Students come to the AFE Program to help build a more desirable food production and distribution system, making agriculture and food systems more supportive of the natural environment and the society they serve. Students apply to AFE from varied academic and professional backgrounds in areas such as agriculture, biology, nutrition or health and environmental studies, as well as political science, history, economics and business or the liberal arts. Most students enter the program with applicable professional and volunteer experience which contributes to classroom discussion and community life.
To be eligible, applicants must have completed a Bachelor's degree, and have demonstrated their commitment and ability to succeed in the AFE program through previous coursework, including at least one course in general biology or chemistry, plus employment and volunteer experience as well as the GRE exam. For students who seek to refresh their verbal and quantitative skills, self-study materials and sample questions are available from the Educational Testing Service. Students whose native language is not English must take and pass the TOEFL exam.