The flexible curriculum of the agricultural business bachelor's degree focuses on the management skills necessary to succeed in small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses. See how it can help you advance your career.
Keep up with the constant economic and technological changes in the agriculture industry
Modern agriculture is a high-tech industry that constantly evolves. Gain the management skills necessary to succeed in small- and medium-sized agricultural businesses. Learn the whole business cycle, from production to pricing to policy.
Gain an understanding of economics, technology, policy, and entrepreneurship to be successful in the constantly evolving agriculture industry. Develop knowledge about the technical processes that drive business decisions. Enroll in one of the few online agribusiness programs that will give you the training to drive strategic business decisions, with courses in:
Marketing
Management
Finance
Agricultural Law
Plus, build upon your knowledge and experience with agricultural science courses in areas such as:
Animal Sciences
Horticulture
Food Technology
Customize your learning experience by adding a degree minor
Choose from more than a dozen options, including:
Business Administration
Global and Environmental Sustainability
Horticulture
Study with experts at a leading agricultural institution
Offered through CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences, this program is guided by knowledgeable faculty who are producing research that will shape the industry for decades to come. Learn from these experts, and work with them to design a program of study tailored to meet your career goals.
Learn online, on your time
Earn your degree from an accredited, public research university in CSU’s flexible online program. Interact closely with your instructors and peers. Average size is 21 students, and faculty make it a priority to facilitate meaningful discussions through email, online forums, video conferencing, and other applications.
93%
Grad Students would choose CSU Online Again
8
Ag Research Centers Throughout Colorado
$447M
Investment in research in FY21
95%
CSU Online Grad Students have Plans Related to their Career
Explore Careers
Thrive in your career and become an asset to agricultural businesses. Prepare for a wide range of exciting options including careers with agricultural business firms in production, management, or sales. Career opportunities could include:
Farm Real Estate Appraisal
Agricultural Business
Agricultural Finance
Commodity Brokerage
Commodity Merchandising
Food Brokering
Landscape Contracting
Feedlot Management
Farm Input Sales
Agricultural Transportation
Farming and Ranching
Farm Management
Small Business Management
Average agribusiness career salary: $74,000
Average industry salaries by job title:
Agriculture Specialist – $51,946
Agronomist – $51,204
Business Analyst – $61,842
Financial Analyst – $67,500
Operations Manager – $66,166
Inventory Manager – $55,544
Salary data provided by payscale.com
Hear from Our Students
Hear CSU students discuss their experiences in online agricultural business bachelor's program.
Sarah Burris
See how Sarah was able to continue working on her family’s ranch while pursuing her bachelor’s degree.
Emily Beaty
See how the program allowed Emily to travel alongside her spouse in the military and pursue the dream of having her own family farm.
Ralph Towell
See how Ralph was able to continue his family's farming legacy and advance his career path by using the tools he learned online with CSU.
Curriculum
Requirements to Graduate
A minimum of 120 credits are required to complete this degree. This includes:
42 upper-division (300-400 level) credits
30 upper-division credits completed through Colorado State University
The number of courses needed for completion of the program depends on:
The curriculum listed below is intended to inform prospective students about the overall theme of the program and should not be used as an example program of study. Students need to consult their advisor to develop a degree completion plan based on the credits transferred into this program. You have the option to use the TransferologyTM website to conduct a self-review of your potential transfer courses. This tool will assist you in seeing how your previous college coursework may transfer to CSU.
This online program offers short presentations and lectures that often are followed up with relevant assignments and readings. You will participate in discussion board conversations with professors and fellow students. Also, you will have contact with professors and students through email and online office hours.
This undergraduate degree completion program utilizes Adobe Connect for many of the courses. Adobe Connect is a great way to learn online. It allows you to watch videos of your professors and gives you the ability to participate more in class.
The program permits you to take the required courses in the order that best suits your needs. Although this degree offers flexibility, it still requires the same amount of work and time as an on-campus program. It is recommended to spend nine to twelve hours per week on a three-credit course. This will vary depending on your learning and studying style.
Questions? Your dedicated support coach has the answers
Grow your knowledge and focus on a topic that interests you. A degree minor can help you discover new passions and talents, and further specialize your education so you become more marketable to employers. Relevant courses often apply to both major and minor requirements, so a minor can be added without greatly changing your degree plan.
Courses already taken can apply to a minor regardless of when the minor is added to your student record. All minor requirements must be completed prior to graduation.
Build knowledge of production management, financial management, marketing management, international development, and trade through an agricultural lens. To earn the minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
Get a cross-cultural view of humanity and the broadly conceived dimensions of human behavior. You have the option to focus your anthropology studies on one or more sub-disciplinary divisions, including physical anthropology, archaeology, ethnology, or applied anthropology. To earn the minor, you must complete 22 credits from the following courses:
Explore creative writing in one or more of the following genres: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. In addition to broadening your writing repertoire, gain workshop experience at an advanced level. To earn this minor, you must complete a minimum of 21 credits in courses with E or CO subject codes, with at least 15 upper-division credits.
