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Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary

SOC 25-1041.00Job Zone 5 · Extensive Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers postsecondary agricultural sciences teaching and research practice across classroom instruction, laboratory and field supervision, graduate mentorship, scholarly publication, and academic leadership within research universities and land-grant institutions.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Course syllabi and instructional handouts — draft and organize under faculty mentorship for undergraduate agricultural sciences courses.
  2. Assigned readings and current journal articles — review and synthesize to stay current with developments in an agricultural specialty field.
  3. Undergraduate laboratory sessions — assist in supervising equipment use and safety protocols under direction of a lead faculty member.
  4. Introductory lectures on topics such as crop production or soil chemistry — deliver to small class sections using prepared slide decks and faculty-provided materials.
  5. Student academic questions — respond to and refer to appropriate advising resources within a postsecondary institutional setting.
  6. Word processing and office suite software — use to prepare course documents, assignment sheets, and basic instructional materials.
  7. Professional conference sessions and departmental seminars — attend and document key findings relevant to assigned teaching areas.
  8. Graduate research assistants — observe and provide initial feedback on laboratory procedures under senior faculty oversight.
  9. Collaborative teaching discussions — participate in departmental meetings to share observations on instructional challenges.
  10. Database and information retrieval tools — apply to locate peer-reviewed literature supporting course content development.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Weekly lecture series on plant genetics, food production systems, or soil chemistry — prepare and deliver independently to undergraduate or graduate cohorts in a postsecondary classroom.
  2. Course materials including syllabi, homework assignments, and grading rubrics — develop and revise routinely to align with program learning outcomes.
  3. Undergraduate and graduate student researchers — supervise field work and laboratory operations with reduced reliance on departmental oversight.
  4. Academic and career advising sessions — conduct for students navigating agricultural sciences curricula, internship placements, and graduate school options.
  5. Research findings in a defined agricultural specialty — compile, analyze, and submit as manuscripts to peer-reviewed professional journals.
  6. Learning management and calendar scheduling software — use to organize course schedules, assignment deadlines, and student communications efficiently.
  7. Interdisciplinary teaching and research challenges — collaborate with departmental colleagues to develop coordinated solutions within familiar academic contexts.
  8. Laboratory operations and field experiment protocols — coordinate and monitor to ensure data integrity and student safety across a semester.
  9. Current agricultural science literature — read critically and integrate emerging findings into course content updates on a regular cycle.
  10. Inductive reasoning and systems evaluation skills — apply when assessing student mastery and adapting instructional strategies mid-semester.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Graduate student teaching and research programs — supervise autonomously across internship placement, thesis development, and independent research phases within a research university.
  2. Peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and electronic media — produce independently to disseminate original research findings across the full scope of an agricultural sciences specialty.
  3. Non-routine student academic or career challenges — assess and resolve using judgment grounded in deep knowledge of postsecondary education pathways and agricultural industry trends.
  4. Advanced seminars on complex topics such as molecular plant genetics or precision agriculture systems — design and deliver to graduate students with high content rigor.
  5. Field research sites and laboratory facilities — coordinate operations, allocate resources, and troubleshoot complex procedural problems across multiple concurrent projects.
  6. Professional conferences and disciplinary networks — participate as presenter and peer reviewer to maintain currency and contribute to knowledge in the field.
  7. Complex problem-solving in research design — apply inductive and deductive reasoning to guide graduate students through methodological challenges in agricultural science investigations.
  8. Interdisciplinary research collaborations with colleagues across departments or institutions — lead and manage communication, task coordination, and shared deliverables.
  9. Course assessment data and student performance metrics — analyze systematically to evaluate instructional effectiveness and implement evidence-based improvements.
  10. Emerging agricultural technologies and computational tools — evaluate and integrate selectively into both research programs and undergraduate or graduate course content.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Departmental curriculum frameworks for agricultural sciences degree programs — design, champion, and continuously improve to reflect field advances and workforce needs at institutional scale.
  2. Early-career faculty and postdoctoral researchers — mentor in teaching effectiveness, research productivity, and professional development within a research-intensive academic environment.
  3. Multi-year externally funded research programs — lead as principal investigator, setting scientific direction and ensuring compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements.
  4. Institutional academic policies affecting graduate education and research in agricultural sciences — shape through faculty governance participation, committee leadership, and strategic advocacy.
  5. National and international professional conferences — serve in leadership roles such as session chair, keynote presenter, or program committee member to advance disciplinary knowledge.
  6. Cross-institutional research consortia and extension partnerships — establish and direct to link university agricultural science expertise with government, industry, and community stakeholders.
  7. Departmental hiring, promotion, and tenure processes — lead as evaluator and decision-maker, applying deep judgment to assess scholarly impact and teaching excellence.
  8. Strategic vision for research themes and instructional innovation — articulate and execute at the department or college level, aligning resources to long-term disciplinary priorities.
  9. Discipline-wide knowledge gaps and societal challenges such as food security or climate adaptation — identify and mobilize collaborative research agendas that span institutions and sectors.
  10. Doctoral student academic trajectories from admission through career placement — oversee and guide, drawing on extensive professional networks and mastery of the agricultural sciences field.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Adjunct Instructor · Agribusiness Instructor · Agribusiness Professor · Agricultural Economics Professor · Agricultural Education Professor · Agricultural Engineering Technology Instructor · Agricultural Science Professor · Agricultural Science Teacher · Agricultural Soil Conservation Professor · Agriculture Instructor · Agriculture Professor · Agriculture Teacher
RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
InstructingLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive ListeningWritingCritical ThinkingActive LearningMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingComplex Problem SolvingCoordinationScienceTime ManagementSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessMathematics
Knowledge domains
BiologyEducation and TrainingEnglish LanguageAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServiceFood ProductionCommunications and MediaMathematicsGeographyComputers and ElectronicsAdministrativeLaw and GovernmentPersonnel and Human Resources
Abilities
Oral ExpressionSpeech ClarityOral ComprehensionWritten ComprehensionInductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionProblem SensitivityFluency of Ideas
Work styles
Intellectual CuriosityDependabilitySocial OrientationInnovationAchievement OrientationCooperation
Technology
Computer based training softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareData base user interface and query softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareElectronic mail softwareMedical softwareOptical character reader OCR or scanning softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  2. Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  3. Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
  4. Supervise laboratory sessions and field work and coordinate laboratory operations.
  5. Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  6. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as crop production, plant genetics, and soil chemistry.
  7. Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
  8. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
CIP education codes
01.000001.010101.010201.010301.010401.010501.019901.020101.020401.029901.030101.030201.030301.030401.030701.030801.039901.040101.050501.050701.060101.060301.060401.060501.060601.060701.070101.090101.090201.090301.090401.090501.090601.090701.099901.100101.100401.109901.110101.110201.110301.110401.110501.110601.119901.120101.120201.120301.129913.130113.1316

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.