Agricultural Business
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: 12.5 cr.
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| One of the following | 3 | |
| Business Communication | ||
| Report and Proposal Writing | ||
| Technical Communication | ||
| One of the following | 3 | |
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
| Presentation and Sales Strategies for Agricultural Audiences | ||
| LIB 160 | Information Literacy | 1 |
| 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 Credits | 13 | |
Humanities and Social Sciences: 6 cr.
| ECON 102 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Three credits from approved course list. | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
Ethics: 3 cr. from approved list.
Life Sciences: 6 cr.
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Principles of Biology I | ||
| Three credits from approved list of courses | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
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 226 | Introduction to Business Statistics I | 3 |
| STAT 326 | Introduction to Business Statistics II | 3 |
Physical Sciences: 5 cr.
| CHEM 163 & 163L | College Chemistry and Laboratory in College Chemistry | 5 |
| or PHYS 111 | General Physics | |
| Total Credits | 5 | |
Agricultural, Food, or Natural Resources Sciences: 6 cr. from approved course list.
General Economics 9-10 cr.
| ECON 101 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3-4 |
| One of the following: | 3 | |
| Intermediate Macroeconomics | ||
| Money, Banking, and Financial Institutions | ||
| ECON 492 | Graduating Senior Survey | R |
| Total Credits | 9-10 | |
Business and Agricultural Business 28.5 cr.
| ACCT 284 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| FIN 301 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| Six credits from ACCT 285 or any 300-489 ACCT, FIN, MKT, MGMT, MIS, or SCM courses. | 6 | |
| ECON 110 | Orientation in Agricultural Business | 0.5 |
| ECON 235 | Introduction to Agricultural Markets | 3 |
| ECON 292 | Career Seminar | 1 |
| Nine credits of ECON courses from approved department list. | 9 | |
| Three credits of 400-489 level ECON courses. | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 28.5 | |
Electives 32-35 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‐.
The Department of Economics also offer a minor in Agricultural Business. Courses to be included in the minimum of 15 credits include the following:
| ECON 101 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 230 | Farm Business Management | 3 |
| ECON 235 | Introduction to Agricultural Markets | 3 |
| ECON 301 | Intermediate Microeconomics | 3-4 |
| Three credits of ECON courses from approved department list. | 3 | |
