PURPOSE
The School of Agribusiness and Resource Management (SABR) provides academic programs that combine business and technology. It is the business of food and fiber production and the technology necessary to change a raw material (a commodity) or an idea into a new product or business for the world’s consumers. Producing, financing, marketing, and providing food and fiber for the world amounts to more than one-half of the Earth’s global economy.
Agribusiness focuses on the basics of agriculture management, marketing, and finance to provide a sustainable system for the needs of future generations. Courses in the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management are designed to prepare students for the wide range of job opportunities that exist in the agricultural industries and governmental agencies. More than 20 percent of all jobs in the United States are agribusiness related, and the industry is even more important internationally, with more than half of all jobs in emerging countries related to food and fiber products. Population increases worldwide have led forecasters to predict that more than 11 billion food and fiber consumers will be part of the global agribusiness system by the year 2020. Forecasts also estimate that, at that time, more than 20,000 agribusiness jobs will go unfilled due to a lack of skilled professionals.
The academic programs in agribusiness are especially designed to meet the needs of the urban student who has little or no previous agriculture experience. An interest in plants, animals, or food can be the starting point for career development in agricultural industries or resource management. The undergraduate programs also provide the necessary training for students preparing to enter graduate degree programs.
Center for Agribusiness Policy Studies
The Center for Agribusiness Policy Studies (CAPS) carries out research and development relating to agribusiness, rural development, multiple use of scarce resources, and public policy. The center addresses regional, national, and international development in the context of global and competitive markets for agricultural products and inputs. For more information, contact the director of the Center for Agribusiness Policy Studies at 602/727–1583.
National Food and Agricultural Policy Project
The National Food and Agricultural Policy Project (NFAPP) constructs a 10-year baseline forecast for the fruit and vegetable produce industry and specific commodities, responds to congressional inquiries concerning policies affecting the fruit and vegetable industry, and publishes a monthly newsletter highlighting research efforts. Current areas of study include domestic and international promotion of fruits and vegetables, trade and the impact of trade agreements, crop insurance and risk management, and the use of neural network models in forecasting. For more information, contact the director of the National Food and Agricultural Policy Project at 602/727–1334.
DEGREES
The faculty in the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management offer the B.S. degree in Agribusiness with concentrations in general agribusiness (with options in food industry/food science and international agribusiness) and preveterinary medicine.
An M.S. degree in Agribusiness is also offered by the school. The program includes research and preparation of a thesis. A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate-level course work is required for the degree. Additional details for this degree are given in the Graduate Catalog.
ADMISSION
The School of Agribusiness and Resource Management admits students who meet the undergraduate admission requirements of Arizona State University (see “Admission Requirements”).
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The completion of a minimum of 120 semester hours—including First-Year Composition, university General Studies (see “General Studies”), and the school and major requirements—leads to the B.S. degree. Note that all three General Studies awareness areas are required. Consult your advisor for an approved list of courses. An overall GPA of 2.00 is required. Of the semester hours required for graduation, a minimum of 45 semester hours must be upper division. Also see special graduation requirements under the “Preveterinary Concentration Requirements.”
First-Year Composition
Most students will meet the First-Year Composition requirement by completing ENG 101 and 102 First-Year Composition (6 semester hours). International students from non-English speaking countries may take ENG 107 and 108 English for Foreign Students (6 semester hours) instead. Students who place into ENG 105 Advanced First-Year Composition (3 semester hours) may complete the requirement with that course alone.
Prerequisite Courses
Students who wish to major in Agribusiness should take the following courses, which can also be used to meet General Studies requirements (as indicated in italics):
| BIO 100 | The Living World S1/S2 (4) |
| or BIO 181 General Biology S1/S2 (4) | |
| CHM 101 | Introductory Chemistry S1/S2 (4) |
| or CHM 113 General Chemistry S1/S2 (4) | |
| ECN 111 | Macroeconomic Principles SB (3) |
| ECN 112 | Microeconomic Principles SB (3) |
| ENG 301 | Writing for the Professions L1 (3) |
| MAT 210 | Brief Calculus N1 (3) |
| A course in statistics N2 (3) | |
| A course in computer literacy N3 (3) | |
| Total: 26 | |
General Agribusiness Concentration. A student selecting the general agribusiness concentration may focus on general agribusiness or choose an option in food industry and food science or in international agribusiness.
