Wondering whether a master’s degree in regenerative agriculture might be right for you? Contact graduate program coordinator Cindy Daley to ask questions or set up a conversation.
Phone: 530-898-6280
Email: cdaley@csuchico.edu
This major is for students who see ecological farming as a carbon-smart solution to fight climate change. Answering big environmental and food system questions starts with understanding where we are today and exploring where we can innovate for tomorrow.
Working with agriculturists, conservationists, and educators around the world, you’ll study farming practices that reduce greenhouse gasses, restore soil resiliency, increase the sustainability of farms and ranches, and address food and water insecurity. You’ll get your hands dirty, literally, while conducting research, immersing yourself in visionary practices, and championing this field as the answer to our future.
Plant Your Own Vision
With an interdisciplinary approach, you’ll draw from courses in agriculture, environmental science, nutrition, communications and education as you create your own program by designing 30 units of courses that complement and challenge one another.
Grow Your Career
Regenerative farming is the future—both to feed our growing world and to nurture the soils so they can sustain us for generations to come. Graduates are in-demand at careers within higher education, at the government and policy level, in research and working for nonprofits, and at all levels of the agriculture industry, from family farms to multinational businesses. Recent graduates have gone on to work for the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California Cooperative Extension, and at the University’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems as we take this work to a global stage.
Ample Opportunity
Through grants, partnerships, and hands-on learning spaces, you’ll find an untapped network in which to your imagination is the only limit for where you can focus your field of study.
$30
million in funding
The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems has secured dozens of grants to support operations and applied research at the graduate and post-doctoral level.
1 of 4
CSUs with a farm
One of the most diversified farming operations in Northern California, the University Farm at Chico State is your living laboratory for studying and comparing conventional and regenerative agriculture practices.
30+
Mentor farmers and demonstration farms
From rice to cotton, dairy to poultry, and vineyards to vegetables, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient System has a vast network of mentors and farming operations for you to engage with for research and learning.
- $30
million in funding
The Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems has secured dozens of grants to support operations and applied research at the graduate and post-doctoral level.
- 1 of 4
CSUs with a farm
One of the most diversified farming operations in Northern California, the University Farm at Chico State is your living laboratory for studying and comparing conventional and regenerative agriculture practices.
- 30+
Mentor farmers and demonstration farms
From rice to cotton, dairy to poultry, and vineyards to vegetables, the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient System has a vast network of mentors and farming operations for you to engage with for research and learning.
Rooted in Research
Your foundation in regenerative agriculture is grounded in hands-on projects and data analysis. Whether leading their own study at the University Farm or working in the Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration Laboratory, our students tackle topics like soil carbon accrual, rangeland seeding’s impact on soil, health and forage production, and more.
Cutting-Edge Learning Spaces
University Farm
The 800-acre Paul L. Byrne Memorial University Farm is the centerpiece of the Chico State ag program, and it’s a key part of your educational experience. Working directly with farms and ranchers, it’s perhaps the most diversified operation in Northern California.
Organic Dairy Unit
Nearly 20 years ago, we became the first university-based organic dairy program in the Western United States. The program supports 80 Jersey-X cows and is led by the student-run Dairy Management Team, which immerses you in every aspect of organic dairy production.
Regenerative Agriculture Demonstration Lab
The RAD Lab is where you’ll learn the process of sampling soil in the field, performing analytical measurements in a lab setting, and understanding documentation and data assessment. As a service lab for our region, we hope to demonstrate that growers who transition to regenerative practices improve the quality of their soil and the food they grow over time.
Organic Vegetable Project
The OVP is a California Certified Organic Farm three-acre unit at that produces vegetables, fruit, herbs, and flowers at the University Farm. It has three goals: education, feeding the community, and conducting research to grow, evaluate, and identify useful farming practices and promising new vegetables.
Farming for the Future
With a master’s degree focused on regenerative agriculture, you will be ready for the next step in your career thanks to the expert faculty, learning opportunities, and specialized programs made possible through the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.
Informative Field Days
Our immersive trips to meet with farmers, farmer advisors, and researchers from other institutes and agencies will expand your awareness of the many facets of regenerative agriculture and pathways to pursue.
Influence Technology and Policy
Whether using flux towers to monitor carbon or testing soils in the lab, your access to cutting edge technology and data collection will help address big environmental and food system questions and advocate for change.
Co-Author and Present
Working side by side with faculty, you’ll have the opportunity to share authorship of scientific papers while also presenting research and data analysis through presentations and posters at that national level.
Dive Right In
Whether joining a project like the North Valley Food Hub or supporting the This Way to Resilience—the largest student-run sustainability conference in the nation, opportunities abound to expand your education beyond the classroom, while you can also build community through one of nearly two dozen clubs in the College of Agriculture.
Application Information
Ready to take the next step?
All prospective students must first apply for graduate admissions through Cal State Apply. Supplementary materials will either be collected electronically via Cal State Apply or sent directly to the program department. See application requirements and deadlines on the Interdisciplinary Studies webpage.
Application Deadlines
Fall: May 1
Spring: November 1
Supplemental Materials
- One letter of recommendation
- Justification statement
- Program Plan Approval form (PDF)
How to Apply
Cindy Daley, program coordinator
Yes! Graduate students can qualify for traditional financial aid by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA).
Scholarship Opportunities
California State University, Chico, provides merit and scholarship awards to deserving students for graduate studies, and many go unfilled. Scholarships are provided based on a variety of criteria, including academic merit, financial need, participation in clubs and activities, volunteer and community involvement, major and career goals, etc.
That should be OK. We accept students from a wide variety of undergraduate pathways and majors. Check with Cindy Daley for more information.
Related Programs
Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems
Wondering whether a master’s degree in regenerative agriculture might be right for you? Contact graduate program coordinator Cindy Daley to ask questions or set up a conversation.
Phone: 530-898-6280
Email: cdaley@csuchico.edu