Agribusiness Management, B.S.

Program Code: AGBM_BS

Program Description

Graduates can be found working in the food production, processing, financial services, wholesaling and retailing industries, both in the United States and abroad. A substantial number are employed by agricultural supply firms. Typically, B.S. degree holders begin their careers in sales or as management trainees, and then progress to management as they develop higher levels of expertise and experience. Penn State Agribusiness Management graduates chose careers in many other places. They also are employed in banking and the investment and mutual funds industries, and others have gone to law school, graduate school, or into rural development. The quality and diversity of the program enables Agribusiness majors to undertake a variety of jobs.

This major, which is offered jointly with The Mary Jean and Frank P. Smeal College of Business, includes a core of courses required of all business students. Combining the required specialization area with a minor or electives also allows a student to focus on a particular area of interest.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 food system. This is learning by doing. While focused on agriculture, this degree is an excellent preparation for business of every kind. More specifically they will exit the program with the following skills and attributes:

  • Marketing and Finance: Students will have the capacity to apply agricultural and business marketing and finance principles to both domestic and international issues.
  • Interactions: Students will have the capacity to describe key concepts in agricultural and business management, and explain how business management concepts can be applied to manage interactions with other parts of the food system and achieve a competitive advantage in the agricultural business world.
  • Communication: Students will be able to explain solutions to challenges in agribusiness through both oral and written communication.
  • Teamwork: Students will be able to wok effectively to solve agricultural business problems as individuals and as members of teams.

What is Agribusiness Management?

Agribusiness Management is the branch of business management focusing on food and agriculture. It includes all the people and businesses that are part of value chains for food and agricultural products, and all the public and private institutions that influence the global food system.

You Might Like this Program If...

  • You want to learn how to apply business principles to real-world issues, in which you have an opportunity to work closely with faculty and your fellow students
  • You are interested in how the global food system works, and how to manage interactions among stakeholders in the food system
  • You are a “people person” and you have a passion for food and agriculture
  • You want to pursue a career in finance, management, sales/marketing, or commodity trading

University Park

Entrance to Major

In order to be eligible for entrance to this major, a student must:

  1. attain at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) for all courses taken at the University.
  2. have third or higher semester classification; and
  3. have taken MATH 110, or MATH 140, and have obtained a grade of C or higher

World Campus

Direct Admission to the Major

Incoming first-year students who meet the program admission requirements are admitted directly into the major. Admission restrictions may apply for change-of-major and/or change-of-campus students.

For more information about the admission process for this major, please send a request to the college, campus, or program contact (listed in the Contact tab).

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management, a minimum of 120 credits is required:

Requirement Credits
General Education 45
Electives 5-9
Requirements for the Major 81-82

12-15 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes: 6 credits of GQ courses; 3-6 credits of GS courses; 3 credits of GWS courses.

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Prescribed Courses
AGBM 338Agribusiness in the Global Economy3
ACCTG 211Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision Making4
ECON 104Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy Keystone/General Education Course3
FIN 301Corporation Finance3
MGMT 301Basic Management Concepts3
MKTG 301Principles of Marketing3
SCM 301Supply Chain Management3
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
AGBM 102Economics of the Food System3
AGBM 106Agribusiness Problem Solving Keystone/General Education Course3
AGBM 302Food Product Marketing3
AGBM 308WStrategic Decision Making in Agribusiness3
AGBM 320Markets and Prices: Analysis and Forecasting3
ENGL 202DEffective Writing: Business Writing Keystone/General Education Course3
Additional Courses
AGBM 407Farm Planning and Financial Management3
or AGBM 408 Financial Decision Making for Agribusiness
Select one of the following:3
Investigating the U.S. Food System: How food moves from field to table Keystone/General Education Course
Intro Rural Sociology Keystone/General Education Course 1
Introductory Sociology Keystone/General Education Course
Select one of the following:3
Information, People and Technology Keystone/General Education Course
Introduction to Management Information Systems Keystone/General Education Course
Introduction to Problem Solving with Spreadsheet Analysis and Information Systems Management
Introduction to Security and Risk Analysis Keystone/General Education Course
Select one of the following:3-4
Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business
Legal Environment of Business
Business Law I: Introduction to Contracts, Liability Issues, and Intellectual Property
Socially Responsible, Sustainable and Ethical Business Practice
Select 6 credits of 400-level AGBM courses (excluding, unless approved by the AGBM program, AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, and AGBM 496.)6
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better
AGBM 101Economic Principles of Agribusiness Decision Making Keystone/General Education Course 23
or ECON 102 Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy Keystone/General Education Course
MATH 110Techniques of Calculus I Keystone/General Education Course4
or MATH 140 Calculus With Analytic Geometry I Keystone/General Education Course
SCM 200Introduction to Statistics for Business Keystone/General Education Course4
or STAT 200 Elementary Statistics Keystone/General Education Course
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Select 12 credits in a specialty area, in consultation with an adviser (at least 6 of these credits must be at the 300 or 400 level)12
1

RSOC 11 required unless SOC 1 was taken before entering the AGBM major.