Food Industry/Food Science. A student studying agribusiness could be preparing for a career in the food industry as a food technologist. Students will learn to develop the world’s food products and ensure their safety through mastery of courses in food design, food manufacturing processes, and food safety.
International Agribusiness. A student studying agribusiness could be preparing for a career in international agribusiness. This option requires a mastery of courses in domestic and global economics, commodity trading and financing, international monetary exchange, and other global business subjects.
General agribusiness concentration requirements include:
SABR Core
| AGB 300 | Livestock Management (3) |
| AGB 310 | Crop Management (3) |
| Total: 6 |
Agribusiness Concentration Core
| AGB 312 | Agribusiness Marketing (3) |
| AGB 332 | Agribusiness Finance I (3) |
| AGB 342 | Agribusiness Management I (3) |
| AGB 364 | Agribusiness Technology (3) |
| AGB 390 | Agribusiness Accounting (3) |
| or ACC 230 Accounting I (3) | |
| AGB 444 | Agribusiness Analysis L2 (3) |
| Total: 18 |
An additional 15 semester hours of upper-division agribusiness courses are required for all agribusiness degrees. See the curriculum check sheet in the department for a selection of courses. Faculty advisor approval is required.
Fifteen semester hours of departmental electives are also required. See faculty or departmental advisor for approved courses.
Preveterinary Medicine Concentration. A student studying agribusiness could also be preparing for admission to a professional veterinary school. While the student is completing the courses needed for acceptance into veterinary school he or she is broadening his or her career potential with agribusiness courses. The major reason for lack of success of a professional veterinarian is rarely bad medicine or science. It is often a lack of knowledge of how to run a business or practice. In addition, should a preveterinary student decide not to apply to a veterinary school, this major provides alternative career paths into human or veterinary pharmaceutical industries or the food industry.
Selection of this concentration permits students to complete the preveterinary requirements for entrance to professional veterinary medical schools in the United States and Canada. The curriculum permits the student to obtain some course work in agribusiness as it relates to professional practice and industry.
Preveterinary Concentration Requirements
SABR Core
| AGB 300 | Livestock Management (3) |
| AGB 310 | Crop Management (3) |
| Total: 6 |
Preveterinary Core. Students who wish to major in Agribusiness with a preveterinary concentration should take the following courses, some of which may also be used to meet General Studies requirements (as indicated in italics).
| BIO 181, 182 | General Biology S1/S2 (8) |
| CHM 113 | General Chemistry S1/S2 (4) |
| CHM 115 | General Chemistry with Qualitative Analysis S1/S2 (5) |
| CHM 231 | Elementary Organic Chemistry S1/S21 (4) |
| or CHM 331 General Organic Chemistry, and CHM 335 General Organic Chemistry Laboratory, and CHM 332 General Organic Chemistry, and CHM 336 General Organic Chemistry Laboratory (8) | |
| MAT 117 | College Algebra N1 (3) |
| or MAT 210 Brief Calculus (3) | |
| MIC 206 | Microbiology Laboratory S22 (1) |
| MIC 220 | Biology of Microorganisms (3) |
| Additional agribusiness courses (15) | |
| Total: 43 | |
| 1 | Both CHM 231 and 235 must be taken to secure S1 or S2 credit. |
| 2 | Both MIC 205 and 206 must be taken to secure S2 credit. |
Veterinary College Acceptance
Some schools of veterinary medicine will admit students who have completed the entrance requirements but have not completed their baccalaureate degree. Preveterinary students can use the first year of veterinary school toward a B.S. in Agribusiness if that course work combined with course work taken at ASU or elsewhere meets all ASU graduation requirements. Students must receive a written statement from the Dean of the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management giving senior-in-absentia privileges.
A student is eligible to receive the B.S. degree after the Office of the Registrar receives a recommendation from the dean of the veterinary medicine school and a transcript of credit indicating the student has completed a total of 120 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. Students should see an advisor in the School of Agribusiness and Resource Management for further information.
Omnibus Courses: See omnibus courses that may be offered.
1998–99 General Catalog Table of Contents
Page Last Updated: