The Occupation of Agricultural Graduates: The Analysis of the Students' Attitude of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University

     The growth and development of any society requires the optimal utilization of its educated human resources. Agricultural students and graduates as specialists in agricultural sector are the main stimulus of agricultural development in the country. The occupation of agricultural graduates is one of the most important concerns of society and plicymakers. The increasing unemployment rate of the university graduates has raised many concerns for agricultural students and their families. Therefore, present research was conducted with the aim of assessing students' attitudes toward the future of occupation in agricultural sector, in Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University. Present research is a descriptive- correlational study and survey method with questionnaire was used to collect data. The statistical population of the study was all students of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University (2770 students). A sample of 321 students were selected using stratified random sampling. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts in agricultural extension and education and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the reliability of the questionnaire scales (ranged 0.723 – 0.881). The study results revealed that students' attitude toward the future of occupation in agricultural sector was in average. Moreover, the results of mean comparison tests showed that there was no significant difference between male and female students, students of different faculties and students with different job situation regarding their attitudes toward the future of occupation in agriculture. But students who had at least an acquaintance with the agriculture filed before entering the university had a more favorable attitude toward the future of the agricultural sector. The results of regression analysis showed that students' attitudes towards future of occupation in agriculture are affected by the degree of the related people agreement with their choice of the field of agriculture, the degree of facing with problems at the university, the amount of studying and the duration of attending the university.