Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and
Agriscience Education
http://www:ag.ncat.edu/agribusiness
Anthony Yeboah, Chairperson

OBJECTIVES

The Department of Agribusiness, Applied Economics and Agriscience Education offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Education. Students who pursue the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics may concentrate in Agribusiness. Students who pursue the Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education may concentrate in Secondary Education or Agricultural Professional Service. In addition, students may take prescribed courses in Rural Sociology and Sociology.

The objectives of the programs are to train students to understand and apply the educational concepts and analytical tools of economics and business in a systematic method in order to identify, analyze, and resolve management problems of the farm, agribusiness firms, rural communities, and government agencies, as well as preparing students for further study in Agricultural Economics and/or Education.

The Agricultural Education program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction for the preparation of teachers in agriculture in the public school system. Agricultural Education majors in both the Secondary Education and Agricultural Professional Service study tracks are expected to complete a second major concentration in a basic academic discipline to include 24-27 semester credit hours. The second major concentration requirement consists of a combination of specified technical classes in addition to classes taken from the general education and technical agriculture core as determined by the student’s advisor. The major options available include agricultural science, animal science, agribusiness and marketing, agricultural communications, natural and environmental science, plant and soil science, and rural sociology.

DEGREES OFFERED

GENERAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The admission of students to the undergraduate degree program is based upon the general admission requirements of the University.

DEPARTMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate majors in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Education must complete 127 semester hours of University courses. Students must earn an average grade of “C” in all Agricultural Education or Agricultural Economics courses in order to meet the major field requirements. Agricultural Economics majors must take a minimum requirement of 37 semester hours in Agricultural and General Economics. Agricultural education majors must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.8 to be admitted to the teacher education program, in addition to other admission requirements.

As mandated by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, all candidates for teacher licensure will need to show evidence of computer competency. A basic skills test will need to be passed. Additionally, students must produce an electronic portfolio showing advanced technology for teaching skills during their program of study. The University, through course work, will provide opportunities for students to produce materials necessary to fulfill the technology portfolio requirement.

Teacher Education Program

The goals and objectives of the Teacher Education Program in agricultural education, as mandated by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction (SDPI), address the development of competencies in the areas of animal science, soil science, plant science, agricultural and natural resources, horticulture, agricultural economics, agricultural mechanics, and agricultural communication. The goals of the program are twofold and are listed below:

1. Develop an understanding of and appreciation for teaching agricultural education; and
2. Develop competencies needed by individuals to teach agriculture in North Carolina public secondary schools.

The fourteen objectives of the agricultural education teacher preparation program are listed below:

1. To promote the agricultural education program in secondary schools; to meet the needs and interests of students and to satisfy employment demands;
2. To plan for effective public relations;
3. To plan for effective and comprehensive instruction;
4. To manage the classrooms and laboratories effectively;
5. To aid students in making career decisions;
6. To evaluate vocational agriculture programs and student progress;
7. To advise and manage the Future Farmers of America (FFA) as an integral part of instruction;
8. To extend learning experiences for students beyond the classroom through Supervised Occupational Experience Program;
9. To plan and conduct a program of career exploration and guidance and provide hands-on learning experiences in technical agriculture including animal science, soil science, plant science, agricultural and natural resources, agricultural economics and agricultural mechanics;
10. To plan and conduct a program to develop knowledge and skills needed for job entry into agricultural production occupations and/or to pursue further training in the subject area;
11. To plan and conduct a program to develop knowledge and skills needed for job entry into agricultural mechanics occupations and/or pursue further training in the subject area;
12. To plan and conduct a program to develop knowledge and skills needed for job entry into agricultural and natural resources occupations and/or pursue further training in the subject area;
13. To plan and conduct a program to develop knowledge and skills needed for job entry into forestry occupations and/or pursue further training in the subject area;

14. To plan and conduct a program to develop knowledge and skills needed for job entry into agricultural products and processing occupations and/or pursue further training in the subject area.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Students who successfully complete programs in Agricultural Economics or Agricultural Education are prepared for careers in teaching, supervision in schools and colleges, agricultural extension, agricultural-related business firms and industries, trade and professional associations, government and private research firms, government services (legislative, administration, or professional), as well as for further study for  advanced degrees.

