THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS
Total Course Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree: 120 units
See "Requirements for the Bachelor's Degree" in The University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 40 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
A suggested Major Academic Plan (MAP) has been prepared to help students meet all graduation requirements within four years. Please request a plan from your major adviser or view it and other current advising information on the CSU, Chico Web.
Please see the General Education, Cultural Diversity, and U.S. History, Constitution and American Ideals requirements under the BS in Agriculture.
Literacy Requirement:
See "Mathematics and Writing Requirements" in The University Catalog. Writing proficiency in the major is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of a course in your major which has been designated as the Writing Proficiency (WP) course for the semester in which you take the course. Students who earn below a C- are required to repeat the course and earn a C- or better to receive WP credit. See The Class Schedule for the designated WP courses for each semester. You must pass ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a C- or better before you may register for a WP course.
Course Requirements for the Major: 86 units
The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this degree.
Lower-Division Requirements: 35 units
10 courses required:
| ABUS | 101 | Intro to Ag Business/Economics | 3.0 | FS |
| ABUS | 261 | Farm Accounting | 3.0 | FS |
| ABUS | 262 | Mgmt Accounting for Ag | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ABUS 261 or ACCT 201.
| AGET | 150 | Agricultural Machine Systems | 3.0 | FS |
| AGRI | 180 | The University Experience | 1.0 | FS |
| BLAW | 302 | Managing the Legal Environment | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: At least junior standing.
| CHEM | 107 | Gen Chem for Applied Sciences | 4.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Intermediate Algebra.
| ECON | 102 | Principles of Macro Analysis | 3.0 | FS * |
Prerequisites: Completion of ELM requirement.
| PSSC | 250 | Introduction to Soil Science | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: CHEM 107 or CHEM 111.
1 course selected from:
| ANSC | 101 | Introduction to Animal Science | 3.0 | FS * |
| PSSC | 101 | Introduction to Plant Science | 3.0 | FS * |
3 units selected from:
Any lower-division Agricultural Business (ABUS), Agricultural Engineering Technology (AGET), Animal Science (ANSC), Plant and Soil Science (PSSC), or Agriculture (AGRI) course.
Upper-Division Requirements: 51 units
9 courses required:
| ABUS | 301 | Ag Production Econ Analysis | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101 or ECON 103.
| ABUS | 311 | Ag Markets and Pricing | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101.
| ABUS | 321 | Agribusiness Management | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101 or equivalent.
| ABUS | 331 | Agricultural Mgmt Info Systems | 3.0 | FS |
| ABUS | 332 | ABUS Sys Quantitative Methods | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101, MATH 105.
| ABUS | 451 | Agricultural Policy | 3.0 | SP |
Prerequisites: Senior standing, ABUS 301, ECON 102.
| ABUS | 465 | Agricultural Finance | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: ABUS 101.
| AGRI | 331 | Agricultural Ecology | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Completion of lower division core.
| AGRI | 482 | Agricultural Issues | 3.0 | FS WP |
Prerequisites: ENGL 130 (or its equivalent) with a grade of C- or higher.
1 course selected from:
| ABUS | 389 | Internship in Agribusiness1.0 | 3.0 | FA |
Prerequisites: Permission of Internship Coordinator.
| AGET | 389 | Internship1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Prior approval of academic goals by the Internship Coordinator.
| ANSC | 389 | Internship in ANSC1.0 | 3.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Prior approval of academic goals by the Internship Coordinator.
| PSSC | 389 | Internship1.0 | 6.0 | FS |
Prerequisites: Junior standing, faculty permission.
Only 1 unit of internship is required.
3 units selected from:
Any upper-division production course from Animal Science (ANSC) or Plant and Soil Science (PSSC). These courses are limited to those offerings that have either ANSC 101 or PSSC 101 as a prerequisite.
20 units selected from:
Any upper-division College of Agriculture courses selected with approval of your adviser. Fifteen of the 20 units should be Agricultural Business courses.
Electives Requirement:
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total university offerings. You should consult with an adviser regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your university experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Students may double count only one approved upper-division General Eduction theme course with a required option elective.
Grading Requirement:
All courses taken to fulfill major course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as Credit/No Credit grading only.
Advising Requirement:
Advising is mandatory for all majors in this degree program. Consult your undergraduate adviser for specific information.
A sample program for students who wish to complete their major in four years is available in the Office of the College of Agriculture, CSU, Chico, CA 95929.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It involves 6 units of honors course work completed over two semesters.
Your Honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair. Most importantly, however, the Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the university for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or competition in shows; such experience is valuable for graduate school and later professional life.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are
1. You must take 6 units of Honors in the Major course work. At least 3 of these 6 units are independent study (499H) as specified by your department. You must complete each class with a minimum grade of B. 2. You must have completed 9 units of upper-division course work or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units. 3. Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 4. Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5 percent of majors in your department. 5. Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the 6 units of course work over the two semesters of their senior year. 6. Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your Honors project.
While Honors in the Major is part of the Honors Program, each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major adviser for further information.