Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is located in Curtis, Nebraska, four hours from Lincoln, Nebraska or Denver, Colorado. The college is a public, associate college which is regionally accredited, and part of the University of Nebraska system. Starting in the Fall, 2017, it has a single-rate tuition per credit hour for all students, whether Nebraska residents, international, or non-resident students. NCTA is primarily a residential campus, with four residence halls.
The NCTA Veterinary Technology Systems program was one of the first VT programs in the United States to be accredited in the early 1970s by the American Veterinary Medical Association. It received re-accreditation in 2016. The VT program has been tapped as one of the Top Ten Colleges for Large Animal Veterinary Technicians by VetTechCollegs.com
In 2016, NCTA also earned acclaim for academic quality and college affordability with national rankings: Aspen Institute named NCTA among the Top 15% of Two-Year Colleges WalletHub.com ranked NCTA in Top 2% (9/821) of Two-Year Colleges in the U.S. for affordability and academic success Community College Weekly ranked NCTA among the Top 50 Colleges offering an Applied Science associate degree.
Academics
Programs are 2-year courses of study for an associate degree, with a second degree or certificate possible during three years. Students may transfer their Associate of Science (AS) to a four-year institution such as the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) for the A-to-B Transfer Program. NCTA has transfer agreements in place with multiple institutions. Contact those individual institutions for eligibility.
NCTA students may pursue a Bachelor of Science degree through the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and remain at NCTA for online courses or live within weekly commuting distance of the Curtis campus for this BAS Program.
Major areas of study at NCTA for an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree are: Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Equipment Management, Agronomy, Dairy Production, Diversified Agriculture, Equine Industry Management, Livestock Industry Management, and Veterinary Technology. See http://ncta.unl.edu/academic-programs
Options and areas of study for an Associate of Science (AS) Degree are: Agribusiness, Agricultural Education, Agronomy, Animal Science and Horticulture.
NCTA offers certificates in 1-year or 2-year programs which include: Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Chemical Application, Agricultural Welding, Animal Health Care, Beef Production, Crop Production, Diversified Agriculture, Equine Training Management, Irrigation Technology, and Laboratory Animal Care.
Campus Life
Competition and travel teams enhance academic activities for NCTA students through livestock judging team, crops judging team, rodeo team, ranch horse team, shooting sports team, and the stock dog club. Clubs and activities include Agribusiness Club, Collegiate Cattlemen, Collegiate FFA, Collegiate 4-H, Collegiate Farm Bureau, CRU (Campus Crusade), Horticulture Club, Phi Theta Kappa, Rodeo Club, Safari Club, Stock Dog Club, Student Government, Student Technicians of Veterinary Medicine Association, and Women in Agriculture.
History
NCTA occupies a 72-acre (290,000Â m2) campus which adjoins the town of Curtis, Nebraska, on the northeast. The College also owns a 562-acre (2.27Â km2) farm which serves as a field laboratory. The farm includes grain storage facilities, cattle growing and finishing facilities, and a completely diversified dry land and irrigated farming operation.
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture was established in 1965 as a land-grant institution - known at that time as UNSTA, the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture. It was started in 1913 as a regional, residential high school providing education to students from throughout the Sandhills region, southwest and western Nebraska. According to a researcher at Cornell College in Iowa, NCTA is the oldest college campus that was previously a high school and is still functioning today as an educational institution.
The first high school students began classes in Agriculture Hall (shown in the photo) on Sept. 8, 1913 at the Nebraska School of Agriculture (NSA). In 1946, the high school's title changed to the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture (UNSA). The college, UNSTA, began in 1965 with the UNSA high school operating classes on campus simultaneously for three years until the Medicine Valley Public School opened its new high school. Stan Matzke was UNSTA's first superintendent from 1965-1968, followed by Bill Siminoe from 1968-1995.
The college's name officially changed from the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture (UNSTA) to the University of Nebraska - Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in February, 1994. Don Woodburn served as NCTA Dean from 1995 to 2004, with Jerry Sundquist of Curtis as interim dean, when Weldon Sleight came on board in 2006 until December, 2012. Ron Rosati became NCTA Dean on July 1, 2013.
In November, 2013, NCTA celebrated the college's 50th anniversary with a gathering of alumni, former superintendents and deans, students and the Curtis community. A 50th anniversary booklet shared highlights from the institution's history as a high school and college. Dean Rosati described the anniversary and historical significance in a Dean's Column, "Building upon NCTA's history."
Campus Centers
NCTA and its earlier institutions have continually operated with business offices and the administration located in the first building on campus, Agriculture Hall at 404 East 7th Street, Curtis. See campus map
Facilities include four residence halls, a dining hall, library, historic Student Activities Center/Student Union (known as The Barn), the Everett Stencel Livestock Teaching Center and indoor arena which houses animal and equine sciences and agricultural education; a 225-seat auditorium and Student Services Welcome Center at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry Education Center, which also houses agronomy, chemistry and biology classrooms and laboratories; and the Veterinary Technology Systems Complex and Dr. Walter Long Teaching Clinic. Additional classrooms and labs are included for agricultural equipment management (welding, electricity, irrigation technology) and greenhouses for horticulture. General Education and Agribusiness divisions are located at Ag Hall.
References
External links
- College Website
