Start With A Science Degree And Become An Agricultural Scientist!
May 6, 2010 by Natasha Bright
Filed under Online Colleges
If one is considering a career in the life sciences, probably one of the most in-demand specialties is agricultural. One need only turn on the news to understand why. It’s almost clich to say world hunger is an epidemic. Even the diets of prosperous countries are becoming noted for their lack of nutritional value. The need for this STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) occupation alone makes it in high demand and for those who are considering it, a science degree is a natural way to start.
Agricultural scientists research just about every aspect of the production of food. By that it’s meant the study of crops and livestock to increase their quantity and quality as well as control pests and weeds safely conserve soil and water. It’s now even involved in methods of turning plants into fuel. If you need more information about computer science degree, look on the internet.
Thanks to recent developments in biotechnology and biogenetics, agricultural science is one of the most dynamic fields out there. This is causing many to go enroll at online colleges to keep abreast of the latest scientific discoveries. This is becoming particularly acute as knowledge of nanotechnology is becoming part and parcel with the discipline.
These days, agricultural science has divided into four main specialties; food sciences, food tech, soil/plant science and animal science (not to be confused with veterinary science). The first use all relevant forms of science and engineering to invent ways of improving food, from preserving through delivering. The techs assist scientists in the testing, reporting and monitoring of experiments. Plant, soil and crop scientists, as well as agronomists, study all manner of crops to feed the world and conserve resources. As for animal scientists, the work to invent ways of producing better meat, eggs, and milk. Each of these contributes in some vital way to the entire field of agricultural science.
Training depends on which specialty a student wants to pursue. An undergraduate should pursue an education that’s as general as possible within a B.S. in Agricultural Science before deciding on a particular specialty. One can then specialize when going onward for a Masters and/or PhD, which is inevitable in this field. There is an abundance of information about college degree programs on the web.
Because of the extreme need, now not only for food but for fuel, agricultural science is open to a lot more financial aid than just public and private grants. Just about every state in the U.S. has its own programs tied into a local academic program. There are also federal S-STEM scholarships. Talking to a financial advisor is something one should do in this situation, as well as a little research through a search engine.
Since the population of agricultural scientists is small, barely 62,000 for all specialties, the need is considered much higher than average. The Bureau estimates the number of positions to fill will increase by 13% to 16%, depending on the specialty. Salaries for technicians average $35,000, while top scientists make over $100,000. On the average, a scientist makes $56,000 with full benefits.
Add to it the advances it’s making in research, and it will be an in demand occupation for some time to come. Begin with a bachelor science degree; expand as you find your personal field of interest, and do it all at an online university that will allow work and study as needed.