2

AGBM 101 required unless ECON 102 was taken before entering the AGBM major.

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol Keystone/General Education Course appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

  • Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
  • Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

  • Arts (GA): 3 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 3 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

  • Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

  • GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
  • GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

  • United States Cultures: 3 credits
  • International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Program Learning Objectives

  • Communication: Students will be able to explain solutions to agribusiness management problems through persuasive oral and written communication.
  • Critical and Integrative Thinking: Students will be able to think critically and utilize an integrated approach to analyze and solve agribusiness management problems.
  • Data Analysis: Students will be able to analyze and solve agribusiness management problems using quantitative and qualitative measures.
  • Dealing with Ambiguity: Students will be able to solve agribusiness management problems involving risk, uncertainty, and ambiguity.
  • Foundational and Functional Knowledge: Students will be able to apply foundational and functional knowledge to recognize, analyze, and solve agribusiness management problems.
  • Teamwork: Students will be able to work effectively to solve agribusiness management problems as individuals and as members of teams.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Jaclyn Gibboney
Academic Adviser
Armsby Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0467
jag545@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
301 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3283
advising@outreach.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2023-24 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contains suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).

Agribusiness Management, B.S. at University Park Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 170, RSOC 11, or SOC 13ENGL 15, 30H, or ESL 15‡†3
MATH 110 or 140‡#†4AGBM 106*3
AGBM 101 or ECON 102*3ACCTG 2114
AGBM 102*3General Education Course3
AGSC 1001 
 14 13
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 338 (IL)3AGBM 302*3
SCM 200 or STAT 200‡†4ECON 1043
CAS 100, CAS 100A, CAS 100B, or CAS 100C‡†3General Education Course3
General Education Course3Elective 3
Supporting Course13Supporting Course13
 16 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 320*3AGBM 308W*3
MKTG 3013FIN 3013
IST 110, MIS 204, MIS 250, or SRA 111 (Information Systems)3MGMT 3013
ENGL 202D‡†3General Education Course3
General Education Course3Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3
General Education Course3AGBM 407 or 4083
BA 243, BLAW 243, BA 342, or BLAW 3413-4General Education Course 3
SCM 3013General Education Course (GHW)1.5
Supporting Course (300 - 400 level)13Supporting Course (300-400 level)13
General Education Course (GHW)1.5Elective2
 16.5-17.5 15.5
Total Credits 120-121
*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

1

Select 12 credits in a specialty area, in consultation with an academic adviser (at least 6 of these credits must be at the 300-400 level).

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Notes:

  • To schedule most courses is the Smeal College of Business, you must be a declared AGBM major. Please see your academic adviser for more information.
  • The Business Law Category consists of BLAW 243 or BA 243 or BLAW 341 and BA 342.
  • Only 15 credits of General Education requirements may be applied toward major requirements.

Agribusiness Management, B.S. at Altoona Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 110 or 140‡#†4MGMT 3013
AGBM 170, RSOC 11, or SOC 13ENGL 15‡†3
AG 150 (elective)2ACCTG 2114
ECON 102*3General Education Course (GN or GA)3
General Education Course3General Education Course (AG 160 recommended)3
 15 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
SCM 200 or STAT 200 (GQ)‡†4ECON 104 (GS)3
IST 110, MIS 204, MIS 250, or SRA 111 (Information Systems)3FIN 3013
CAS 100 (GWS)‡†3SCM 3013
MKTG 3013AGBM 106*3
AGBM 102*3General Education Course (GN, GA, or GH)3
 16 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 320*3AGBM 302*3
AGBM 338 (IL)3AGBM 308W*3
ENGL 202D (GWS)3General Education Course (GHW)3
Supporting Course13General Education Course (GN, GA, GH)3
Supporting Course13Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3
General Education Course (GN, GA, GH)3AGBM 407 or 4083
BA 243, 342, BLAW 243, or BLAW 3413-4Supporting Course (300-400 level)13
Supporting Course13General Education Course (GN, GA, GH)3
Elective3Elective 1-2
 15-16 13-14
Total Credits 120-122
*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

1

Select 12 credits in a specialty area, in consultation with an academic adviser (at least 6 of these credits must be at the 400 level).

