Agricultural Science A.S. Degree

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AS DEGREE
Program Course Requirements

Required Technical Courses
Students will select one group of courses in one of the following interest areas:
ANSI 1100  Introduction to Animal Science (4 cr)
ANSI 1110  Food Safety: From Farm to Fork (3 cr)
HORT 1106  Applied Plant Science Lab OR NATR 1280 Introduction to GPS & GIS (2 cr)
Total – 9 credits

HORT 1104  Plant Science (4 cr)
HORT 1106  Applied Plant Science Lab (2 cr)
NATR 1100  Introduction to Natural Resources (3 cr)
Total – 9 credits

NATR 1112  Land Measurement (3 cr)
NATR 1115  Plant Taxonomy (2 cr)
NATR 1280  Introduction to GPS & GIS (2 cr)
NATR 2170  Advanced GPS & GIS (2 cr)
Total – 9 credits

ANSI 1100  Introduction to Animal Science (4 cr)
NATR 2155  Soil Science (3 cr)
HORT 1106  Applied Plant Science Lab OR NATR 1115 Plant Taxonomy OR NATR 1280 Introduction to GPS & GIS (2 cr)
Total – 9 credits

Required General Education
BIOL 1431  General Biology (Goal 3) (5 cr)
COMM 1430  Public Speaking (Goals 1 and 2) (3 cr)
COMM 2420  Intercultural Communication (Goals 1 and 7) (3 cr)
ECON 2402  Microeconomics (Goal 5) (3 cr)
MATH 1470  College Algebra (Goal 4) (3 cr)
PHIL 1421  Critical Thinking (Goal 2) OR PHIL 1421 Honors Critical Thinking (Goals 1 and 2) (3 cr)
Total – 20 credits

CHEM 1414  Fundaments of Chemistry OR CHEM 1407 Life Science Chemistry OR PHYS 1401 College Physics I (Goal 3) (4 cr)
Total – 4 credits

ENGL 1410  Composition I OR ENGL 1420 Honors Composition I (4 cr)
Total – 4 credits

ENGL 1411  Composition II OR ENGL 1421 Honors Composition II (Goal 1) (4 cr)
Total – 4 credits

MATH 1460  Introduction to Statics (Goal 4) OR ACCT 2011 Principals of Accounting I (4 cr)
Total – 4 credits

Select one course that meets both Goals 1 and 5. One of the following courses is recommended:
GEOG 1400  Physical Geography (Goals 1, 5) (3 cr)
PSYC 1425  Environmental Psychology (Goals 1,5) (3 cr)
SOCL 2422  Culture and Environment (Goals 1, 5) (3 cr)
Total – 3 credits

Select one course that meets both Goals 5 and 8. One of the following courses is recommended:
ENVR 1400  Introduction to Environmental Studies (Goals 5, 8) (3 cr)
GLST 1401  Introduction to Global Studies (Goals 5, 8) (3 cr)
GEOG 1410  Maps and Places (Goals 5, 8) (3 cr)
GEOG 1459  Cultural Geography (Goals 5, 8) (3 cr)
Total – 3 credits

Select one course that meets both Goals 6 and 9. One of the following courses is recommended:
PHIL 2420  Ethics (3 cr)
PHIL 2430  Contemporary Moral Problems (3 cr)
Total – 3 credits

Select two additional courses from Goal 6
Total – 6 credits

Total General Education – 51 credits

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT – 60 CREDITS

Click here to download the Agricultural Science AS Degree Program Planning Form (PDF)

Career Description: Students completing and transferring the Agricultural Science A.S. to a 4 year institution will have the opportunity to graduate with a degree related to agriculture or agricultural education, food science, horticulture or natural resources. The career description could include: wildlife and ecosystem management and consulting, greenhouse management and crop production, soil monitoring and consulting, agricultural education for producers, schools and the general public, animal science research, management of crop or animal production facilities, food safety research and inspection, technical and regulatory work within the USDA, Board of Animal Health or state Department of Agriculture, and agricultural finance and consulting.

Program Information: The Agricultural Science degree is intended to be a broad-based curriculum leading to a 4-year degree in agriculture & agricultural education, food science, horticulture, and natural resources.

Program Outcomes:
Graduates will be able to:

• Develop as writers and speakers who use the English language effectively and who read, write, think, speak, and listen critically;
• Develop capacity to identify, discuss and reflect upon social, cultural, ethical, behavioral and environmental issues;
• Demonstrate comprehension of basic principles of chemistry or physics and biological systems;
• Increase their knowledge of and ability to employ mathematical techniques and strategies to solve problems, manage accounts or analyze data;
• Demonstrate comprehension of how markets, prices, demand, profit maximization and other factors of production affect economic behavior of individual units of an economy;
• Increase their knowledge and understanding of techniques and practices utilized in the fields of agriculture, natural resources or horticulture; and
• Increase their awareness and understanding of careers available in the fields of agriculture, natural resources or horticulture.

Special Program Requirements:

Students must meet the following conditions in order to graduate:

1. College Cumulative GPA Requirement: cumulative grade point average (GPA) of credits attempted at CLC must be at least 2.0;
2. College Technical Core GPA Requirement: cumulative GPA of credits attempted towards the technical core of the diploma or degree must be at least 2.0; and
3. Residency Requirement: students must complete 25% of their credits at Central Lakes College.

Transfer Opportunities: Southwest Minnesota State University – 2 articulations pending Bemidji State University – articulation pending U of Minnesota Crookston – articulation pending U of Minnesota – Twin Cities North Dakota State University South Dakota State University

Career Opportunities: According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of agriculture and food scientists is expected to grow 9% from 2012 to 2022 and these scientists should have good job prospects overall. Nationally, according to the USDA, we will need approximately 33,000 graduates in agriculture over the next five years in excess of current projected supply. In 2015, USA Today listed agriculture as the #5 career opportunity field in the nation.

Career Titles: After completion of a 4 year degree: Animal Scientist, Animal Nutritionist, Geneticist, Agronomist, Meat Scientist, Biotechnology Scientist, Agriculture Specialist, Crop Scientist, Hydrologist, Research Scientist, Environmental Scientist, Agricultural Education Instructor, Soil Conservationist, Agricultural Loan Officer, Agricultural Inspector, Agricultural Manager, Feed Mill Manager, USDA Agriculture Specialist, Laboratory Technician, Research Associate, Research Technician