Agribusiness Management Major

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Agribusiness Management is business school for hands-on learners.

A business degree—with a no-nonsense approach to the unique challenges of the agriculture, food, and fiber industries. Graduates thrive in agricultural businesses and banks, insurance companies, and government. Others continue academic journeys at MBA programs, law school, and more.

The best of agriculture, the best of business school.

Students complete course work in marketing, management, finance, and accounting at the Penn State Smeal College of Business and then roll up their sleeves and apply those concepts to the multibillion-dollar world agrifood system. This is learning by doing and excellent preparation for business of every kind.

Penn State Agribusiness Management grads are in high demand.

Seed and food companies, equipment manufacturers, and other agribusiness companies routinely tell us that our students are some of the best prepared to get right to work leading the industry.

Look at the directory of leading banks, insurance companies, and businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to family farms, and you will see Penn State Agribusiness Management grads. The practical, problem-solving nature of your education can set you up for success.

Agribusiness Management is the right major if you: 

are a “people person” with a focused interest in agriculture
have an entrepreneurial appetite and mindset
thrive academically with hands-on, applied learning

See the University Bulletin for details on program requirements, suggested academic plan, and more.

Agricultural Business Management combines courses in both agricultural sciences and business.

A premier academic experience.

See Program Highlights

Career-driven curriculum

The formula for success as a business leader is the mastery of marketing, management, human resources, finance, and accounting. Those are the competencies we teach.

Example Business Courses

Strategic Decision Making in Agribusiness
Food Product Marketing
Economic Principles of Agribusiness Decision Making
Markets and Prices: Analysis and Forecasting
Agribusiness in the Global Economy

Specializations

Students majoring in Agribusiness Management must develop a 12-credit specialization. Separate your résumé from the pack and dig deep into an area driven by a specific business interest and/or personal academic curiosity.

Example specializations

Animal science
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Information technology
International agriculture
International business
Language/culture study
Leadership development

Ag Journeys

“Not everyone gets enough food. We can be part of the solution.”

– Jason Huang

Experience Jason's Ag Journey

Out of the classroom and into the boardroom.

Our renowned Agribusiness Management faculty are adamant that the classroom experience is just the launchpad for your academic journey. We will help you find internships where you can put your agribusiness learnings to the test. Not only is it a great way to develop your business skills, but many of our internships result in job offers. There are also faculty-guided, student-led clubs, hands-on research opportunities, and study abroad opportunities for just about any area of interest under the sun.

Craft your experience.

Related clubs and teams

Agribusiness Management Club
Collegiate 4-H
Collegiate Farm Bureau
Penn State AgriMarketing Team (NAMA)
See all clubs and teams

Recent internships

Agricultural financial institution
Food manufacturer
Government agency
Non-profit organization

Popular study abroad

Comparing French and US Food Systems in France
International Food Marketing in Italy
Mediterranean Agribusiness Management in Spain
Business and International Affairs in France and Spain

Agricultural systems management is another potential career field.

Ag business career options in the multimillion-dollar food and fiber industry.

Agribusiness management major offers interesting study abroad opportunities.

A practical, workforce-ready degree—and a college experience you’ll love.

Penn State Agribusiness Management grads are leading family farms and in top roles in Wall Street giants the world over.

Our alumni out in the world

Agricultural cooperatives
Agricultural risk management and consulting
Agrimarketing agencies
Ag retail management
Commodity brokers
Financial and lending institutions
Food processing companies
Futures and options exchange organizations
Government agencies
International trade and policy organizations
Market analytics
Product procurement and supply chain

More opportunities than you think!

Discover Ag Careers

Agribusiness Management Career Options

Major in Agribusiness Management, and you'll graduate ready to launch the rewarding career you want. Here are just a few career options.

Procurement specialist

A procurement specialist researches the marketplace and purchases goods and services that businesses need.

What will I do?

Create and maintain strong relationships with vendors
Negotiate contracts covering pricing, quality, and delivery
Take action when contracts or agreements are not kept
Track inventory and shortages and plan appropriate backfill

Risk management specialist

This specialist identifies financial risks to a company and recommends strategies to ensure profitability.

What will I do?

Study predictive and historical data
Create and implement risk management procedures
Ensure vendor contractual compliance
Develop and implement inventory management strategies

Industry sales representative

An industry sales representative sells specialized equipment and services to customers ranging from multinational corporations to family farms.

What will I do?

Solicit potential customers and travel to customer locations
Demonstrate products and services and close the sale
Stay current on competitor offerings
Assist customers with any questions or concerns after the sale

Agribusiness Management Students in the News

March 5, 2025

Roll the dice! Game teaches agribusiness majors principles of entrepreneurship

A Penn State agribusiness management class recently spent a session rolling dice, gathering and trading agricultural resources, gaining allies, and building roads and settlements. If that sounds familiar, you might recognize the cult classic board game CATAN, first released in 1995 as Settlers of CATAN, where players compete to build a civilization on a fictional island.

April 18, 2024

Project to improve cropping named 2024 Ag Springboard pitch contest winner

Penn State students’ entrepreneurial spirit shone brightly at the 2024 Ag Springboard student business pitch contest, which took place in early April in State College. Taking home this year’s first-place award was the team that created CropNSoil, a platform to support international multicropping. Students Kanika Gupta and Kartikey Pandey, both computer science majors in the College of Engineering, and Samuel DeLozier, an agribusiness management major in the College of Agricultural Sciences, received $7,500 to further their project.