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and satisfy a portion of that General Education requirement. If the student’s program prescribes GWS these courses will replace both ENGL 15/ENGL 30H and CAS 100A/CAS 100B/CAS 100C. Each course is 3 credits.

Advising Notes:

  • To schedule most courses is the Smeal College of Business, you must be a declared AGBM major. Please see your academic adviser for more information.
  • Students should take AGBM 102 and AGBM 106 as early in their acadmeic plan as possible.
  • The Business Law Category consists of BLAW 243 or BA 243 or BLAW 341 and BA 342.
  • Only 15 credits of General Education requirements may be applied toward major requirements.

Agribusiness Management, B.S. at Commonwealth Campuses (except Altoona)

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 110 or 140‡#†4ACCTG 2114
ENGL 15, 30H, or ESL 15‡†3AGBM 101 or ECON 102*3
First Year Seminar1-3CAS 100‡†3
General Education Course3General Education Course (GHW)1.5
General Education Course (GHW)1.5General Education Course3
 12.5-14.5 14.5
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
SCM 200 or STAT 200‡†4MGMT 3013
ECON 1043FIN 3013
MGMT 3013BA 243, BLAW 243, BA 342, or BLAW 3413-4
Elective4General Education Course3
General Education Course3Elective 4
 17 16-17
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 102*3AGBM 302*3
AGBM 106*3AGBM 308W*3
AGBM 170, RSOC 11, or SOC 13IST 110, MIS 204, MIS 250, or SRA 111 (Information Systems)3
SCM 3013Supporting Course (300-400 level)13
Supporting Course13General Education Course3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3
ENGL 202D‡†3AGBM 407 or 4083
AGBM 320*3Supporting Course13
AGBM 338 (IL)3Supporting Course (300-400 level)13
General Education Course3General Education Course 3
 15 15
Total Credits 120-123
*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

1

Select 12 credits in a specialty area, in consultation with an academic adviser (at least 6 of these credits must be at the 400 level).

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Advising Notes:

  • To schedule most courses is the Smeal College of Business, you must be a declared AGBM major. Please see your academic adviser for more information.
  • The Business Law Category consists of BLAW 243 or BA 243 or BLAW 341 and BA 342.
  • Only 15 credits of General Education requirements may be applied toward major requirements.

Agribusiness Management, B.S. at World Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
MATH 110‡†4AGBM 106*3
AGBM 101 or ECON 102*3ACCTG 2114
AGBM 102*3ENGL 15‡†3
AGBM 170, RSOC 11, or SOC 13Elective 2
 General Education Course3
 13 15
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
STAT 200‡†4ECON 1043
CAS 100‡†3AGBM 3383
Specialty Area Course13Specialty Area Course13
Elective3Elective3
General Education Course3General Education Course3
 16 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
AGBM 320*3AGBM 302*3
MKTG 301W3AGBM 308W*3
IST 110, MIS 204, MIS 250, or SRA 111 (Information Systems)3FIN 3013
BA 2434MGMT 3013
General Education Course3General Education Course3
 16 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ENGL 202D‡†3AGBM 4083
SCM 3013AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3
AGBM 400-level (excluding AGBM 495A, AGBM 495B, AGBM 496)3Specialty Area Course13
Supporting Course13General Education Course3
General Education Course3General Education Course3
 15 15
Total Credits 120
*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

1

Select 12 credits in a specialty area, in consultation with an academic adviser (at least 6 of these credits must be at the 300-400 level).

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

Agribusiness Management graduates have the skills and knowledge necessary to choose from a variety of fulfilling career paths in applied business management. Your career depends on the experience you make for yourself as a student. Faculty and professional academic advisers in the Agribusiness Management program support and serve students in career development and preparation, including career decision-making; tailoring the Agribusiness Management major to fit career goals; internship and job search strategies; interview preparation; and preparing for employment or graduate school.

Careers

With an Agribusiness Management degree, you can be prepared for a career in applied business management, including finance, management, sales/marketing, and commodity trading. Many graduates choose careers in the food and agricultural industries. Many others are employed outside of food and agriculture, in fields such as banking, investment, human resources, and marketing, while others have gone on to graduate or law school.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Opportunities for Graduate Study

A baccalaureate degree in Agribusiness Management can lead to advanced degrees in business, agribusiness, agricultural and applied economics, and agricultural sciences.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDY

Professional Resources

Contact

University Park

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, SOCIOLOGY, AND EDUCATION
Armsby Building
814-865-0467
agribusiness@psu.edu

https://agsci.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate/majors/agribusiness-management

World Campus

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, SOCIOLOGY, AND EDUCATION
210A Armsby Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-5949
jwt4@psu.edu

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-agribusiness-management-bachelor-of-science-degree