AGRICULTURE, FOOD and
NATURAL RESOURCES
START HERE.
More than 70,000 futures
have started at Kirkwood...
Yours can be one of them!
As a Kirkwood agriculture student, you will join the largest two-year ag program in the
nation!* Just a few of the amazing things you’ll find at Kirkwood are:
•A 400-acre working farm that includes a 300-head beef complex, a swine complex and a 1.5-acre vineyard.
• The Iowa Equestrian Center, the Midwest’s premier equestrian facility that serves a dual purpose. During the week the stables, stalls and arena serve as Kirkwood’s Horse Science classrooms and working laboratory. On most weekends, the center hosts prominent regional and national horse shows.
• The only Floral Careers program in Iowa.
• Our 32,000-square-foot Horticulture/Floral Careers building, which features a large student commons area, a small engine lab and an indoor natural soil floor used to teach patio building and other outdoor skills in all weather conditions.
• Scholarships for everyone, including nearly 40 individual scholarships just for students in ag-related programs.
For more detailed information call 319-398-4944 or www.kirkwood.edu/careers.
* In terms of numbers of graduates.
Agriculture Business
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Facility operations
technician, farm operation manager, custom applicator
Prepare for careers in the agricultural sales and service industry.
You will study sales, advertising, merchandising, economics,
farm management, marketing, agronomy and animal science.
Agricultural Geospatial Technology
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Precision ag
specialist, precision farming consultant
Go to work in the emerging geospatial technology
industry. Kirkwood’s program is one of only a handful of
precision agriculture programs in the nation and the only
program that allows specialization in dealership/equipment
or agronomy careers.
You’ll take courses in computers, GPS (Global Positioning
Systems), ArcView and data collection, in addition to
agronomy and agriculture economics. This degree can
apply to many career areas and can be customized as
needed. A strong background in math and science is
recommended.
Agriculture Production Management
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Swine unit
manager, crop production manager, feedlot manager, farm
owner/operator
Find your career in the food production chain of modern
agriculture. Choose from three areas of emphasis or create a
custom program of study to best fit your career goals. Classes
focus on the latest methods and technology through hands-on
learning on our student-run farm.
You can pursue several paths of study:
•Beef Production Management
•Crop Production Management
•Swine Production Management
Agriculture Transfer
2-year AS degree
Earn an associate degree and transfer to a four-year college
or university as a junior. Your program includes agriculture
electives and courses in writing, speech, humanities, history/
cultures, social science, math and science. By earning your
associate degree at Kirkwood, all of your general education
courses are taken care of. That means you can dig right into
your major-related courses at your transfer school.
Transfer opportunities: Graduates usually transfer to land-
grant institutions such as Iowa State University, Northwest
Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University, Western
Illinois University or Oklahoma State University. By working
with your faculty advisor at Kirkwood, you can select courses
that will meet the requirements of your transfer school.
Diesel Ag Technology
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Diesel service
technician, service manager
Prepare for entry-level employment or job advancement in
fields related to the repair and maintenance of farm equipment
and other diesel-powered heavy equipment. This comprehensive
program stresses skill development, theoretical knowledge,
applications and leadership skills, providing graduates with
many employment options. A tool set is required.
Diesel Truck Technology
17-month AAS degree | Potential Careers: Shop foreman,
service manager
Find entry-level employment or job advancement in fields
related to the repair and maintenance of diesel trucks and
other diesel-powered equipment. This comprehensive program
stresses skill development, theoretical knowledge, applications
and leadership skills, providing graduates with many options
for employment. A tool set is required in this program.
You can transfer credits from this program to UNI toward a
B.A. in Technology Management.
Parks & Natural Resources
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Park ranger, park
manager, conservation officer
If you enjoy the outdoors and have a deep concern for
preserving and managing our precious natural resources,
take a look at our Parks and Natural Resources program.
As a student in this program, you’ll learn to maintain and
build campgrounds and lake areas; identify and manage fish,
amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and nesting and game birds;
operate and maintain equipment; manage plant material and
land; and maintain park facilities.
Floral Careers
1-year diploma | Potential Careers: Floral designer,
wedding consultant
Get advanced training in floral design, plant identification
and care, retail flower shop operations, advertising, visual
merchandising, inventory control and order processing.
Within the Floral Careers program, there is a major emphasis
in wedding and funeral designs, purchasing and interior plant
maintenance for the retail florist.
