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As you may already know, the Department of Industrial Technology and the Department of Agricultural Sciences and Technology merged during the Fall of 2006. With this merger the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences was created, becoming one of the largest departments on campus with 990+ majors.
The Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences at SHSU consists of three major programs of study: Agricultural Sciences, Industrial Sciences, and Career and Technology Education. Within each program are a number of specialized programs or majors and minors, offering students the opportunity to tailor degree programs with career goals. The Department currently has 23 full and part-time faculty. With a current enrollment of 997 majors, Sam Houston State has one of the largest non land-grant programs in the U.S.
Bachelor of Science Degrees are offered in ten different emphasis areas along with the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree. Secondary Teacher Certification may be added to many of these degree options. For those interested in graduate studies, Master of Science degrees in Agricultural Sciences and a Masters of Arts in Industrial Technology are available. Teacher certification in Agricultural Sciences and Industrial Education are also options through the MS and MA programs. The Master of Business Administration in Agribusiness is a joint option with the College of Business Administration.
The department manages a number of facilities to prepare our students for their respective educational and career choices. The Thomason Building, on the main campus, is home to administrative and faculty offices and most lecture classes as well as the electronics laboratory. The Farrington Building, on main campus, hosts the new Soils Laboratory for scientific study of soils, plants and chemical relationships and the Computer Aided Drafting Laboratory used by students studying Design and Development, Construction Management, Industrial Management, Landscape Design and Interior Design.
The Agricultural Mechanization Center and the Industrial Technology Center house classrooms and laboratory facilities for teaching, providing hands-on experiences, and applied research in power machinery, hot and cold metal, foundry techniques, agricultural, industrial and residential construction techniques, surveying, soil and water conservation, electricity, electronics, plastics, concrete and hydraulic technologies. A new addition includes the biofuels research lab and a state-of-the-art dynamometer.
The Agriculture Center on I-45 has an Indoor Arena, Meat Science Lab, Soil Science Lab, Equine Unit, and a state-of-the-art greenhouse. The nearby Horticulture Center includes two additional greenhouses, a classroom, a floral design laboratory, gardens and fruit orchards.
The 1,740-acre SHSU Gibbs Ranch is about ten minutes from campus on Hwy 75 north. The Gibbs educational and research facilities include an outdoor arena, goat and cattle show barns and covered livestock management facilities. The ranch is home to a 60-head meat goat flock and the 250 cattle that comprise our purebred and commercial beef cattle herds. The ranch also has eight ponds that are stocked with largemouth bass and/or catfish.
We are very proud to have facilities that serve as hands-on laboratories for learning technical skills. Not only do our students receive a first-class academic experience but they are also expected to “learn by doing.” Business and industry demands “experience” and in the Department of Agricultural and Industrial Sciences these experiences are built into each class. To further develop “experiences” students have an option to do internships in their field of study, as well as having options for international opportunities in Costa Rica, Mexico, China and many other countries sponsored by SHSU International Programs.
In closing, this department has a long and proud history of excellence in higher education. Our graduates have found professional success around the globe. Let us know how we can serve you. |