Northwest Missouri State University

2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog

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School of Agricultural Sciences/ 03

Director: Rod Barr

Assistant Director: Arley Larson

Faculty: Matt Bax, Nigel Hoilett, Jacqueline Lacy, Marcus McGee, Michael Miller, Callie Mullins, Oscar Perez-Hernandez, Kevin Royal, Sethuram Soman, Stuart Sprague, Travis Tennant, Thomas Zweifel

Statement of Mission

The mission of the School of Agricultural Sciences is to serve the students and the agricultural industry by:

  • Providing high-quality degree programs utilizing an interdisciplinary approach
  • Enhancing the critical thinking and problem solving skills of students
  • Utilizing current and sustainable technologies to prepare students for the 21st century
  • Integrating theory and application to provide high-quality services to the regional agricultural industry


Degree Programs

The courses in the School 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, Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Business, Agronomy, Precision Agriculture, Agricultural Communications and Horticulture. Master’s programs are offered leading to the following degrees:  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 School 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 School of Agricultural Sciences is a leader in applied research programs in marketing research and associated activities.

The School 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 school'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 School of Agricultural Sciences 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

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

School 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.

Credit by Examination

The following courses are available to students for credit by examination: AGRI 03102, AGRI 03150, AGRI 03312, AGRI 03320, AGRI 03440, AGRI 03566. If a student feels he/she can test out of any of these courses, the student should talk to the instructor and the school director.

Majors and Minors for Agriculture Students

Students majoring in agriculture are not permitted to minor in agricultural science or pursue a 2-year Farm Operations Certificate. 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 pursue only a minor in Agricultural Communication, Agricultural Finance or Precision Agriculture within the School of Agricultural Sciences. 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 that are covered by a current articulation agreement may be counted towards programs in the School of Agricultural Sciences. 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 Applied Science degree students completing a one- or two-year program at a junior/community college and who transfer to Northwest for a B.A.S. degree, most credits will transfer, either as substitutes for equivalent courses or as electives. The Bachelor of Applied Science degree requires a minimum of 24 semester hours in Ag courses numbered above 300. A minimum of 30 semester hours must be completed in residence; with the last 10 hours of academic work completed at Northwest. A minimum of 124 earned academic hours and a minimum overall and Northwest grade point average of 2.0 are required to qualify for the degree. (See Bachelor of Applied Science 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 School of Agricultural Sciences.

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