Major: Agriculture, General
USDA/Gene Alexander
The essence of agriculture is providing food, whether you grow soybeans, herd cows, or develop a new hybrid tomato. But the basic task of keeping humans fed is complicated by environmental, scientific, economic, political, and legal questions.
How can local government agencies help keep farmers from having to sell their land to developers? What pesticides are effective yet have the least impact on the environment? How can water sources be managed so that they last? How will a surplus in Chinese apples affect international trade? Agricultural students learn how to answer all of these questions and more.
Agriculture students learn how to use general principles of agricultural research and production to approach practical agricultural problems. These problems range from soil conservation and animal husbandry to plant cultivation and business management.
“I have been working with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service …. I work outside almost every day, investigating the different soils and scientifically classifying those soils.”
Kristin, sophomore, environmental soil science,
University of Delaware
Are You Ready To...?
- Complete an internship, teaching farming to emotionally disabled children, for example
- Apply business and economic theory to real-world agricultural situations
- Study abroad, examining irrigation techniques in Australia, for example
- Write a senior thesis, on the viticulture (wine grape) industry in California, for example
It Helps to Be...
Interested in current events. Agricultural topics, such as the debate over genetically modified food, are in the news almost every day.
College Checklist
- What courses outside the school of agriculture will you have to take?
- What subdisciplines, such as natural resource economics or statistics, does the college emphasize?
- Does the program offer classes in the areas you’re interested in, such as international agricultural development?
- Does the school have a strong internship program?
- Does the school have a study-abroad program?
- Are there agricultural clubs on campus, such as the Future Farmers of America and the National Agri-Marketing Association?
Did You Know?
- You don’t need a farming background (you don’t even have to be from a rural area) to do well in agriculture.
Course Spotlight
If you earn a bachelor’s degree, your final year might include a senior seminar, a small class in which the focus is on papers, class discussion, and student presentations (not exams). Your seminar might focus on today’s agricultural issues, such as rural development policy in the United States. And the class may guide you through the process of researching and writing your senior thesis -- probably the most challenging, and rewarding, paper of your undergraduate career.
Explore this major in more depth on MyRoad™