An agriculture education teacher will have to fulfill different requirements to obtain teacher certification. The websites of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) and the National Future Farmers of America (NFFA) offer an overview of requirements for entry into this profession. A common element of this profession is that teachers must use a cross-curriculum approach to integrate agriculture education with other subjects.

Prerequisites

Before a student considers applying to a professional preparation program, he must complete a high school diploma or GED. The next step is to complete the first two years of college at a two-year or four-year college or university. During these two years, a student must complete the course prerequisites for acceptance into a college major.

College Major

Every state in the U.S. requires state certified teachers to hold at least a bachelor's degree to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act. Exceptions are only given to teachers of vocational courses like paramedics and firefighting. An agriculture teacher can pursue an undergraduate degree that includes coursework in agricultural sciences. Sample majors are agribusiness, agricultural education, agronomy, animal science and horticulture. According to the NAAE, agriculture education majors will have courses in communications, human diversity and human relations, science-related courses and educational methods courses.

State Certification

To become state certified, a person with a four-year degree must complete other requirements for educators. If a person does not graduate from a state-approved teacher education program, she will have to complete such a program prior to certification or while completing certification requirements. Many states offer alternative certification programs for teachers who have a degree in a non-education field.

Obtaining state certification usually requires passing a general competency test for Math, Reading, and English, passing a state educator certification exam, and passing a subject area test (such as agricultural education). In addition, the NAAE offers a directory of certification requirements and job postings by state.