Agricultural Systems Technology (AST) Major

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Van Kelley, Head
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Engineering 107
605-688-5141
e-mail: van.kelley@sdstate.edu
http://abe.sdstate.edu/

Faculty

Associate Professor Kelley, Head; Professors Anderson, Hellickson, Humburg, Julson, Muthukumarappan, Pohl, Trooien; Professors Emeriti Chu, DeBoer, Werner; Associate Professor Nicolai; Assistant Professors Schipull, Todey; Assistant Professors Emeriti Bender and Pahl.

Programs

Agricultural Systems Technology graduates serve an increasingly complex agricultural industry in a wide variety of ways. These individuals have a sound fundamental knowledge of agricultural and biological sciences related to the technical, mechanical and energy aspects. This background combined with a solid understanding of the interactions between agriculture and society provides AST graduates many career opportunities.

Agricultural Systems Technology graduates from South Dakota State University are using their technological knowledge, coupled with managerial and leadership skills, to increase America’s food and energy supply. Recent past graduates are pursuing careers in renewable energy such as ethanol and bio-diesel, farm machinery and equipment, natural resources, livestock facilities and systems, and production agriculture.

Requirements for Agricultural Systems Technology Major - Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Freshman Year:

SGR Goal 3: Social Sciences and Diversity Credits: 3
* (Spring)
SGR Goal 4: Humanities and Arts/Diversity Credits: 3
* (Fall)
IGR Goal 2: Personal Wellness Credits: 2-3
** (Spring)
Group I Elective Credits: 3
See note three below (Fall)

AST 202 - Construction Technology and Materials Credits: 2
(Fall)
AST 202L - Construction Technology and Materials Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)
ENGL 101 - Composition I Credits: 3
* (Fall)
MNET 231 - Manufacturing Processes I Credits: 3
(Spring)
SPCM 101 - Fundamentals of Speech (COM) Credits: 3
*(Spring)

Sophomore Year:

Science Elective, selected from CHEM, PHYS, BIOL, MICR, or BOT Credits: 4 in Fall and 3 in Spring
SGR Goal 4: Humanities and Arts Credits: 3
* (Fall)

ACCT 210 - Principles of Accounting I (COM) Credits: 3
(Spring)
ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (COM) (G) Credits: 3
*(Spring)
ENGL 201 - Composition II Credits: 3
See note one below * (Spring)
PHYS 111 - Introduction to Physics I (COM) Credits: 4
(Fall)
PHYS 111L - Introduction Physics I Lab (COM) Credits: 0
(Fall)
PS 213 - Soils Credits: 2
**(Spring)
PS 213L - Soils Lab Credits: 1
**(Spring)

Choose one from the following:

AST 213 - Ag, Industrial and Outdoor Power Credits: 3
(Fall)
AST 213L - Ag, Industrial and Outdoor Power Lab Credits: 0
(Fall) or
AST 313 - Farm Machinery Systems Management Credits: 3
(Fall)
AST 313L - Farm Machinery Systems Management Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)

Choose the following:

GE 121 - Engineering Design Graphics I Credits: 1
(Fall)
GE 123 - Computer Aided Drawing Credits: 1
(Fall)

Or:

GE 120 - Engineering Drawing/CAD Credits: 3
(Fall)

Junior Year:

Group I Elective Credits: 3
See note three below (Spring)
Specialization Courses Credits: 3 in Fall and 6 in Spring
Biological Science Electives Credits: 3
See note two below (Fall)
Elective Credits: 2
See note one below (Spring)
Technical Elective Credits: 3
See note four below (Fall)

AST 333 - Soil and Water Mechanics Credits: 3
(Fall)
AST 333L - Soil and Water Mechanics Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)
AST 342 - Applied Electricity Credits: 3
(Spring)
AST 342L - Applied Electricity Lab Credits: 0
(Spring)
BADM 310 - Business Finance (COM) Credits: 3
(Fall)
BADM 350 - Legal Environment of Business (COM) Credits: 3
(Spring)

Senior Year:

IGR Goal 3: Social Responsibility/Cultural and Aesthetic Awareness Credits: 3
** (Spring)
Technical Elective Credits: 3 in Fall and 6 in Spring
See note four below
Specialization Courses Credits: 2 in Fall and 3 in Spring

ABE 353 - Physical Climatology and Meteorology Credits: 3
(Fall)
ABE 353L - Physical Climatology and Meteorology Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)
ABE 490 - Seminar (AW) Credits: 1
(Fall)
AST 423 - Rural Structures Credits: 3
(Fall)
AST 423L - Rural Structures Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)
AST 443 - Food Processing and Engineering Fundamentals Credits: 3
(Fall)
AST 443L - Food Processing and Engineering Fundamentals Lab Credits: 0
(Fall)
AST 463-563 - Agricultural Waste Management (AW) Credits: 3
(Spring)

Choose one from the following:

AST 303 - Design Management Experience Credits: 3
(Spring)
AST 494 - Internship Credits: (1-12)
(Spring)
AST 496 - Field Experience Credits: (1-12)
(Spring)
AST 497 - Cooperative Education Credits: (1-12)
(Spring)

Specializations:

The AST major requires a minimum of 14 semester credits from one of the following specializations: Business, Processing, Production, or Environmental Systems. The specialization and technical elective program must be planned with the adviser and approved by the department head.

