Six Decades Strong

This is the IAA’s sixtieth year–a perfect time to reflect on the qualities that make the program special and share a few facts.

Many readers of INAG News may not know why the IAA was created in the first place. In short, we were created to serve Maryland by turning out trained, qualified employees for the agricultural industry.

Agriculture is neither easy nor cheap to teach; it is difficult for most small institutions to provide a solid foundation in agricultural study. In 1965, the Maryland legislature addressed that problem by creating the Institute of Applied Agriculture, located at the University of Maryland, where all kinds of resources for teaching agriculture already existed.

While the IAA has grown and changed over the years, this is still our purpose. Because we’re part of UMD, our students can study at the Campus Farm and the Research Greenhouse; have experiences at the Terp Farm, the Turf Farm, and the Community Learning Garden; and draw on courses from all over the university. Like other Terps, they can live and work on campus, join clubs, and participate in Greek life. 

At the same time, the IAA still focuses on hands-on experience (“applied” is part of our name!). In recent years, IAA students have participated in a Do Good grant-funded project to fight campus hunger; been part of a Turf Bowl team that earned second place nationwide; and volunteered to help preserve bee specimens in support of priceless scientific research. Our students can earn an FAA commercial drone pilot’s license, get a skid loader operator certification, and prepare for the Maryland commercial pesticide applicator’s license. Every day, they learn by doing things.

Another fun fact: the IAA’s courses reach thousands of University of Maryland students per year. We offer seats for General Education at the university in several categories, as well as a number of courses that are used by students in majors outside of the IAA. Our oral communication course alone–INAG 110–serves over 1600 students per year.

What our graduates do:

At a recent open house, a visitor asked, “What kinds of jobs do IAA graduates get? Do they go on to get more education?” It’s a simple enough question, but there are so many answers that it is difficult to decide where to begin!

IAA graduates take all kinds of jobs–they work on farms, in vet clinics, on golf courses, in landscaping companies, at farm credit agencies, in food- and agriculture-related nonprofits and government agencies, in nurseries and greenhouses, in agricultural education, in laboratories…the list goes on. If you attend an event connected to the green industry in the DMV, you are bound to encounter IAA alumni. Indeed, if you come visit the IAA, you’ll encounter some IAA alumni who now work here, passing on the things they learned to a new generation of students.

Many IAA graduates go on to pursue further education–most commonly degrees from UMD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The most popular degrees for IAA graduates are from Agricultural and Resource Economics, Agricultural Science and Technology, and Animal and Avian Sciences; we’re also seeing more and more interest in degrees from Environmental Science and Technology or Environmental Science and Policy.

It’s also worth observing that many IAA students already have degrees or years of experience in other fields. IAA career-changers come from all walks of life, including law, business, and education; some of our students have already led companies, served in the military, or raised children before deciding to come to the IAA and find a new purpose. These students bring a wealth of experience that enhances student life for everyone.

What the IAA student body is like:

The IAA’s target size is 90-120 students. That’s big enough to provide lots of opportunities (especially since we can tap into UMD’s resources!), but still small enough that your classmates and instructors know your name. It is important to us that every IAA student gets personal advising, internship guidance and supervision, and professional development support. 

IAA students are passionate about what they do. Some arrive with lots of agriculture-related knowledge, whether it’s from prior work experience, a high school agriculture program, life on a family farm, 4-H, or FFA. Others enter the IAA with little agricultural experience, but a powerful drive to learn. Either way, studying at the IAA means being part of a welcoming cohort with a shared commitment to agriculture and natural resources.

How do we know when we’re doing things right:

We look for a lot of different signs to confirm that we’re doing things right, but here are a few: 

• Our students succeed, both in completing their certificates and in launching their careers or continuing their education.
• The employers who hire IAA student interns or alumni tell us, “Please send us more people like this!” (I hear this sentiment all the time.) 
• Alumni send their children–or, in recent years, grandchildren!--to study at the IAA. 

Readers, if you have thoughts about what makes the IAA special, please reach out and let us know–we would love to hear from you!