You are in the official 1997-98 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.
Department of Agricultural Economics
The School of
Agricultural Sciences and Technology
DAVID K. SMITH, Chair
Leon S. Peters Building, Room 302
(559) 278-2949
FAX: (559) 278-6536
B.S. in Agricultural
Business
Minor in Agricultural Business
Faculty
David K. Smith, Chair
Dwight D. Minami, Graduate Coordinator
Herbert O. Mason, Director, Center for Agricultural Business
James H. Cothern
John W. Hagen
Dennis Nef
John R. Shields
Douglas R. Williams
Faculty members are broadly trained with advanced degrees from top ranked
universities across the nation, and are highly experienced as teachers,
consultants, and researchers. They bring practical insight to the classroom
by being professionally active in service to California farms and agribusinesses,
industry organizations, government agencies, and professional associations.
Forming a strong advisee-adviser relationship with any one of the faculty
can help you match your career goals with appropriate coursework.
Join the leader in science, technology, and management. The award-winning
Agricultural Business Program at California State University, Fresno is
setting the pace -- having been recognized in 1985 as a national model by
the Agribusiness Education Project, sponsored by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and comprised of agricultural industry leaders and higher education
scholars from around the country.
The agricultural business curriculum is a comprehensive and integrative
program with a problem-solving orientation and a practical experience emphasis.
Degree Programs
The Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business combines core undergraduate
courses in agricultural economics (Ag Ec) with basic business management
and agricultural science foundation courses. This undergraduate major allows
you to emphasize a career specialty, such as agribusiness management, agricultural
finance, agricultural marketing, farm management, and food industry management.
Certified Minor Programs. A Minor in Agricultural Business is available
for students majoring in agricultural sciences, business, and other fields.
Agricultural business students wishing to complement their major
with an emphasis in business may obtain a Minor in General Business by following
that program of study in the Sid Craig School of Business. Contact the Undergraduate
Advising Office in Peters Building 181.
Ag One Grants for academic fees and books are available. Call (559)
278-2061 for information.
Under the Master of Business Administration, an elective area in
agricultural business combines core graduate courses in agricultural business
(Ag Bs) with core courses from business. This program is administered by
the Sid Craig School of Business. It is designed for individuals seeking
to advance their career by enhancing their business management and economic
analysis skills with an emphasis on agricultural sector applications. Contact
the graduate business adviser at (559) 278-2107.
Instructional Facilities
Modern agricultural computing facilities are used to teach students computerized
farm accounting systems, agricultural enterprise management, agribusiness
simulations, commodity trading programs, and to expose them to planning
and decision-making aids as part of their professional expertise.
Students have access to the Marketing News Center and to a computerized
database system through the statewide Advanced Technology Information Network
(ATI-NET) established by the school's California Agricultural Technology
Institute (CATI).
Center for Agricultural Business (CAB)
Organized to promote the economic efficiency, profitability, and competitiveness of California agriculture, CAB uses faculty expertise and student assistance to address problems and opportunities in farm management, agribusiness finance, commodity marketing, agricultural trade, natural resources, and labor management. Seminars are held periodically on topics of concern to farmers and agribusiness managers. An annual Agribusiness Management Conference is co-sponsored with industry to explore current issues and report the economic outlook of the state's agricultural sector.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Agricultural Business Program can choose from more than 120 professional occupations in California's agricultural industry. Ask your faculty adviser for the agricultural business career opportunities list.
Professional Preparation
Students establish credibility with prospective employers by participating in the following occupationally related activities:
- Career planning and preparation in the Agribusiness Career Seminar (Ag Ec 195);
- National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) student chapter, which serves as the Agricultural Business Club offering professional contacts with industry leaders, an annual scholarship, and involvement in the annual national marketing competition for academic credit (Ag Ec 168);
- Industry internship opportunities for many career positions through management training programs with agricultural business firms and support institutions. Internships are awarded on a competitive basis and grants academic credit in the major for this supervised experience (Ag Ec 194);
- Farm laboratory experience under faculty supervision through participation in the student project program and concurrent enrollment in an Enterprise Management course (Plant, A Sci, Enol 196). This is highly recommended and can be used in the major.
