How to Become an Agricultural Scientist

An agricultural scientist does more than you might think. Many of the advances in the availability of produce year-round, the lean meats we eat and the ever-increasing nutrients in our food are the result of work done by agricultural scientists.

Instructions

1. Concentrate on biology, chemistry, physics and math in your studies.

2. Know if your skills match what is required to become an agricultural scientist. Most people think of laboratory conditions when they think of scientists, but in addition to lab settings, they also do a lot of field work handling plants and animals. Often they work in a variety of weather conditions and deal with hazardous materials. Most scientists are members of a team and work closely with farmers or ranchers, so communication skills and attention to detail are necessary as well.

3. Plan to attend a lot of college after high school. An agricultural scientist needs to have a graduate degree, and some specializations require a masters degree or a Ph.D. to become marketable.

4. Gain work experience after completing a bachelor's degree. The work experience combined with your college degrees will place you in a good position to become marketable in your field. Some work available to those with four years of relevant college is in applied research and product development.

5. Consider voluntary certification programs offered by the American Society of Agronomy. These certificate programs should be obtained in addition to the college degree. Applicants must pass an exam, demonstrate three to five years of work experience, and provide documentation of past education and work history by supplying college transcripts and references.