2005
Academic Programs
Annual Report
The College of Agriculture is on the move! The number of graduates is strong, enrollment is growing, new curricula are in development, and the College scholarship program is growing.
Degrees Granted—The College granted 395 bachelor of science, 98 master of science, and 30 doctor of philosophy degrees in 2005. These degrees represent nearly 10 percent of the degrees awarded by the University in 2005.
Student Enrollment—During the past year, the continued popularity of the College resulted in the growth of many of our undergraduate programs. Total undergraduate enrollment in the College increased from 1,801 to 1,985 during the past year—a 10.2 percent increase in one year and a record for the College. Enrollment grouped by broad subject areas is shown in one of the graphs accompanying this report. Highest enrollment (588 students) was in applied business and economics, which include the bachelor of science degrees in agricultural economics; hospitality and tourism management; and merchandising, apparel, and textiles. Enrollment in these programs increased 23 percent over the past year. The animal and plant sciences area, which increased 4 percent, includes animal science, horticulture, plant and soil sciences, and agricultural biotechnology. This area accounts for 27 percent of total enrollment (541 students). Growth in this area was fueled by growth of the animal science/pre-vet program, which had 297 students—a 13 percent increase. Human and social sciences (no increase or decrease) account for 16 percent of the student body with 313 students. It includes family and consumer sciences and agricultural education, communications, and leadership. Student enrollment in nutritional and food sciences grew by 31 percent this year (to 235 students), with very strong demand for the degree programs in dietetics and human nutrition. There were 252 students in the natural resource management area, which includes the degree programs in forestry, landscape architecture, natural resource conservation and management, and biosystems and agricultural engineering. While this block represents 13 percent of our students, there was a slight decline in enrollment. The Other category, with 56 students, includes nondegree and undeclared students in the College.
Student Diversity—Student enrollment continues to be diverse. As has been the case for the previous two years, enrollment of women surpassed that of men, and the number of minority students also continued to increase. The College has a higher proportion of out-of-state students enrolled than does the University as a whole. More of our students are traditional college age (25 or younger) and are enrolled full-time than in the overall University population.
New Undergraduate Programs—The College of Agriculture has degree programs for nearly any interest, from traditional agriculture and human sciences to innovative molecular and natural resource science programs. However, the College is also responding to new needs and challenges. Innovative programs in equine science and management and sustainable agriculture are currently in development. In both areas, we are looking at multi-disciplinary programs that will allow students to follow their interests within strong, science-based curricula.
Scholarship News—The College was pleased to announce that funds from the federal tobacco buyout program will be used to leverage new scholarship opportunities for the benefit of undergraduate students through what is called the Golden Leaf Settlement Fund. (More information about this fund can be found in the 2005 Advancement Report.)
Michael D. Mullen
Associate Dean, Office for Academic Programs
N6, Agricultural Science Center
University of Kentucky
Lexington , Kentucky 40546-0091
E-mail: mike.mullen@uky.edu
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