Agricultural Science A.S. Degree

Why Choose Agricultural Science A.S. Degree at CLC?

• Low instructor to student ratios (approximate class & lab sizes of 20) – allow for students to receive personal attention from their instructors and develop working relationships with classmates.

• CLC offers an affordable education option without compromising the quality of education – allowing students to save money for use in the completion of a Bachelor’s degree upon transfer to a four-year institution.

• Fulfillment of all Minnesota Transfer Curriculum goals with carefully chosen courses which transfer as core requirements into many different bachelor degrees – allows undecided students numerous options while limiting unnecessary and costly electives.

• A variety of technical courses instructed by professionals working in the industries makes the A.S. degree versatile and practical – allowing students an introduction to an area of interest/specialization of their choice and ensuring that what they are learning is current.

• Availability of internships in agriculturally related fields – allows students hands-on experience to help them decide if they have made the right career choice.

• Articulation agreements with Southwest Minnesota State University, and pending with University of MN Crookston, North Dakota State and South Dakota State – allow for seamless transfer into select Bachelor’s degrees.

• Industry professionals serving as student Advisors provide practical, real-life experience recommendations and guidance to help students in choosing a career pathway.

• Located in the beautiful Brainerd Lakes Area, students studying at CLC have ample resources for recreation to help them balance the stress of academic life with rest and relaxation.

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About the Program

The Central Lakes College, Agricultural Science A.S. Degree was designed for students interested in completing a Bachelor’s degree in a career field related to agriculture, food, natural resources or horticulture. While it was developed to be a transfer degree, it is also possible that it could be a stand-alone degree leading directly to employment, depending on the job entry level and the requirements of the employer.

The A.S. Degree provides students with a strong foundation of coursework that has been carefully researched to assure that it transfers as a core requirement into an agriculture related, Bachelor’s degree at a four year college. Fields of study for which the A.S. is targeted include, but is not limited to: agricultural education, agronomy, animal science, horticulture and natural resources. In addition to required courses, students are allowed to choose from a variety of introductory level technical courses related to their specific field of interest.

If, after exploring the various introductory technical courses and completing the degree, a student decides that none of the targeted fields would be a good career choice for them, they still will have completed all of the courses required by the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) and their A.S. degree will readily transfer into any additional degree program, fulfilling all MnTC goal requirements for the new degree. Having fulfilled all of the MnTC requirements in their first two years of college, students will now have an opportunity to study specific coursework for whatever new major or program they choose to pursue.

Program Information

Program Course Requirements

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

Program Planning Form

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

Detailed Program Information

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.

Special Program Requirements:

Students must meet the following conditions in order to graduate:

College Cumulative GPA Requirement: cumulative grade point average (GPA) of credits attempted at CLC must be at least 2.0;
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
Residency Requirement: students must complete 25% of their credits at Central Lakes College.

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

Program Outcomes

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.

Transfer Opportunities

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

Instructors

Dr. Ann Domagala
Dr. Ann is currently the sole instructor in the Animal Science department at Central Lakes College and also works with AgCentric creating new programs and curriculum for agriculture. Dr. Ann obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Minnesota St. Paul, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine, St. Paul, and a Certificate of Public Health Core Concepts from the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Minneapolis. Dr. Ann has been a practicing production animal/equine veterinarian for almost 30 years and continues to practice veterinary medicine and manage her own clinic while teaching at the college. Several years ago, frustration with western medicine led Dr. Ann to complete a doctorate in Naturopathy and she expanded her practice to include herbs, homeopathics and energy medicine modalities including Reiki and Healing Touch.

Dr. Ann’s background with animals includes: serving as the official Crow wing County fair veterinarian for 28 years, working as a sales barn veterinarian, managing a veterinary clinic for a previous employer, breeding, raising and feeding sheep on her own farm in Crow Wing county, owning numerous horses, donkeys, cats, dogs, birds, ferrets and other house pets, and working with exotics including alpacas and reindeer.

The career of veterinary medicine is not a career but a lifestyle and as such leaves Dr. Ann with little time to do anything other than take care of animals. On the rare occasion when college is out of session and she can get another veterinarian to cover her practice, Dr. Ann likes to travel to out of the ordinary countries such as Egypt, Belaruse, and Russia or do a little scuba diving or horseback or ATV trail riding. When there is not enough time to get that far away from home, reading journal articles and other thought provoking books, working in the garden and tending to a variety of fruit trees and berry bushes, outdoor flowering plants and house plants seems to keep her grounded.

Employment Statistics

For more information regarding employment statistics, career salary information and estimated job growth, follow the resource links below:

https://apps.deed.state.mn.us/lmi/ces/
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm
http://www.iseek.org/jobs/jobmarket.html