A four-year honours degree is considered as the normal and basic admission requirement. Work experience in a rural area or non-urban community is considered especially useful in applying theory to practice and in identifying research needs and topics. Students in the School of Rural Extension Studies have employment backgrounds in areas such as agricultural extension, rural and volunteer organizations, community development, education, family and consumer studies, social work, communication technology, health, international project management, and technology transfer. A minimum of two full-time semesters of course work, or the equivalent, must be completed. Thesis and major paper options are available.
All students take a comprehensive exam near the end of the course work.
Students select an adviser and a research committee who will assist them in course selection, research and thesis development. All students will be required to complete a thesis or major research paper. Normally a supervised practicum or internship will be required, unless the student has substantial relevant experience. Students take a minimum of 2.5 course credits in the school and a minimum of 2.5 credits in international development studies. Please consult the International Development Studies listing for a detailed description of the collaborative program including the special additional requirements for each of the participating departments.