Program Overview

Agribusiness Management Program

The Agribusiness Management program at Southwest Minnesota State University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the agricultural industry and the business principles that drive it.

Program Overview

The program offers a range of courses that cover topics such as agricultural marketing, finance, and management, as well as soil science, commodity futures, and options trading. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in internships and independent study projects to gain hands-on experience in the field.

Course Descriptions

• AGBU 101: Seminar I: Career Development & Portfolio Design - This course introduces students to the goals and student learning outcomes of the Agribusiness major and SMSU's Liberal Education Plan. Students will identify career goals, relate those goals to their academic choices, and create an electronic program portfolio to assess progress in achieving program goals and student learning outcomes.
• AGBU 276: Soil Science and Management - This course provides students with basic knowledge of soils and how they can be managed for long-term optimum production.
• AGBU 330: Commodity Futures & Options Trading - This course studies how to use futures and options contracts to hedge price risk, with a focus on agricultural commodity contracts.
• AGBU 331: Financial Futures and Options Trading - This course presents financial futures and options contracts as a means for hedging and speculating, using economic and financial theories to analyze specific transactions.
• AGBU 365: Farm and Ranch Management I - This course uses budgeting and financial analysis to study how to maximize profit and efficiency in resource use for a farming operation.
• AGBU 366: Farm and Ranch Management II - This course covers computer farm management aids, risk analysis, FIN PACK, farm business organization selection, income tax management, disinvestment, and estate planning.
• AGBU 400: International Agricultural Development - This course emphasizes the role agriculture plays in the development process, analyzing the effects of developing country economic policies on the agricultural sector.
• AGBU 410: Cooperative & Agribusiness Management - This course examines the organizational, legal, financial, and managerial aspects of doing business as a cooperative corporation.
• AGBU 420: International Agribusiness Management - This course conducts a comprehensive analysis of the role of agribusinesses in international trade and development.
• AGBU 440: Agricultural Marketing - This course analyzes farm prices and the effect of supply, demand, and institutional forces on farm income and farm income policy.
• AGBU 460: Agricultural Finance - This course provides a comprehensive look at all facets of extending agricultural and agribusiness loans.
• AGBU 475: Agricultural and Food Policy - This course describes and evaluates past and future policies developed to deal with income distribution, resource use, and changes in technology in the food and agriculture system.
• AGBU 486: Special Topics - This course studies more advanced topics in agribusiness not normally provided as part of the curriculum.
• AGBU 494: Independent Study - This course allows for arranged independent study in Agribusiness.
• AGBU 495: Seminar II: Career Readiness & Portfolio Assessment - This course requires students to evaluate their academic accomplishments and career readiness using electronic portfolios.
• AGBU 499: Internship - This course provides the opportunity to pursue an internship, integrating disciplinary knowledge into a real-world setting.

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete a series of core courses, electives, and general education requirements to graduate from the program. The specific requirements can be found in the university's catalog.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Agribusiness Management program can pursue a variety of career opportunities in the agricultural industry, including management positions, marketing and sales, finance, and international trade.

Research Areas

The program focuses on research areas such as agricultural marketing, finance, and management, as well as international trade and development.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the program requires a high school diploma or equivalent, with a minimum GPA of 2.0. Students must also complete the required core courses and electives to graduate from the program.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for the program can be found on the university's website.