Business Specialization:

Business Elective Credits: 3

AGEC 271 - Farm and Ranch Management Credits: 4
AGEC 271L - Farm and Ranch Management Lab Credits: 0
AGEC 354 - Agricultural Marketing and Prices Credits: 3
AGEC 478 - Agricultural Finance Credits: 3
AGEC 479 - Agricultural Policy (AW) (G) Credits: 3
AST 303 - Design Management Experience Credits: 3
BADM 280 - Personal Finance (COM) Credits: 3
BADM 334 - Small Business Management (COM) Credits: 3
BADM 360 - Organization and Management (COM) Credits: 3
BADM 474 - Personal Selling (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (COM) Credits: 3
ECON 330 - Money and Banking (COM) Credits: 3
STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (COM) Credits: 3

Processing Specialization:

Processing Elective Credits: 3

AS 241 - Introduction to Meat Science Credits: 3
AS 441 - Advanced Meat Science and Lab Credits: 3
DS 321 - Dairy Product Processing I Credits: 5
DS 321L - Dairy Product Processing I Lab Credits: 0
DS 421 - Dairy Plant Management Credits: 3
MICR 231 - General Microbiology (COM) Credits: 4
MICR 231L - General Microbiology Lab (COM) Credits: 0
MICR 311 - Food Microbiology Credits: 4
MICR 311L - Food Microbiology Lab Credits: 0
NFS 341 - Food Science Credits: 4
NFS 341L - Food Science Lab Credits: 0
PS 312 - Grain and Seed Production and Processing Credits: 3

Product Specialization:

Ag Production Electives Credits: 3
Animal Science Electives Credits: 9
Horticulture Electives Credits: 6
Plant Science Electives Credits: 9

Environmental Systems Specialization:

Environmental Systems Technology Elective Credits: 3

AST 225 - Principles of Environmental Science and Engineering Credits: 3
AST 390 - Seminar Credits: 1
AST 460 - Senior Design I Environmental Science/Engineering Credits: 1
AST 461 - Senior Design II Environmental Science/Engineering Credits: 2
AST 462 - Advanced Topics in Natural Resources Technology Credits: 2
BIOL 311 - Principles of Ecology (COM) Credits: 3
CHEM 482 - Environmental Chemistry (COM) Credits: (3-4)
MICR 231 - General Microbiology (COM) Credits: 4
PS 243 - Principles of Geology Credits: 3
PS 244 - Geological Resources of South Dakota Lab Credits: 1
PS 475 - Water Quality in Agriculture Credits: 3
WL 110 - Environmental Conservation (G) Credits: 3

Environmental Science and Engineering Specialization:

The Environmental Science and Engineering Specialization is an interdisciplinary specialization with faculty and courses from the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Agricultural Systems Technology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Management programs. The specialization is open to students with majors in any of the aforementioned programs and its goal is to incorporate the biological and ecological features of the involved programs to provide students with an interdisciplinary experience. Students from this specialization will be well prepared to apply the engineering, science, and environmental management aspects of each of these existing programs to engineer environmentally sustainable systems. Students graduating from the specialization will have that distinction noted on their transcript. Every student in this specialization is required to take four classes (AST 225, 460, 461, 462) that are unique to the specialization. In addition to the required classes, restrictive prerequisites on selected technical electives in the various participating programs will be relaxed allowing students in this specialization access that was formerly not available.

Technical Electives:

Any 300 or higher level course in Animal and Range Sciences, Plant Science, Agricultural Business, Agricultural Economics, and Economics Credits: 3

ABE 372 - Microcomputer Applications AE Credits: 2
ABE 372L - Microcomputer Applications AE Lab Credits: 0
AST 213 - Ag, Industrial and Outdoor Power Credits: 3
AST 262 - Environmental Safety and Society Credits: 2
AST 313 - Farm Machinery Systems Management Credits: 3
AST 492 - Topics Credits: (1-4)
BADM 260 - Principles of Production and Operations Management Credits: 3
BADM 280 - Personal Finance (COM) Credits: 3
MNET 131 - Machining Technology Credits: 3
MNET 132 - Welding Technology Credits: 3
MNET 251 - Electricity and Electronics I Credits: 3
MNET 252 - Electricity and Electronics II Credits: 3
MNET 260 - Principles of Production and Operations Management Credits: 3
MNET 350 - Fluid Power Technology Credits: 3

Choose one from the following:

AST 494 - Internship Credits: (1-12)
AST 496 - Field Experience Credits: (1-12)
AST 497 - Cooperative Education Credits: (1-12)

Notes:

Note One: “C” grade required in ENGL 201.

Note Two: Courses must be selected from the following areas: Botany, Biology, Entomology, Zoology, Microbiology.

Note Three: AST majors are required to take 11 credits of Group I classes from page 64. Students may use a maximum of 6 credits of AST classes to satisfy the Group I requirement.

Note Four: Technical electives must be selected from the approved list provided.

Note Five: MATH 115 (5cr) may be taken instead of MATH 102 and MATH 120