Golf Course and Athletic
Turfgrass Management
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Assistant golf
superintendent, athletic field manager
Through classroom and extensive lab experiences, you will
learn design, installation and maintenance of turfgrass systems;
understand cultural and chemical turf controls; install, design
and maintain irrigation systems; and operate and maintain turf
equipment. You will focus on computer literacy, team building,
budgeting, club activities and leadership responsibilities. You will
have the best hands-on opportunities turfgrass education has to
offer at our lab facilities.
Landscape Construction and Design
2–year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Landscape
designer, hardscape installation specialist
Proper installation of well-designed landscape adds beauty
and value to homes and businesses, and it insures a functional
outdoor space for years to come. Focus on creating those
designs using plant knowledge and artistic principles. Explore
the newest trends in sustainability and landscape maintenance.
Follow the construction track of this program and actually
build what a designer would put on paper. Learn site layout,
lighting and hardscape installation techniques.
Pet Grooming/Pet Shop Management
1-year diploma | Potential Careers: Pet groomer
As a pet grooming student, you’ll learn to groom and maintain
the appearance of pets, usually dogs. Grooming includes
brushing and cutting the pet’s hair, trimming toenails, bathing
the pet and cleaning its ears.
Humane Officer Training
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Municipal animal
control agencies, non-profit humane societies
Work in the growing professional humane officer field. From
humane investigation to interviewing witnesses and collecting
evidence, the professional humane officer understands public
safety and the law, possesses excellent communication skills,
and demonstrates a high level of integrity and dependability.
Veterinary Assistant
1-year diploma | Potential Careers: Veterinary assistant
As a Veterinary Assistant student, you’ll prepare for a career
working with animals in a variety of settings such as veterinary
clinics, animal control agencies, boarding kennels and
grooming salons. You’ll study animal diseases and disease
prevention, small animal pharmacology, pet grooming, kennel
management, animal behavior, nutrition, legal principles,
human relations, communication and computer science.
Veterinary Technician
2-year AAS degree | Potential Careers: Veterinary
technician
Veterinary technicians provide professional technical support to
veterinarians, biomedical researchers and other scientists. They
also care for hospitalized patients; assist the doctor in surgery;
perform physical exams, lab work and technical procedures
(blood draws, IV placement); take health histories and X-rays;
give and monitor anesthesia; provide client education; and
perform reception duties.
At Kirkwood, students work with a variety of animals including
dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, birds, snakes, guinea pigs,
hamsters and rats. A strong background in biological sciences is
needed for this program.
Kirkwood Continuing Education
Whether you want to advance your professional career or
enrich your personal life, Kirkwood Continuing Education
can help you achieve your goals. We offer top quality programs
taught by highly skilled learning facilitators, at convenient
times and locations. Go to www.kirkwood.edu/ce for a full
course listing. Kirkwood Continuing Education certification is
available in:
Vineyard Management Certificate
Get hands-on training and instruction with this eight-part
program on viticulture. You will learn all aspects of planning,
planting, maintenance and harvesting of your vineyard. Each
course will offer classroom instruction and in-the-vineyard
practical experience. More than half your time will be spent
working in the vineyard under close instructor guidance.
Wine Making and Winery Facility
Management Certificate
This seven-part series covers all aspects of winery facility
planning and management, from grapes on the vine through
crushing, fermentation, clarifying, bottling and marketing
your wine the consumer. You will be making wine from grapes
straight out of The Vineyard. Each course offers a mix of
classroom instruction and in-the-winery practical experience,
with most of your time spent working in the winery under
close instructor guidance.
Advising
At Kirkwood, you have options. Kirkwood advisors help
students with their academic futures, from developing and
academic plan to choosing the best courses to smoothly
transfer to a four-year school. Advisors can also help clarify
course requirements or refer you to support services as
needed. You’ll work with an advisor to choose the degree
pathway that meets your needs and meets your transfer
college requirements Then, we will help you select courses
that count toward your future bachelor’s degree.
Visit www.kirkwood.edu/advising for more information.
Kirkwood’s High School Offerings
Even high school students can get in on the action! High
school juniors and seniors can take Kirkwood classes in
ag-related subjects. Classes fulfill credit for both high school
and college. See www.kirkwood.edu/earncredit for more
information.
All of this, along with world-class
faculty, extensive student
services and low tuition make
Kirkwood the place to start if
you want to GO
ANYWHERE!
Find all the ways you can visit Kirkwood’s campus and get
started as a student at www.kirkwood.edu/visitcampus.
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW
PO Box 2068
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52406-2068
www.kirkwood.edu
Contact 319-398-5517 or 800-363-2220
or admissions@kirkwood.edu for more information.