INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Commission for Higher Education approved Ivy Tech Community College to offer an Agriculture degree program. It will be offered in South Bend, Lafayette, Kokomo, Muncie, Terre Haute, Richmond, Columbus and Evansville.

The program includes both an Associate of Applied Science and an Associate of Science degree. The Associate of Applied Science degree will prepare students to immediately enter the workforce in middle management positions, and the Associate of Science degree will prepare students to pursue further education at four-year colleges and universities. Designed in partnership with Purdue University, the Associate of Science degree specifically meets requirements of Purdue’s School of Agriculture and will transfer course-by-course to Purdue.

In line with the College’s mission, the Agriculture degree programs will provide students with access to new education and transfer opportunities and will meet the needs of Indiana’s employers and workforce, by providing education in a relevant, high growth field. In 2005 it is estimated that 15,000,000 acres of land within Indiana were being farmed on more than 59,000 farms, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s strategic plan for 2025 calls for dramatic increases in the state’s food and agricultural segments. To achieve this growth, the industry’s workforce must be trained in the science and technology that is becoming more critical to the field. Ivy Tech Community College can now help meet that need by offering an affordable, accessible degree program.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution.  Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana.  It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana.  It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.