Agricultural Business (B.S.)

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Program Coordinator/Contact

Nicole Klein, Associate Director
Ness School of Management and Economics
Harding Hall
605-688-4141

Program Information

The major in Agricultural Business prepares students to excel in the challenging environment of the modern agricultural industry. Graduates are creative, adaptable, and well educated in economics and management. The program combines education in management and economics with a strong technical knowledge in production agriculture and skills in problem solving. The curriculum emphasizes economic theory, agricultural business management, quantitative methods, and agricultural and biological science electives. Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in agricultural economics, agri-business, or related fields are well prepared by this degree program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

Be able to use analytical methods to make effective decisions. (Cross-curricular Skills: Inquiry and Analysis; Critical and Creative Thinking; Problem Solving)
Be able to communicate effectively. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
Be able to evaluate matters of ethics in the profession and the culture more broadly. (Cross-curricular Skills: Ethical Reasoning; Diversity, Inclusion and Equity)
Have the requisite body of knowledge in management and economics.

Academic Requirements

Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in CSC /MGMT 325 - Management Information Systems (COM) , FIN 310 - Business Finance (COM) , HRM 460 - Human Resource Management (COM) , and (MGMT 360 - Organization and Management (COM) or AGEC 371 - Agricultural Business Management ).

If a student chooses to double major in two majors offered through the Ness School of Management and Economics (Economics, Agricultural Business, Business Economics and Entrepreneurial Studies), the second major needs to have at least 18 credits that are distinct from the first major.

Course Delivery Format

The program offers courses on campus, with limited online coursework, usually during the summer.

Requirements for Agricultural Business Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication: ENGL 101 - Composition I (COM) [SGR #1] Credits: 3 and ENGL 201 - Composition II (COM) [SGR #1] Credits: 3
Goal #2 Oral Communication: SPCM 101 - Fundamentals of Speech (COM) [SGR #2] Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences/Diversity: SGR #3 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities/Diversity: SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics: MATH 121-121L - Survey of Calculus and Lab (COM) [SGR #5] Credits: 5 or MATH 123 - Calculus I (COM) [SGR #5] Credits: 4
Goal #6 Natural Sciences: SGR #6 Electives Credits: 6

College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Requirements

Bachelor of Science Requirements: 11

Students who wish to complete a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences must complete a minimum of 11 credits from the approved list of Group 1 courses. Some departments require specific courses from the list, whereas others leave the selection entirely to the student and the advisor.

System General Education Requirements and/or major coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements. Please review major requirements and the Group 1 list to determine if additional courses are required.

ABS 203 - Global Food Systems [SGR #3] Credits: 3
AGEC 354 - Agricultural Marketing and Prices Credits: 3 (Major Requirement)
Group 1 Courses in Agriculture Credits: 5

Major Requirements

ACCT 210 - Principles of Accounting I (COM) Credits: 3
ACCT 211 - Principles of Accounting II (COM) Credits: 3
AGEC 354 - Agricultural Marketing and Prices Credits: 3
AGEC 371 - Agricultural Business Management Credits: 3
or MGMT 360 - Organization and Management (COM) Credits: 3
AGEC 479 - Agricultural Policy Credits: 3
AGEC 485-585 - Farming and Food Systems Economics Credits: 3
AGEC Electives Credits: 9
BADM 101 - Survey of Business (COM) Credits: 3
BADM 321 - Business Statistics II (COM) Credits: 3
or DSCI 424 - Operations Research (COM) Credits: 3
BLAW 350 - Legal Environment of Business (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 119 - First Year Seminar Credits: 1
ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) [SGR #3] Credits: 3
ECON 301 - Intermediate Microeconomics (COM) Credits: 3
or ECON 431 - Managerial Economics Credits: 3
ECON 302 - Intermediate Macroeconomics (COM) Credits: 3
or ECON 330 - Money and Banking (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 319 - Seminar with Industry Leaders Credits: 1
ENGL 379 - Technical Communication (COM) Credits: 3
FIN 310 - Business Finance (COM) Credits: 3
HRM 460 - Human Resource Management (COM) Credits: 3
MGMT / CSC 325 - Management Information Systems (COM) Credits: 3
MKTG 370 - Marketing (COM) Credits: 3
STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (COM) [SGR #5] Credits: 3

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
System General Education Requirements	31-32 Credit Hours
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Requirements*	11 Credit Hours
Major Requirements	68 Credit Hours
Electives**	12-13 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements, Major Requirements, and Supporting Coursework may satisfy some or all of the above requirements.
**Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Academic Advising Guide Sheet

The goal of the academic advising guide sheets and sample plans of study is to promote undergraduate student success by guiding all students to timely completion of an undergraduate degree. Students are not limited to the course sequence provided for their academic program. Instead, the sample plan of study is one possible path to completing your degree and is meant to be used as a guide for planning purposes in consultation with an academic advisor. The plans also help students prepare for meetings with their academic advisor and track their progress in their selected academic program.