Agricultural Business and Economic Course Descriptions
AGBU 1001: Agriculture Orientation
Agriculture Orientation is a freshman course with attention given to sharing of possible solutions to individual problems. Learning experiences also include exploration of anticipated collegiate experiences for departmental majors in addition to post-graduation opportunities. Student and faculty interaction is stressed.
AGBU 1013: Principles of Agricultural Business
Overview of the economic theories associated with the production, consumption, and marketing of agricultural products, and with the policies designed to achieve efficiency and welfare goals in agriculture.
AGBU 2063: Principles of Agricultural Macroeconomics
Prerequisite: AGBU 1013.
A study of macroeconomic variables that affect agriculture with emphasis on consumption, unemployment, inflation, government spending and taxes, investments, national income, and money and banking.
AGBU 2073: Principles of Agricultural Microeconomics
Prerequisite: AGBU 1013.
A study of microeconomics variables that affect agriculture with emphasis on price determination, production, costs, income distribution, and perfect and imperfect competition.
AGBU 2103: A Global Perspective: Resources, Food, and Society
Prerequisites or Co-requisites: ENGL 1013 and COMM 2003 or COMM 2173.
A study of food and fiber production and distribution problems, policies, and processes analyzed within social, economic, political, and cultural contexts. The course will address issues related to feeding a growing world population.
AGBU 2991, 2992, 2993, 2994, 4991, 4992, 4993, 4994: Special Problems in Agriculture
Prerequisite: Permission of the department.
One to four hours credit, depending on the nature and extent of the problem. This is a course designed to introduce qualified students to specific agricultural areas including Agribusiness, Animal Science, Horticulture, or Plant Science.
Note: only six hours of Special Problems in Agriculture may be used to satisfy the curriculum requirements for the B.S. degree in Agribusiness.
AGBU 3013: Principles of Farm Management
Prerequisite: AGBU 1013, junior standing, or consent of instructor.
A study of the principles of agribusiness including ways of doing business in a free market economic system, entrepreneurship, business start-up, business plans, management, facility needs, legal aspects and tax responsibilities, personnel, and ethics.
AGBU 3033: Legal Environment of Agriculture Business
Offered: Fall.
A study of federal, state, and local legal systems as they pertain to the agricultural industry; topics of study include property law, contracts, torts, business organizations, employment law, environmental regulations, estate planning, and administrative law.
AGBU 3213: Career Development in Agriculture
Prerequisite: Junior standing: 60 hours or more.
Study of the professional opportunities and responsibilities associated with agricultural business careers. Interaction with professionals in the chosen career along with development and improvement of written communication, oral communication, and leadership skills.
$50 laboratory fee.
AGBU 3233: International Agricultural Trade
Prerequisites: AGBU or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
This course is an examination of the economic forces associated with trade in food and agricultural products between the U.S. and other countries. Economic principles and analytical techniques are applied to international trade and multi-national markets.
AGBU 3993: Internship I in Agriculture
Prerequisites: Approval of the department head, junior standing, and minimum of 2.5 overall gpa.
A supervised, practical experience providing undergraduate agribusiness majors with a hands-on, professional experience in a position relating to an area of career interest. The student will work in a local cooperating agribusiness establishment under the supervision of a member of management of that firm. A minimum of 300 clock hours of supervision, maintain a weekly internship log and prepare a final report.
$100 lab fee.
Note: Only three hours of Internship I in Agriculture may be used to satisfy the curriculum requirements for a B.S. degree in Agribusiness.
AGBU 4003: Agri-Business Management
Prerequisites: AGBU 1013, Junior standing, or consent of the instructor.
A study of the managerial practices and procedures that apply to all agriculture businesses. Emphasis is placed on the use and application of management and economic principles in decision making directed toward profit maximization.
AGBU 4013: Agricultural Marketing
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
A study of marketing functions, practice, organizational structure, legal aspects of agricultural marketing in relation to marketing policies, analysis of consumer behavior, and market demand.
