Crop Agribusiness

Overview

The Crop Agribusiness concentration allows students to combine a strong background in cropping systems with courses in business management, marketing, and agricultural and consumer economics. Crop Agribusiness applies the principles of crop production in a business setting. Students develop a broad appreciation for plant production by studying entomology, plant pathology, weed science and soils. The agribusiness courses help students develop business skills in management, marketing and finance.

Crop Agribusiness is a diverse field. Graduates are prepared for careers in crop production and marketing, crop systems management and many sectors of the agribusiness industry. Students may secure jobs as crop consultants, business and farm managers, marketers of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds, land appraisers or land use planners. Some graduates of the Crop Agribusiness concentration find employment in production agriculture, while others elect to continue their education in a graduate program in the plant sciences, business or related areas.

Opportunities for Study

In the Crop Agribusiness concentration students learn about agronomic production and business management through courses in plant sciences, soils, and agricultural and consumer economics. By the time you complete your B.S. degree in Crop Sciences, you will have 40 semester hours of agriculture courses and 126 total hours, which means that you will take about 16 hours of classes each semester. Here is a possible pattern of science and math courses for the first two years (hours for each course are in parentheses):

Freshman Year	soils (4) calculus (3) chemistry (4)	plant biology (4) crop sciences (4) issues in agriculture (3)
Sophomore Year	chemistry (4) accounting (3) horticulture (3)	microbiology (5) plant pathology (3) agricultural economics (3-6)

The pattern of courses for the junior and senior years is more variable and depends on the student's interests. Requirements in cultural studies (6 hr.), humanities (6 hr.), social sciences (6 hr.), and speech/composition (10 hr.) are the same for all concentrations.

Career Opportunities

Students in the Crop Agribusiness concentration are prepared for careers in crop production and marketing, cropping systems management, and many sectors of the agribusiness industry. Students may find jobs as crop consultants, business and farm managers, marketers of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and seeds, land appraisers, or land use planners. Some students in the Crop Agribusiness concentration choose to work in production agriculture or to continue their education in graduate programs in the plant sciences, business or related disciplines.