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Agricultural Business . . .

combines economics, business and technical agriculture into a meaningful course of study.
It is designed to prepare professionals who will be decision makers needing analytical tools and knowledge from these three areas of study.

Agricultural Economics Department
103 Agricultural Science
(715) 425-3298

Undergraduate Catalog

Goals and Objectives

• to prepare students for entry-level jobs,
• to equip students with tools and principles for professional growth on the job, and
• to expose students to ideas that lead to better living and citizenship.

Program

The following core courses are required in the major:
AGEC 231 Agricultural Economics II
AGEC 250 World Food and Population
AGEC 320 Statistical Methods
AGEC 355 Agricultural Markets and Prices
AGEC 365 Agricultural Finance
AGEC 440 Agricultural Policy I
AGEC 441 Agricultural Policy II
AGEC 442 Production Economics
AGEC 450 Introduction to Natural Resource Economics
AGEC 456 Commodity Marketing
In addition, choose one of the following two alternatives:

Alternative I.
AGEC 240 Cooperatives
AGEC 305 Ag. Bus. Accounting
AGEC 360 Farm Management
AGEC 468 Agribusiness Firm Mgt.
And: 15 credits toward a 22-credit
minor in a technical area of agriculture.

Alternative II.
ECON 326 Statistical Methods for Econ. and Business
ECON 426 Forecasting and Econometrics
AGEC 368 Professional Selling
And: 15 credits from Econ., Math/Comp. Sci

.
Many students choose to complete the minor.
An internship is highly recommended.
The major and 15 credits are just under 50 percent of the course work. In addition, each student must complete the university’s general education requirements and the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences’ professional studies requirements.

Faculty

The agricultural economics department administers the agricultural business major. The department has a faculty of seven, all with doctoral degrees from major universities, all with significant professional experience outside the classroom, and all with a primary interest in teaching. One faculty has been named “Distinguished Teacher of the Year” for the campus.

Career Opportunities

The major prepares students to quickly learn on the job for a variety of entry level positions, primarily in agriculture. By selecting a given minor area, a student can give some direction to the probable area of employment. The following are a few job titles that our graduates have: loan officer, feed consultant, crop consultant, plant supervisor, farmer, farm manager, commodity futures trader, commodity merchandizer, machinery salesperson, office supervisor, territory administrator, agricultural statistician, livestock buyer, public relations officer, market manager, and professor (with additional graduate study). There are many more.

Our graduates obtain jobs that pay well. Surveys by our career services indicate nearly 100 percent employment rates and starting salaries averaging above the median for college graduates. The U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that there is a growing shortage of college graduates to fill the job needs of agribusiness.

Bachelor of Science Degree. Agricultural Business. Academic Advising Plan.

Semester 1 (Fall)

ANSC 111 Introduction to Animal Science ~ 3
ENGL 111 Academic Reading and Writing ~ 3
ESM 105 Introduction to Environmental Studies ~ 3
GEOL 101 Introductory Geology ~ 3
MATH 146 College Algebra
or MATH 149 Precalculus ~ 3 or 4
Total semester credits ~ 15 or 16

Semester 5 (Fall)

AGEC 320 Statistical Methods ~ 3
AGEC 355 Agricultural Markets and Prices ~ 3
AGEC 360 Farm Management ~ 3
SOIL 210 Introductory Soil Science ~ 3
Physical education activity course ~ .5
Course in minor area ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15.5

Semester 2 (Spring)

AGEC 230 Agricultural Economics I ~ 3
AGRN 161 Introduction to Plant Science ~ 3
ENGL 112 Persuasive Reading and Writing ~ 3
MATH 156 Calculus for Business and Social Science
or MATH 166 Calculus I ~ 3 or 4
CSTA 101 Fundamentals of Oral Communication
or CSTA 116 Business and Professional Comm ~ 3
P ED 108 Health and Fitness for Life ~ 1
Total semester credits ~ 16 or 17

Semester 6 (Spring)

AGEC 365 Agricultural Finance ~ 3
AGEC 368 Professional Selling ~ 3
General education humanities/diversity course ~ 3
General education social/behavioral science course ~ 3
Physical education activity course ~ .5
Course in minor area ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15.5

Semester 3 (Fall)

AGEC 231 Agricultural Economics II ~ 3
AGEC 240 Cooperatives ~ 2
CHEM 121 General Chemistry I ~ 5
PSYC 101 General Psychology ~ 3
English sophomore literature course ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 16

Semester 7 (Fall)

AGEC 440 Agricultural Policy I ~ 3
AGEC 442 Production Economics ~ 3
AGEC 450 Intro to Natural Resource Economics ~ 3
AGEC 456 Commodity Marketing ~ 3
Course in minor area ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15.5

Semester 4 (Spring)

AGEC 250 World Food and Population ~ 3
AGEC 305 Agricultural Business Accounting ~ 3
AGEN 150 Agricultural and Environmental Eng ~ 3
Course from minor area ~ 3
General education humanities appreciation course ~ 3
General elective course ~ 2
Total semester credits ~ 17

Semester 8 (Spring)

AGEC 441 Agricultural Policy II ~ 3
AGEC 468 Agribusiness Firm Management ~ 3
Interdisciplinary senior capstone course ~ 2
General elective courses ~ 6
Total semester credits ~ 14

 

Summary of Agricultural Business Degree Requirements

General Education. ~ 41-43 cr.
Agriculture Foundation Courses ~ 15 cr.
Major Requirements ~ 44 cr.
Required Supporting Courses ~ 3-4 cr.
Directed Electives ~ 15 cr.
Credits to Degree ~ 120 cr.

 

This academic plan is an example of how students might choose to fulfill program requirements within a period of four years. After consulting with their advisers students may make other course choices which would meet the program requirements and be more suitable for them.

PDF version

Updated 2003

 

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