BS Agricultural Communications and Leadership
An agribusiness management major prepares students for careers in a variety of businesses involved with the agricultural and food industry. Graduates have obtained positions in agricultural lending, agronomy, agricultural sales, cooperative management, elevator management, government program administration, and grain trading.
Students majoring in agribusiness management may pursue a four-year bachelor of science degree or a two-year associate of science degree. In addition, a minor in agribusiness management is available. Scholarships are available for academically strong students majoring in agribusiness through the Cooperative Scholarship Program and other agribusiness scholarship programs. Job and internship placement has been excellent with agribusinesses in the Southwest Minnesota State University service region.
Students can select an emphasis in one of the following three areas: Farm Management, Agricultural Finance, and Agricultural Marketing and Procurement. By completing an agribusiness management degree with emphasis in one of these areas, a student can develop the necessary skills for positions ranging from farming/ranching to agribusiness management.
A major strength of the Southwest Minnesota State University agribusiness major is a required business curriculum core. This business core enables students to obtain minors or majors in other business disciplines with a minimum of additional credits. Students are encouraged to obtain minors in other areas such as accounting, business administration, economics, marketing, foreign languages, and computer science. Students considering a graduate degree, such as an M.S. or Ph.D. in agribusiness management or agricultural economics, should talk to an advisor about these plans as soon as possible while enrolled at Southwest Minnesota State University.
Students intending to major in agribusiness management must meet certain requirements before being accepted into the major program. Transfer students must eliminate all deficiencies within two semesters of entry into the Agribusiness Management Program. A minimum GPA of 2.3 in all major and minor programs is required to graduate. No more than three credits of AGBU 499 Internship (1-6 cr.) can be used as agribusiness management elective credits.