Minors
A minor in agriculture can strengthen an area outside your major, broaden your skills and understanding, and increase your opportunities for employment.
Each minor is a program of at least 18 credits designed to give you a working knowledge of a particular subject area. Some minors require specific courses, while others allow you to choose courses from a prescribed list. All are designed to strengthen your academic program.
Depending on the number of electives in your major, you may be able to complete a minor in agriculture concurrent with course work in your major; however, some students take an extra semester for additional flexibility in scheduling courses in their minor. The program adviser for the minor can help you make scheduling decisions.
The College of Agricultural Sciences offers 24 minors:
- Agribusiness Management
- The minor is designed for students who want to supplement their academic major with studies in agribusiness.
- Agricultural and Biological Engineering
- This minor provides students with an opportunity to apply engineering principles to agricultural production and processing systems and to the management of our natural resources.
- Agricultural Communications
- Through the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education, this interdisciplinary program of study is designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of, and to develop a skill level for, professional communication practices in the food and agricultural sciences and natural resources.
- Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology
- The Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology minor provides an opportunity for students to become familiar with economic and sociological considerations in agricultural and rural areas.
- Agricultural Systems Management
- Agronomy
- Agronomy is concerned with the principles and practices of field crop production and the conservation of soils and land resources.
- Animal Sciences
- The Animal Sciences minor is designed for students who wish to supplement their academic major with studies in animal science. The Departments of Dairy and Animal Science and Poultry Science cooperate to offer this minor.
- Arboriculture
- The Arboriculture minor is designed to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the principles and practices of the arboriculture profession.
- Entomology
- The minor in Entomology is primarily designed for (but not restricted to) students in the Agroecology major seeking to pursue graduate studies in Entomology.
- Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics
- The Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics minor introduces students to how fundamental principles can be used to explain and seek solutions to problems related to the degradation of the environmental and unsustainable use of natural resources.
- Environmental Resource Management
- The Environmental Resource Management (E R M) minor is designed to provide nonmajors with an overview of the principles and practices of managing environmental resources.
- Environmental Soil Science
- The Environmental Soil Science (ESOIL) minor enables students to acquire scientific and field related skills in preparation for environmental careers.
- Equine Science
- The Equine Science minor is designed for students who wish to supplement their academic major with studies in equine science. This minor is offered by the Department of Dairy and Animal Science.
- Forest Science
- The Forest Science minor is offered for students who wish to seek employment or achieve a basic competency in forestry without qualifying as professional foresters.
- Horticulture
- The Horticulture minor is designed to provide non-majors with both an overview and in-depth understanding of the principles and practices of horticulture.
- International Agriculture
- Leadership Development
- The minor in Leadership Development is based on a broad cross-disciplinary philosophy of leadership.
- Mushroom Science and Technology
- The Mushroom Science and Technology minor is designed to prepare students for a career in the mushroom industry.
- Off-Road Equipment
- Plant Pathology
- The Plant Pathology minor is designed for students who wish to learn more about the causes and control of plant disease, including students pursuing careers in commercial crop production, industrial sales, private consulting, extension, and industry or government research.
- Poultry and Avian Science
- The Poultry and Avian Science (P A S) minor is designed for students who wish to supplement their academic major with studies focused on the biology and management of avian species, with an emphasis on domestic fowl.
- Wildlife and Fisheries Science
- The Wildlife and Fisheries Science minor provides non-majors with an introduction to the principles and practices of wildlife and fisheries conservation, research, and management.
- Wood Products Marketing
- The Wood Products Marketing minor offers students in other majors, especially those oriented toward business, science, or engineering, an opportunity to develop a basic competency in wood products marketing and processing.
- Youth and Family Education
- Designed to help prepare students for a career in cooperative extension and other nonformal education programs.
