Brief History

The Agricultural Extension Department was hived off the then department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management into a full-fledged department in September 1976. The first head of Department was Prof. Eugene Bortei-Doku. 

Initially the department focused on offering courses to students enrolled in the BSc. Agriculture programme and then to the postgraduate programme in Agricultural Extension from the mid-1980s. Currently however, it trains students in the BSc. Agricultural Extension, MSc. Extension and Livelihoods, MPhil. Agricultural Extension, M. Agricultural Extension and PhD. Agricultural Extension programmes. The scope of courses offered in the department have broadened extensively from the traditional focus on Rural sociology, Rural Development, Communication, Extension programme planning, Extension methods and Approaches, Extension Education and Training to include other contemporary areas such as Gender planning and development, Agricultural value chains and Commercialization, Micro-finance and Micro-enterprise development, Climate change and livelihoods, sustainable Livelihoods and Human resource development. In line with its mandate as an academic department of the University, it has continued in its efforts to ensure academic excellence through quality research, teaching and extension.

The following employment opportunities exist for graduates from this department: Agricultural Specialist for banks and Microfinance Institutions, Human Resource Managers, Field Workers, Lecturers/Teachers, Extension Officers, Exporters, Farmers and Agricultural Experts for various non-Governmental and International Organisations