Curriculum

Career Opportunities

To help American farmers respond to the increasing demand for agricultural products, at home and abroad, a major industry known as agribusiness has developed. Agribusiness is designed for students who in most cases may not be farming but wish to pursue a career in the agricultural industry. Agribusiness was developed to help the student better understand and make sound technical decisions in response to an ever-changing demand for agricultural products.

The agricultural business program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture. The program prepares students for careers with industry or government. The curriculum is also structured to prepare students for admission to graduate school in either agriculture economics or business administration.

As agriculture is becoming more and more technical and business more sophisticated, it is essential that students receive training in both agriculture and business. In the agriculture business program, technical agriculture and agricultural economics are taught in the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, and most business techniques are taught in the College of Business and Public Affairs.

Employment Possibilities

The production of food and fiber, processing them, and transporting the final products to the world’s people is the largest enterprise on earth.  Everyone everywhere depends on agriculture and thus in some way on agri-business. Colleges of agriculture throughout the country recognize the necessity for trained individuals in the complex fields of agricultural business. It is estimated that nearly 50,000 jobs related to agriculture become available each year and many of them are related to agricultural business.

Some of the many career opportunities available for agricultural business graduates include those in agricultural sales, farm equipment, government services, financial services, grain and feed industries, transportation, foreign trade, agricultural communications and the Agricultural Extension Service. These are just some of the examples of careers in agricultural business, a field which touches practically all areas of agriculture.

Facilities

Modern agricultural laboratories, classrooms and a computer laboratory are located in Brehm Hall and the Ned R. McWherter Agricultural Complex. The student is taught to use the computer, and numerous computer facilities are available for the student’s convenience. In some cases, field trips are made to nearby industries and farms to learn their operating procedures.