High school students get Purdue Agriculture credit in life science

By Randy Woodson, Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture

A Purdue University program that is one of the first of its kind in the nation puts three agriculture courses on equal academic footing with traditional college-prep science classes. The three courses, "Advanced Life Science: Animals," "Advanced Life Science: Plants and Soil" and "Advanced Life Science: Foods," satisfy science requirements for both the Indiana academic honors diploma and the Core 40 diploma. Purdue credit can also be awarded to students who complete the courses.

Introduced in 2004, this year, about 1,100 students in more than 100 Indiana high schools are taking the classes. We’ve learned that showing students relevant and practical science applications early on helps them get excited about science and career options in the life sciences.