Agricultural Business (B.S.)

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus, Online

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Students listening to their instructor in a finance lab.

Program Coordinator/Contact

Nicole Klein, Associate Director
Ness School of Management and Economics
Harding Hall 100
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. This degree program is also available online.

Course Delivery Format

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

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will:

Be able to use analytical methods to make effective decisions.
Be able to communicate effectively.
Be able to evaluate matters of ethics in the profession and the culture more broadly.
Have the requisite body of knowledge in management and economics.

Academic Requirements

Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in BADM 485 - Strategic Management , 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 15 credits that are distinct from the first major.

Requirements for Agricultural Business Major: 120 Credits

Bachelor of Science

System General Education Requirements

Goal #1 Written Communication: SGR #1 Elective Credits: 6
Goal #2 Oral Communication: SGR #2 Elective Credits: 3
Goal #3 Social Sciences: ABS 203 - Global Food Systems [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3 (Major Requirement) and ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3 (Major Requirement)
Goal #4 Arts and Humanities: SGR #4 Electives Credits: 6
Goal #5 Mathematics: MATH 121 - Survey of Calculus (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 4 and MATH 121L - Survey of Calculus Lab [HSDC] Credits: 1 or MATH 123 - Calculus I (COM) [SGR #5, HSDC] Credits: 4
Goal #6 Natural Sciences: SGR #6 Electives Credits: 6

Major Requirements

ABS 203 - Global Food Systems [SGR #3, HSDC] Credits: 3
ABS (excluding ABS 203), AS, AST, DS, EES, FS, HO, NRM, PRAG, PS, RANG, VET, WL Electives Credits: 4-6
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 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
BADM 485 - Strategic Management 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, HSDC] Credits: 3
ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) [SGR #3, HSDC] 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, HSDC] Credits: 3

Electives

Taken as needed to complete any additional degree requirements.

Total Required Credits: 120

Summary of Program Requirements

Bachelor of Science
System General Education Requirements*	25-26 Credit Hours
Major Requirements	75-77 Credit Hours
Electives**	17-20 Credit Hours

*System General Education Requirements for students pursuing a baccalaureate degree shall include a minimum of 30 credit hours. Some general education coursework may be counted for Major Requirements and Supporting Coursework.
**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.