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS AND AGRIBUSINESS

A grade of “C” must be earned in all of the above requirements and an average of “C” must be earned in all courses.

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS

Total Credit Hours: 127
¹ UNST Cluster Theme Elective: Student must choose one cluster and take courses only in that cluster
² FOLA 100 Elementary French I or FOLA 104 Elementary Spanish I, FOLA 101 Elementary French II or Elementary Spanish II
* Depending on area of interest, students will take 6 credit hours from the following groups of courses:

1) Animal Sciences: ANSC 312, ANSC 411, ANSC 415 and ANSC 416

2) Nutritional Sciences: HEFS 135, HEFS 236, HEFS 246, HEFS 332 and HEFS 337

3) Environmental Sciences: EASC 201, EASC 616, EASC 622, EASC 625, EASC 699 and AGED 607

4) Environmental Horticulture: HORT 334, HORT 527, HORT 412, HORT 514, HORT 610, HORT 611 and HORT 620

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS
(Agribusiness)
FRESHMAN YEAR

SOPHOMORE YEAR

	First Semester	Credit	Second Semester	Credit
	UNST Elective1 ECON 200 UNST Elective1 AGEC 300 BUAD 220 AGEC 240	3 3 3 3 3 3 18	UNST Elective1 ECON 201 AGEC 330 ANSC 211 or ANSC 411 AGEC 405 or ECON 305 HPED 200	3 3 3 3 3 2 17

JUNIOR YEAR

	First Semester	Credit	Second Semester	Credit
	AGEC 432 AGEC 434 ACCT 221 ECON 410 AGEC 406 or ECON 310 ANSC 451	3 3 3 3 3 3 18	ACCT 222 PSYC 320 ECON 420 SPCH 250 NARS 110  UNST Elective1	3 3 3 3 3 3 18

SENIOR YEAR

	First Semester	Credit	Second Semester	Credit
	AGEC 436 BUAD 453 AGEC 442 AGEC 444	3 3 3 3 12	AGEC 599 (Capstone) AGEC 446 AGEC 640 AGEC 675	3 3 3 3 12

Total Credit Hours: 127
¹ UNST Cluster Theme Elective: Student must choose one cluster and take courses only in that cluster.

Course Descriptions in Agricultural Economics
Undergraduate

This course provides an introductory overview of the characteristics, scope and functions of the U.S. food and fiber production/processing/distributing system such as, showing the relationships of input supply, farm production, and product processing - distribution-marketing complex, and their role in meeting food and fiber needs of people; and identification of possibilities and requirements for training and services. (F)

This course is designed to familiarize students with the growing role of computers as a management aid in agribusiness. Topics covered include: electronic spreadsheets, word processing, data base management, telecomputer communication, flow charting, etc. Emphasis will be placed on the application of software to agribusiness and agricultural economics analysis. (F)

An application of the fundamental principles of economics to agricultural production, marketing, land tenure, leasing arrangements, and financing and related economic problems will be included in this course. (S)

The objective of this course is to acquaint students from across the University and hopefully those outside the University with the economics and geography of the world’s human and natural resources as they affect food and fiber production, resource use, and economic welfare around the world. Content is drawn from many disciplines that study the natural world and investigate forces that affect the availability of resources, the dynamics of populations, the behavior of people, and different nation’s policies towards food, resource use, trade, and the environment. The overall theme of the course is on the hard decisions and trade-off necessary to meet growing needs with fixed resources in a stressed natural environment. (S)

This course emphasizes statistical methods with special applications to agricultural problems. The statistical table, ratios, percentages, bar charts, line charts, and frequency distribution are used as analytical tools. (DEMAND)

