inviting to many, but unless you grew up living the farm lifestyle, it may be hard to comprehend what it takes to contribute to global food security to the degree that Canadian producers do each year.
For those who want to learn more but aren’t looking to obtain a degree in the field, the University of Saskatchewan has established a new Certificate in Introductory Agriculture program.
Dean of the College of Agriculture Angela Bedard-Haughn says the new course can be taken both as a standalone program or alongside a degree. When it was being developed, the course was targeted at students in other disciplines, but it has quickly branched out to encompass a variety of target audiences.
“It might be for those students who are brand new coming to university and just want to get a certificate. They’re not ready to commit to a degree or a diploma yet. All the courses that are in this, they can ladder up into other programs if they try it out and decide they like it.”
The program is designed to get students a thorough introduction of the industry, with a focus on agriculture on the Canadian prairies.
“They get that strong foundation across all the basic disciplines of agriculture as part of that, and then they have an opportunity to round that out.”
She admits that this program won’t get students to the level of a professional agrologist, but it will deliver the needed vocabulary and basic understanding of the industry.
The certificate can be taken both online and in-person at the students’ own pace, allowing for more flexibility. Bedard says students could even complete the course from outside of Saskatoon.
“Let’s say you’re already working in another part of the province or part of the country even; this would be a great opportunity to learn more without having to quit your job and move to Saskatoon. You can do this wherever you live and work.”
Those who are interested can visit the certificate offering page at usask.ca.
