Program Description

The Crop Scout Embedded Technical Diploma program prepares learners to inspect farm fields and record weed, insect, disease and other observations.

Learners will locate, identify, and diagnose crop diseases or pest infestation areas that may impact crop yield while utilizing technology such as drone areal images, GPS, and hands-on inspection techniques throughout the program. Learners will use knowledge of growth stages in crops in order to predict potential problems during that stage of the growing season. This is an important role to help farmers make timely, informed and economical field crop decisions.

As an Embedded Technical Diploma, this program ladders fully into the Crop Science Associate Degree program.

Found in These Career Fields:

Approximate Program Cost

$4,899
Tuition: $4039 , Books: $860

Starting Salary

$19,968–$33,696
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).
An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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The application takes just a few minutes to complete.

Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Complete nutrient testing
  • Complete soil sampling
  • Summarize, identify and record growth stage, weed, insect and disease infestations
  • Examine fields and record the condition of growing crop

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Pesticide Application Specialist
  • Custom Applicator
  • Agriculture Sales Representative
  • Crop Research Assistant
  • Crop Insurance Professional
  • Field Supervisor
  • Crop Scout

Courses

The Crop Scout Technical Diploma is a 26 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

First Term

ORIENTATION TO AGRONOMY 1.00
AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT SAFETY 2.00
CROP SCOUTING TECHNIQUES 3.00
PESTICIDE/FERTILIZER EQUIPMENT 3.00
COLLEGE 101 1.00

Second Term

PRINCIPLES OF CROP PRODUCTION 3.00
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT 2.00
PLANT SCIENCE AND WEED ID 3.00

Third Term

INTRODUCTION TO SOILS 2.00
INTRODUCTION TO PRECISION AGRICULTURE 3.00
AGRICULTURE WATER MANAGEMENT 3.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Pathways

Pathways are a series of connected programs that enable you to advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training. By earning one degree, you could also be completing several courses of a related program in a pathway, bringing you one step closer to an advanced degree.

Completing the Crop Scout Technical Diploma Earns You:

Cost of Attendance

2023-2024 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semester Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,713*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$6,900*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,713*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$6,900*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $4,052 $9,614
Books / Supplies $2,061 $2,061
Transportation $2,007 $2,007
Personal Expenses $2,245 $2,245
Loan Fees $83 $83
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$15,161
Out-of-State
$17,348
In-State
$20,723
Out-of-State
$22,910

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2022-2023 academic year with a projected base increase of 1.65%. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

Students with dependent care, computer or study abroad expenses should contact the Financial Aid Office to document allowable expenses which may serve to increase their COA.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

 

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Before you apply, you should know

The majority of the courses in this program take place at NTC’s Agriculture Center of Excellence, located at 6625 County Road K, Wausau, WI.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

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What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.