This course emphasizes statistical methods with special applications to agricultural problems. The time series analysis, sampling theory, analysis of variance, and simple correlation are used as analytical tools. This course is a continuation of AGEC 644. (DEMAND)

Principles, which govern the effective organization and operation of the farm firm, will be covered. (F)

This course emphasizes the principles and practices of marketing as applied to farm commodities. Form, place, time and possession utility, the ultimate consumer’s market, the agricultural industries market, the middleman system, exchange market operation and future contracts, price determination, reducing marketing costs will be examined. Visits will be made to local markets. Prerequisite: AGEC 330. (F)

Information regarding agricultural price changes, index numbers, price determination, seasonal and cyclical price movements, storage problems, methods of controlling extreme price fluctuations, and government price policy will be covered. (S)

Economic theory and concepts associated with natural resources – renewable resources (forests, fisheries and wildlife populations), and non-renewable resources (minerals and energy resources, soil); analytical treatment of the role of the environment in economic activity and methods for protecting and enhancing environmental quality; implications of market failures for public policy; design of environmental policy; theory of welfare measurement; measuring the benefits of environmental improvement. Determinants of the institutional environment such as property rights; conservation; private and public resource use problems; and patterns of natural resource use. The application of economic principles and quantitative methods to environmental and natural resource problems. (S)

This course provides analysis of economic problems of resources use and management; perception of and definition of problems in terms of allocation mechanism; and analysis of economic relationships over time and market externalities with emphasis on welfare implications. Prerequisite: ECON 300. (S)

This course covers early cooperative movements, principles of cooperatives, importance of cooperatives in the United States, problems of organization, management and operation of cooperative endeavors by farmers in buying and selling. Prerequisites: AGEC 330 and 334. (DEMAND)

This course is designed to develop an understanding of, and skill in, the marketing decision-making process. Emphasis will be placed on the competitive marketing environment and the analytical tools needed by the firm to make sound strategic marketing decisions. Case studies and marketing simulation games will be used when appropriate. (DEMAND)

Principles and techniques of management of short-term and long-term capital will be covered. Financial analysis, and special problems related to the acquisition and use of funds will also be examined. Case studies and financial simulation games will be used when appropriate. (F)

This course covers the description of market structures and operations in the processing and wholesale and retail distribution of food and the effect of industrial organization and government regulations on the efficiency of the market and consumer demand for food. (DEMAND)

This course is designed to provide academic credit to students of advanced undergraduate standing who are on cooperative internships or apprenticeship programs when the nature of the assignment warrants such credits. (F; Demand and consent of the instructor)

Advanced Undergraduate and Graduate

This course includes a review of economic and welfare theory applications relative to trade of agricultural commodities. Topical issues include the analysis of linkages among commodity programs, fiscal and trade policies for the U.S. and other countries in an interdependent world, development of an understanding of international institutions and their role in formulating aliments of strategic agricultural trade policy. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (S)

This course will examine and analyze the series of problems, issues, policies, regulations and procedures relevant to the global marketing of agricultural and related commodities by agribusiness firms. Emphasis will be on combining firm-level agribusiness marketing concepts with international agribusiness marketing and export management practices including the development of international agribusiness marketing plans and case studies from international agribusiness firms. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. (S)

This course is designed for students who desire to work out special problems in the field of agricultural economics; problem definition, formulation and investigation will be emphasized. Prerequisite: Consent of the department chairperson. (F)

Methods of research, plans, organization, and the application of management principles will be covered. Part of the student’s time will be spent in consultation with agribusiness firms. Prerequisite: Consent of the department chairperson. (F)

This course relies heavily on the “Harvard Case Studies Approach” to make decisions and solve problems faced by agribusiness managers. Also, students will be exposed to quantitative techniques for analyzing and solving problems confronting the firm. Emphasis is placed on applying theoretical concepts to the real world decision-making environment. Prerequisite: AGEC 640 or consent of instructor. (DEMAND)

