2018-2019 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
General Agriculture (B.S.)
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 Return to: Majors & Concentrations
Bulletin/Catalog 2018-2019
College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Department of General Agriculture
Location: Sundquist Science Complex, Room D232
Phone: 931-221-7272
Website: www.apsu.edu/agriculture/index.php
Description of Major
The Department of General Agriculture at Austin Peay State University is part of the College of Science and Mathematics. The department, including faculty offices and classrooms, is housed in the Sundquist Science Complex. The department currently has four full-time faculty members and three adjunct faculty members, with approximately 250 agriculture majors including those in the pre-professional programs. The department oversees the 440-acre Farm and Environmental Education Center, which is located three miles from the main campus which has a $1.2 million Animal Science teaching facility. The FEEC is used by the department for laboratories, field trips, and land-judging contests. Private farms and agriculture industries also are used to support classroom learning activities.
Career Opportunities
A recent national study predicts a shortage of college graduates in agriculture in the areas of management and science. Graduates with management and financial skills will be in demand. Agri-business, government agencies and related industries need managers and technicians who can communicate with farmers. Graduates who broaden their agricultural experiences with courses in business and computers can enhance their opportunities for employment in agriculture. The agri-business and agri-science concentrations especially are designed for this type of opportunity. Graduates from the department also are regularly accepted at many different graduate schools such as Clemson University, Mississippi State, Penn State, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee and others.
Students majoring in Agriculture will select one of five concentrations: Agri-Business, Agri-Science, Agri-Communications, PreVeterinary Medicine or Sustainable Development. In each case, a strong broad-based understanding of American agriculture will be developed.
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General Education Core
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Credit Hours |
| see Common Core |
41 |
| University-Wide Freshman Seminar Requirement |
1 |
Specific Major Core Requirements
Additional Major Requirements
Additional hours in each concentration are required and must be selected in consultation with advisor and with a view toward career goals. No minor is required.
Credit from the following is normally excluded from major
Agri-Business
Agri-Business is designed to prepare students for jobs in agricultural businesses and includes additional courses in marketing, management, economics, and accounting.
Electives
- AGRI electives 15
- Other electives 11
Agri-Communications
Agri-Communications is designed to prepare students for jobs in agricultural journalism or communication, and includes additional courses in journalism, broadcasting, and photography.
Electives
- AGRI electives 18
- COMM (broadcasting electives) 3
- Other electives 14
Agri-Science
Agri-Science is designed to prepare students for graduate schools or for jobs requiring technical knowledge of agriculture, and includes additional courses in basic and applied sciences.
Directed Electives
Must complete six (6) credit hours from the list below
Electives
- AGRI electives 10
- Other electives 18
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Three- or Four-Year Transfer Program (optional)
APSU offers a pre-veterinary medicine concentration that prepares the student for applying to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Most veterinary schools have similar admission requirements, and APSU’s program can be modified to meet the requirements of most.
The pre-veterinary program of study includes more coursework than the minimum for applying to veterinary school. These additional courses are included to improve the student’s chances for success in veterinary school and to complete B.S. degree requirements.
Program Requirements:
- Students may qualify for veterinary school during the third year at APSU.
- Thus students have two degree options at APSU:
- The student may apply for a degree granted in absentia (see Requirements for Degrees in Absentia) after having successfully completed the first year of veterinary school; or
- The student may complete all requirements in the four-year curriculum and receive a B.S. degree in Agriculture, Pre-Veterinary Medicine Concentration.
Specific General Education Requirements
Electives
Students should choose at least sixteen (16) hours of elective courses with substantial animal content from Agriculture and Biology. Recommendations include:
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is defined as: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (unbruntland commission). The Sustainable Development Concentration is designed to prepare students for work in the growing field of sustainability science with a primary focus in the sustainable management of food, soil, water, and forest resources. In addition to a solid foundation in theoretical sciences, students in this program will develop applied skills with electronic spreadsheets, computer models, renewable technologies, and geotechnologies that facilitate resource management.
Enhancement Course Selection
Biotic Enhancement
Select one (1) course from this list
GeoTech Enhancement
Select one (1) course from this list
Management Enhancement
Select one (1) course from this list
Physical Enhancement
Select one (1) course from this list
Veterinary Technology
The veterinary technology program will provide successful students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, and these students will then be able to pursue what U.S. News and World Report listed as one of the “Best Health Care Jobs” in the nation.
Specific General Education Requirements
Concentration Requirements
Electives
Students should choose at least 22 hours of elective courses with substantial animal content from Agriculture and Biology. Recommendations include:
Minor
At least eighteen (18) hours of Agriculture courses are required, of which at least nine (9) hours must be 3000-4000 level courses.
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