/Institutions/Northwest-Missouri-State-University/json/2012-2014/Undergraduate-Catalog-local.json

/Institutions/Northwest-Missouri-State-University/json/2012-2014/Undergraduate-Catalog.json

2012-2014 Undergraduate Catalog > Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth College of Business and Professional Studies > Agricultural Sciences Department

Agricultural Sciences Department

Chairperson:

Faculty: Rod Barr, Lurinda Gilliland, Rego Jones, Arley Larson, George Kegode, Naveen Musunuru, Jamie Patton, Callie Walker, Thomas Zweifel

Statement of Mission

The Department of Agricultural Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University supports and enhances the mission of the University. Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential, regional University offering a broad range of undergraduate and select graduate programs. The University’s programs place special emphasis upon agriculture, business, and teacher education, as these professions contribute to the primary service region. In support of this mission, the Department of Agricultural Sciences currently offers seven majors, six minors, three master’s degrees and a two-year farm operations certificate to complement the high quality, living-learning environment of Northwest for students interested in pursuing careers in agriculture.

Degree Programs

The courses in the Department of Agricultural Sciences are chosen with the aim of preparing students to take their place in the many and varied occupations directly or indirectly related to agriculture. It is possible for students to select an area of emphasis in preparation for a particular career field, to prepare for advanced study, to prepare for farming or to enter the teaching field as a teacher of agricultural education.

Majors are currently offered in Agricultural Business, Agronomy, Animal Science, Animal Science (Pre-Veterinary Option), Horticulture, Agricultural Education and Agricultural Science. Students at Northwest can select agricultural minors in Animal Science, Agricultural Science, Commercial Agriculture, Agronomy, Precision Agriculture, and Horticulture. Master’s programs are offered leading to the following degrees: Master of Science in Agriculture, Master of Science in Education (Teaching Secondary Agricultural Education) and Master in Business Administration (MBA) with an area in Agricultural Economics.

All faculty members within the Department of Agricultural Sciences have earned a Ph.D. or have significant professional experience, and strive for excellence in teaching, scholarly activity, service and student support. The Agricultural Sciences department is a leader in applied research programs in alternative crops, marketing research and associated activities.

The Department of Agricultural Sciences places special emphasis on creating a climate that is conducive to learning. The faculty possess a genuine concern for the students as well as a high commitment to the educational achievement of their students. The department’s goal is to educate students to successfully meet the challenges of a career in agriculture, while instilling a desire and curiosity for lifelong learning.

The department offers an excellent course curriculum for each major, undergraduate research opportunities, internship programs, a wide range of professional and social student organizations and hands-on experiences in living laboratories to expand students’ horizons beyond the classroom.

Agriculture Major Requirements

When a student chooses agriculture as a major, he/she will also choose an area of specialization from those offered. An advisor will then be assigned and the student and advisor will select the courses needed to complete the major requirements. Courses are required for each major, but students may, with permission of the advisor and department chairperson, make substitutions or additions to their program. General requirements for the B.S. degree are found in the “Degree Requirements” section of this catalog.

• All agriculture students are required to take chemistry as part of their general requirements.

Department Policies

Requirements for Independent Study and Problems Courses

The independent study and problems courses for each area of specialization permit the student to explore a specific topic in depth. The 400-level course may: (1) use either primary or secondary research data or (2) cover course material the student was unable to schedule prior to the senior year. The 500-level course may use only primary research data or special problems assigned by the instructor.

A student may take no more than three hours of 400-level and three hours of 500-level of these courses during the undergraduate program. The student may not take both a 400- and 500-level of these courses during the same trimester.

The final report must be filed in the Department of Agricultural Sciences and the student is responsible for providing that copy.

Credit By Examination

The agriculture courses listed in the course descriptions preceded by an asterisk (*) are available to students for credit by examination. If a student feels he/she can test out of any of these courses, the student should talk to the instructor and the department chairperson.

Majors and Minors for Agriculture Students

Students majoring in agriculture are not permitted to minor in agricultural science. Students seeking multiple majors in agriculture are not permitted to use agricultural science as one of the majors. Students pursuing a major in agricultural science may not pursue a minor offered by the department. When an agriculture minor is chosen in lieu of the collateral field for a major, duplicate courses in the minor must have replacement coursework assigned by the advisor.

Transfer Credit

For Bachelor of Science degree students, only those junior/community college agriculture courses with a lower division equivalent at Northwest will be transferred toward a B.S. degree, with the exception of internships and those courses that are covered by a current articulation agreement Up to six credits of employment experience, on-the-job training, or internships can be substituted for Northwest’s AGRI 03498 Agriculture Occupations Internship.

For Bachelor of Technology degree students completing a one- or two-year program at a junior/community college and who transfer to Northwest for a B.T. degree, most credits will transfer, either as substitutes for equivalent courses at the freshman and sophomore level or as electives. Bachelor of Technology students must complete a residence emphasis of 24 hours. (See Bachelor of Technology degree requirements.)

Students selecting a major/emphasis in agriculture from Northwest Missouri State University must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours in agriculture from Northwest’s Department of Agricultural Sciences. Exceptions to this policy must be submitted in writing to the department chairperson for review by the Department Curriculum Committee.