AGBU 4023: Agricultural Finance
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013 and ACCT 2003.
Designed as an economic and accounting study of the processes in agricultural businesses. Manufacturing costs, income tax, managerial reports, cash flow, and statement analysis of agricultural businesses along with capital allocation and the purpose and efficiency of agricultural lending institutions are analyzed.
AGBU 4033: Agricultural Policy
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
Designed as an introduction to historical and current federal governmental legislation in agriculture. Specific emphasis is placed on the logic, beliefs, attitudes and values of the American people coincident with the social, economic, and political environment, and on evaluating the objectives, means and the observed results through the criteria of resource allocation and income distribution in the agricultural sector of the economy.
AGBU 4043: Appraisal of Farm Real Estate
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
A practical application of principles and practices in farm real estate evaluation, emphasizing the processes of value development and uses.
AGBU 4053: Agricultural Price Analysis
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
Study of the trends, cycles, and seasonal patterns associated with agricultural markets and institutional arrangements. Graphical and statistical analysis of commodity data and the fundamentals of agricultural futures markets are covered.
AGBU 4063: Agricultural Investments
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
An in-depth analysis of investment opportunities available in the field of agriculture. Emphasis will be on investment in stocks, bonds, agricultural commodities, futures hedging, and in international currencies. Students will be required to create and maintain a diversified investment portfolio with weekly monitoring of their chosen investments.
AGBU 4073: Commodity Risk and Futures
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, or consent of instructor.
An introductory study of grain and livestock futures markets, options, and their relationship to the cash market.
AGBU 4153: Computers in Agriculture
Prerequisites: AGBU 2063 or ECON 2003 and AGBU 2073 or ECON 2013, and COMS 1003 or consent of instructor.
An introduction to the use of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and the different price information sources in the agriculture field.
AGBU 4951, 4953: Undergraduate Research in Agricultural Business and Economics
Offered: On demand.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval.
Advanced students carry out independent research activity relating to a significant problem in major field of study. Supervised by faculty member. Formal report and presentation required. One to four credits depending on problem selected and effort made.
AGBU 4952: Undergraduate Research in Agricultural Business and Economics
Offered: On demand.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval.
Advanced students carry out independent research activity relating to a significant problem in major field of study. Supervised by faculty member. Formal report and presentation required. One to four credits depending on problem selected and effort made.
AGBU 4954: Undergraduate Research in Agricultural Business and Economics
Offered: On demand.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval.
Advanced students carry out independent research activity relating to a significant problem in major field of study. Supervised by faculty member. Formal report and presentation required. One to four credits depending on problem selected and effort made.
AGBU 4973: Senior Seminar in Agriculture Business
Prerequisite: Senior standing.
This seminar is designed as a capstone course for the Agriculture Business degree. In the capstone experience, students are coached/coaxed to bridge the gap between the structured learning of traditional classroom and the dynamic agricultural business environment - which puts a premium on motivation, initiative and creativity. Students will be challenged to integrate their accumulated knowledge and technical and social skills in order to identify and solve a problem relevant to issues encountered by professionals in their chosen discipline and to communicate the results of their efforts to their peers. In doing so, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to adapt to professional situations. It is hoped that this experience will transition students from dependent learners to self-directed learners and stimulate students' appreciation of the need for lifelong learning and initiate professional and personal liaisons.
$20 course fee.
AGBU 4983: Internship II in Agriculture
Prerequisites: Internship I in Agriculture, approval of the department head, junior or senior standing, minimum of 2.5 GPA overall.
A supervised, practical experience providing undergraduate agribusiness majors with a hands-on, professional experience in a position relating to an area of career interest. The student will work in a local cooperating agribusiness establishment under the supervision of a member of management of that firm. A minimum of 300 clock hours of supervision, maintain a weekly internship log, prepare a final report and present at least a 15 minute seminar to the agriculture department.
$100 lab fee.
Note: Only three hours of Internship II in Agriculture may be used to satisfy the curriculum requirements for a B.S. degree in Agribusiness.