Program Overview

Program Overview

The Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Biosecurity and Food Defense is a 12-credit program offered by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. This unique program is part of the homeland security program, one of the most respected programs of its kind in the U.S.

Program Description

The program focuses on developing and implementing safety measures to prevent or manage biological threats, defending the nation's food and fiber supply, identifying main threats to plant-based agriculture, and learning to recognize and apply measures to prevent intentional contamination of the food supply.

Online Courses

The program is offered 100% online, allowing students to complete their coursework at their own pace. The curriculum focuses on building knowledge in key areas such as current agricultural and food security issues and vulnerabilities, structure and roles of U.S. federal, state, and local government in agricultural biosecurity and food defense, and recognition of a foodborne or agricultural disease event as a terrorist or criminal act.

Required Courses

The program consists of four required courses:

• AGBIO 520: Agricultural Biosecurity: Protecting a Key Infrastructure (3 credits)
• AGBIO 521: Food Defense: Prevention Planning for Food Processors (3 credits)
• AGBIO 801: Veterinary Infectious Disease Diagnostic and Surveillance Systems (3 credits)
• AGBIO 802: Plant Protection: Responding to Introductions of Threatening Pest and Pathogens (3 credits)

Career Opportunities

The program can help create opportunities in various fields, including public health, food safety, and agricultural biosecurity. Students can use the knowledge gained from this program to pursue careers in a variety of fields, depending on their goals.

Admission Requirements

For admission to the program, an applicant must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a tertiary degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. The postsecondary (undergraduate), junior/senior (last two years) GPA is required.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Graduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register. Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins, and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment. Students pursuing a certificate are considered "nondegree" and are not eligible for federal student aid.

Faculty

The program is taught by distinguished faculty who have special training and experience teaching in an online environment. The faculty includes:

• Catherine Cutter, Professor in the Department of Food Science and Assistant Director of Food Safety and Quality Programs, Penn State Extension
• Ernest Hovingh, Associate Research Professor and Extension Veterinarian at Penn State
• Seogchan Kang, Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology
• Gretchen Kuldau, Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

Head Start toward a Master's Degree

The program can also give students a solid head start toward a full master's degree. Some or all credits earned for this certificate can be applied to the Homeland Security – Agricultural Biosecurity and Food Defense Option (Master of Professional Studies) degree program.