1. BSc. in Rural Development and Agricultural Extension – Regular
Realising the emerging need of creating extension professionals with enough competence and technical knowledge to revamp Ethiopian farming sector, Haramaya University has been giving much thrust for the academic programmes in this subject matter for the last several years. In 1967, it began to offer a BSc degree programme with a major in agricultural education / extension but the Department was closed in 1977 – 78. After several years of interruption, the University, as per the recommendation from the Ministry of Education of Government of Ethiopia, and UNDP, re-institutionalised the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension (formerly Department of Agricultural Extension) in 1994. The only one of its type in the country, the Department of Agricultural Extension at Haramaya University has been created at about the time when the new national extension intervention programme was on the anvil and was meant to specifically serve the purpose of agricultural development led industrialization (ADLI) policy by providing the required trained human resource.
At present, the Department of Rural Development and Agricultural Extension runs three BSc level training programmes (1) Regular (2) Mid-career and (3) Summer-in-service. The first one admits students who completed their preparatory education in various schools of the country (till 2004, from the freshman students in the University). This regular undergraduate programme B.Sc (Rural Development and Agricultural Extension), started in 1994, is unique by giving more emphasis on extension related courses along with technology inputs in crop and livestock production and natural resource management. This extends to three years after freshman course or preparatory course in natural science. The graduates of this programme are substantially contributing to the agrarian development of the country by serving as extension functionaries under the Ministry of Agriculture as well as NGOs in various capacities.
Another unique teaching programme of the Department is the Mid-Career undergraduate programme leading to the award of the degree B.Sc (Agricultural Extension). This is offered to the in-service and sponsored candidates from among the front line extension workers of regional bureaux of agriculture and rural development or NGOs, who already possess Diplomas in Agriculture and allied subjects as well as several years of service. Started in 1996, this programme has been producing on average 30 graduates every year since 1999.
Another notable course programme at undergraduate level is the Summer-in-service Programme leading to the award of the degree BSc (Rural Development and Agricultural Extension). Started in 2002, this is also meant for in-service candidates to enable them to be trained for better professionalism during their off-seasons (summer) of every year, though with long duration.
2. BSc in Agricultural Extension – Mid Career
The BSc program of Mid-Career in Agricultural Extension has a unique practical course called Supervised Extension Project (SEPs) where students design, and implements intervention projects on the farmers’ farm with selected target farmers for about eight months. SEP has four phases: Need assessment, proposal preparation and presentation, off-campus SEPs implementation, and Evaluation phase.