Practices perceived as best preparation for Texas A&M University graduate students pursuing careers in international agricultural development

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to digital@library.tamu.edu, referencing the URI of the item.Includes bibliographical references.Purposes: The purpose of this study was to determine which practices best prepare graduate students at Texas A&M University for careers/jobs in international agricultural development. Methodology:Interviewing, founded in the context of naturalistic inquiry, is the method used for gathering data in this study. The total number of participants interviewed was n=15. Five interviews were taken from three different and interrelated populations for the purposes of triangulation. Subjects were randomly selected for participation from the populations of (a) professors and (b) graduate students currently involved in international development at TAMU during 1993-94; and (c) employers who have supervised TAMU graduates. The interviews followed a schedule of consistency. Data gathered was analyzed and grouped categorically by the researcher. Selected quotes were transcribed by the researcher. Data was analyzed for repetition of responses between respondent groups. Major Findings: The major findings of this study were as follows: 1. Students attending TAMU were perceived to receive extensive technical training in their respective fields of study. 2. opportunities were perceived to exist, but were not utilized, at TAMU for more fully developing an international program. 3.TAMU has a perceived history of lacking support for international programatic thrusts