Skip to Content

Agricultural Business

This is an archived copy of the 2015-2016 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

View PDF

Administered by the Department of Economics. The major in agricultural business prepares students for advanced studies and for careers in agricultural finance, management in agricultural supply and marketing industries, commodity merchandising and research, business research and management, farm and ranch operations, commercial farm management and appraisal, agricultural sales and marketing, agricultural reporting and public relations, agricultural extension, international activities, and government service. A major in agricultural business with a minor in economics is not permitted; however, a double major in agricultural business and economics is permitted.

Students majoring in Agricultural Business often choose elective coursework leading to minors in the College of Business or in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, or emphasizing specific areas within agricultural business such as finance, management, commodity analysis, research, agricultural sales and marketing, environmental economics, farm and ranch operations, international economics, agricultural extension, or government service.

Curriculum in Agricultural Business

 The major in agricultural business requires a minimum of 120 credits and a 2.00 minimum GPA.  Only 65 credits from a two-year institution may apply, which may include up to 16 technical credits.  In addition, at most 9 P-NP credits of free electives can be applied toward the degree, and a minimum of 15 credits must be earned from courses taught by the Department of Economics at ISU.

International Perspective : 3 cr.

3 cr. from approved list.

U.S. Diversity : 3 cr.

3 cr. from approved list.

Communication/Library: 13 cr.
ENGL 150Critical Thinking and Communication3
ENGL 250Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition3
One of the following3
Business Communication
Report and Proposal Writing
Technical Communication
One of the following3
Fundamentals of Public Speaking
Presentation and Sales Strategies for Agricultural Audiences
LIB 160Information Literacy1
A grade of C or better must be earned in two of the English composition courses (ENGL 150, ENGL 250, and (ENGL 302 or ENGL 309 or ENGL 314)) and the speech fundamentals course (SP CM 212 or AGEDS 311).
Total Credits13
Humanities and Social Sciences : 6 cr.
ECON 102Principles of Macroeconomics3
Three credits from approved course list.3
Total Credits6
Ethics : 3 cr.

3 cr. from approved list

Life Sciences : 6 cr.
One of the following:3
Introductory Biology
Principles of Biology I
Three credits from approved course list.3
Total Credits6
Mathematics: 12-14 cr.
One of the following:4
Survey of Calculus
Calculus I
One of the following:3-4
Applied Economic Optimization
Calculus II
STAT 226Introduction to Business Statistics I3
STAT 326Introduction to Business Statistics II3
Physical Sciences: 5 cr.
CHEM 163
163L
College Chemistry
and Laboratory in College Chemistry
5
or PHYS 111 General Physics
Total Credits5
Agricultural, Food, or Natural Resources Sciences: 6 cr.

6 cr. from approved list (http://tinyurl.com/lcs25jb ).

General Economics: 9-10 cr.
ECON 101Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 301Intermediate Microeconomics3-4
One of the following:3
Intermediate Macroeconomics
Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions
ECON 492Graduating Senior SurveyR
Total Credits9-10
Business and Agricultural Business: 29 cr.
ACCT 284Financial Accounting3
FIN 301Principles of Finance3
Six credits from ACCT 285 or any 300-489 ACCT, FIN, MKT, MGMT, MIS, or SCM courses.6
ECON 110Orientation in Agricultural Business1
ECON 235Introduction to Agricultural Markets3
ECON 292Career Seminar1
Nine credits of ECON 230-289, 300-389, 400-489 courses.9
Three credits of 400-489 level ECON courses.3
Total Credits29
Electives: 22-24 cr.

Agricultural business majors seeking a double major in economics must take a minimum of 42 credits in economics. These include all of the economics courses required for the economics major. To double major in economics, agricultural business majors must also earn an average grade of C or higher in ECON 101 Principles of Microeconomics , ECON 102 Principles of Macroeconomics , ECON 301 Intermediate Microeconomics , and ECON 302 Intermediate Macroeconomics , with no grade lower than a C‐.

Minor - Agricultural Business

The Department of Economics offers a minor in Agricultural Business. Courses to be included in the minimum of 15 credits include the following:

ECON 101Principles of Microeconomics3
ECON 230Farm Business Management3
ECON 235Introduction to Agricultural Markets3
ECON 301Intermediate Microeconomics3-4
Three credits of ECON courses from: 230-289, 300-389, 400-489 courses.3