Discussion of reports and an appraisal of current literature on agricultural problems will take place. Prerequisite: Consent of the department chairperson. (DEMAND)

The principles of land evaluation, appraisal and taxation will be examined. The role of credit in a money economy, classification of credit, principles underlying the economic use of credit and the role of the government in the field of credit will also be covered. (S)

This course is designed to provide students with the tools to utilize computers for agricultural decision-making. Emphasis will be placed on utilizing existing software packages for microcomputers and mainframe computers to make financial, economic and quantitative analyses of farm and agribusiness-related problems. Prerequisite: AGEC 330 or ECON 300. (S)

Course Descriptions in Rural Sociology

Social systems, cultural patterns, and institutional arrangements of people in rural environments will be examined. An interpretation of the structure, functioning and change in rural social systems will also be covered. (F)

This course focuses on the problems and solutions of population dynamics, education, religion, health, land tenure, parity income, farm labor, mechanization, housing, poverty, and rural development as they affect the growth of the rural community. (DEMAND)

The course examines the institutional nature of the rural family, its role in the community, including its relationship to educational, religious, welfare and other community organizations. (DEMAND)

This course examines the consumption behavior in the main community groups of our rural society as well as the poverty threshold and the plight of the rural poor. (DEMAND)

This course includes work on problems in the rural society under the guidance of a faculty member. (DEMAND)

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
(Secondary Education)

*Students in the secondary education track must meet all requirements for admission to the teacher education program.
**A grade of “C” must be earned in all of the above requirements or an average of “C” must be earned in all courses for the agricultural professional service track.

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
(Secondary Education)

Total Credit Hours: 128
¹ UNST Cluster Theme Elective: Student must choose one cluster and take courses only in that cluster.

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
(Agricultural Professional Service)

*Students in the secondary education track must meet all requirements for admission to the teacher education program.
**A grade of “C” must be earned in all of the above requirements or an average of “C” must be earned in all courses for the agricultural professional service track.

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
(Agricultural Professional Service)

Total Credit Hours: 127
¹ UNST Cluster Theme Elective: Student must choose one cluster and take courses only in that cluster.

Second Major Concentrations

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE: BIOL 100, 160, 220, 240, 260, and SLSC 338 (Total Hours: 24)

ANIMAL SCIENCE: ANSI 211, 212, 214, 411, 416, 312, 619, and BIOL 100 (Total Hours: 25)

AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS AND MARKETING: AGEC 240, 300, 330, 432, 434, 436, 599, and MATH 101 (Total Hours: 24)

AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS: COMM 220, 202, 404, 405, ENGL 100, 101, 331, and CUIN 624 (Total Hours: 24)

NATURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES: EASC 201, 330, 625, 622, 699, NARS 110, 618, and AGED 607 (Total Hours: 24)

PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE: BIOL 100, 240, SLSC 338, HORT 334, NARS 110, 618, and HORT 608 (Total Hours: 24)

RURAL SOCIOLOGY: AGEC 300, 301, 303, 505, 506, SOCI 100, 203, and PSYC 320 (Total Hours: 24)

Course Descriptions in Agricultural Education
Undergraduate

This course includes a study of the broad base of modern agriculture with emphasis on current trends and opportunities. (F)

This is an introductory course to acquaint students with international agriculture and agricultural developments, including the relationship between agricultural systems in various countries and the impact of world agriculture on the U.S. and other countries. It provides introduction for students who plan careers in agricultural education in the U.S. or other countries. (DEMAND)

This course will cover the utilization of multimedia instructional tools, and how their applications can enhance the learning process. (F;S)

Theories in leadership development will be analyzed, and the organization of youth groups in secondary schools, cooperative extension, and other community groups will be examined. (F)

The historical and philosophical structure of agriculture in the American public school system will be analyzed. (S)