Establishment

The Department of Plant and Animal Production was established in 2004 and currently offers only the Organic Farming program. The program employs 1 Professor and 1 Assistant Professor, contributing significantly to meeting the increasing need for skilled intermediate staff.

Mission of the Department

The mission is to train individuals who adhere to Atatürk's principles and reforms, follow contemporary developments, and engage in activities that contribute to agricultural, economic, and social development at local and regional levels using scientific methods. Additionally, it aims to cultivate students who are skilled in problem-solving, equipped with professional competence and ethics, and possess knowledge, experience, and practical application skills.

Vision of the Department

The vision is to become a respected, reliable, and preferred educational institution that maintains high-quality education, trains qualified and disciplined technical personnel with high self-confidence in the field of organic farming, addresses regional and national problems, and collaborates with stakeholders.

Performance Evaluation Criteria of the Department

1. Education: Employment rate of graduates and their success rate in post-graduation job exams.
2. Scientific Publication: The number of quality international publications, scientific activities by the staff, and citations of their scientific works.

Qualification Requirements and Rules

The Organic Farming Program admits students based on their YGS-6 score. To graduate, students must successfully complete all courses (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits), achieve a minimum weighted GPA of 2.00 out of 4.00, and complete a 30-day internship.

Titles Earned by Graduates

Students who graduate from the Organic Farming Program after completing both theoretical and practical courses receive an "associate degree diploma" and can work as technicians. Upon successfully completing the two-year associate degree education, graduates are awarded an "Associate Degree in Organic Farming" and the title "Organic Farming Technician."

Organic Farming Technician

Organic farming technicians are intermediate professionals engaged in controlled and certified agricultural production at every stage of agricultural food and non-food production, without using chemical inputs and pesticides harmful to humans and other living beings, while preserving the ecological and biological natural balance and protecting the environment.

Work Environment and Conditions

Organic farming technicians work in open fields and gardens where plants are grown, in businesses engaged in organic animal production, and in analysis laboratories, which are indoor environments. They may encounter muddy, dusty, cold, or hot conditions when working outdoors. They may also be exposed to fertilizer odors during related tasks. They work in communication with the Organic Farming Commission of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, agricultural engineers, certified agricultural workers, organic farming control and certification organizations, and their colleagues.

Facilities of the Department

Aydın Doğan Vocational School’s Department of Plant and Animal Production boasts a strong academic staff. It also features rich infrastructure, including the Organic Farming Research and Application Center, Organic Farming Research Area, Organic Cherry Orchard, Organic Beekeeping Station, and Chemistry Laboratory, providing students with quality education in both theoretical and practical fields. Students reinforce their theoretical education with practical training, graduating with sufficient technical proficiency.

Vertical Transfer Areas

Graduates of the Organic Farming program who achieve sufficient scores in the DGS (Vertical Transfer Exam) can continue their education in relevant departments of Faculties of Agriculture and earn the title of Agricultural Engineer.

Employment of Graduates

Technicians who graduate from the organic farming program can work in various fields, including public and private sectors. Employment opportunities include the provincial and district Directorates of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Research Institutes, Municipalities, Agricultural Credit Cooperatives, Agricultural Chambers, Agricultural Sales Cooperatives, Agricultural Development Cooperatives, Organic Farming enterprises, Organic markets, relevant private sector organizations, organic product certification bodies, and their own plant and animal production businesses.

Educational Process of the Department

At the end of each semester, the department’s curriculum is reviewed, and necessary changes are made based on suggestions.

Education and training are conducted in both classroom and practical settings.

Advisory Services Offered to Students

Advisory services are provided under two main headings: a) Course Selection: During the course selection process, students receive advisory services by communicating with their academic advisors. b) Internship: Students in their first and second years communicate with the department secretariat to obtain internship files and complete their internships.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Knows the basic information about plants and animals.
2. Understands the basic concepts of organic farming.
3. Comprehends the relationship between plants, animals, and soil.
4. Recognizes and knows how to cultivate plants produced for organic farming purposes.
5. Identifies and knows how to breed animals produced for organic farming purposes.
6. Applies the knowledge and experience gained in the field of plant production to practice.
7. Solves problems encountered in the field of plant production.
8. Utilizes scientific resources in a foreign language.
9. Participates in plant breeding studies.
10. Gains knowledge about the transportation, storage, and marketing of organic products.
11. Communicates easily with people inside and outside the sector, knows healthy living rules, the social and political history of the country, uses the language well, benefits from technology, and is proficient in mathematics.