The Minor in Design Thinking provides students with an opportunity to develop creative methods and processes for solving societal problems. This human-centered approach engages users and stakeholders in interdisciplinary co-design processes and applies elementary or emerging technologies to develop prototypes that improve spaces, objects, services, problems and ideas benefitting daily experiences and overall quality of life. Students will gain an awareness of the impact of design thinking and its application – to their major, discipline, or profession. Nancy Richardson Design Center course offerings are available in a mix of online, hybrid, or face-to-face. For a full list of learning opportunities offered by the RDC, please visit the courses page.
To earn the minor in Design Thinking online, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
Gain insight into current socioeconomic problems in the areas of resource allocation, inflation, unemployment, income distribution, environmental degradation, international trade, and monopoly power. This minor prepares you for careers in business management, teaching, government, banking, and public policy. To earn the minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
Prepare for a variety of careers in gerontology and develop an understanding of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of adult development and aging. This interdisciplinary minor prepares you to fill the need for well-trained professionals to support aging adults, and can be paired with any CSU major.
Please complete the online minor/certificate declaration form to declare a minor or certificate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. It may take 5-7 business days to process your request, so check your CSU email for an email from the Registrar’s Office asking you to approve the request to declare the minor. You must approve the request for the declaration to be processed. You should see the minor or certificate updated in Ramweb within a week of your approval.
Prepare to meet today's pressing environmental challenges with this interdisciplinary minor offered by The School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES). Explore innovative research to understand how to solve problems that arise between humans and the environment. To earn your minor, you must complete 21 credits (12 upper-division credits) from the following courses:
Expand the breadth of your knowledge by earning an undergraduate minor in history. Choose from a range of courses based on your interests. This minor may be particularly useful for students who plan to pursue careers in education, public service, government, museums and archives, law, and other professions that require skills in research, writing, and the analysis of information. To earn the history minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses. (Note: You must complete at least 12 upper-division credits and 9 lower-division credits).
Growing and managing plants requires you to understand the science and the business of cultivation, and this online bachelor's degree minor emphasizes both. To earn the horticulture minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses.
The Human Development and Family Studies minor provides students across all majors with an opportunity to select course work relevant to their career goals. Students will learn about human development at various stages of the lifespan, within the context of diverse families and social identities. This minor offers students the opportunity to expand their thinking about how relationships, family, culture, biological make-up, and environmental factors influence outcomes related to thinking skills, physical health, and social-emotional well-being across the life cycle. Students will gain an awareness of how to optimize their own and other's development in their careers and personal lives. The HDFS department is committed to promoting the success and well-being of students from heterogeneous backgrounds and experiences.
Please complete the online minor/certificate declaration form to declare a minor or certificate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. It may take 5-7 business days to process your request, so check your CSU email for an email from the Registrar’s Office asking you to approve the request to declare the minor. You must approve the request for the declaration to be processed. You should see the minor or certificate updated in Ramweb within a week of your approval.
Effective Fall 2023
Students must satisfactorily complete the total credits required for the minor. Minors and interdisciplinary minors require 12 or more upper-division (300- & 400-level) credits. Additional courses may be required due to prerequisites.
Courses from this list may not double-count for the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Minor.
A minimum grade of C (2.000) is required in each course used to satisfy the requirements of the Minor in Human Development and Family Studies. Courses used as substitutions also require a minimum grade of C (2.000).
Develop an understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and peoples with courses in international and global history, politics, languages and cultures, economics, and environmental issues. To earn this minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
This interdisciplinary minor is sponsored by departments in different colleges across CSU: Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, English and Journalism and Media Communication. The program is designed for students seeking a broad foundation in information technology, but not seeking to major in a specific information technology-related field. The program requires 21 credits and is open to students majoring in any field other than computer science, computer information systems, and electrical and computer engineering.
Upon completion of this program, students will develop a strong understanding of the principles and practices of journalism. Students will demonstrate fluency in the legal and ethical considerations of journalism and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to real-world developments around newsgathering and dissemination.
To earn the minor in Journalistic Reporting and Storytelling online, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
Understand the role and influence of mass media in American society and other cultures by studying media and film history, criticism, law, ethics, social effects, cultural consequences, and multicultural and international media issues. To earn the minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
Upon completion of this minor, students will have a broad foundation in creating television and audio recordings of events. Students learn theory and gain hands-on experience in all aspects of the production process, both in studio and on location. This includes operating television cameras and audio equipment; designing appropriate lighting and audio environments; directing live recordings; and finishing projects with audio and video editing.
Gain a foundation in political theory and prepare for careers in law, teaching in the social sciences, journalism, and public service. To earn the minor, you must complete 21 credits from the following courses:
The minor in Science Communication is designed to educate highly qualified communicators who have interests in specialized academic disciplines and career fields. Because science often involves complicated research and processes, communicating the results of that work requires special skills. This program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of niche career opportunities in media, corporate communication, science-related industries, and scientific environments.
Please connect with your assigned advisor to request to add a minor. Note that you must apply and be admitted to the University for a bachelor's degree program before you can add a minor to your student record. Once you are admitted, one or more minors may be added to your student record.
Students enrolled in this certificate will be introduced to the major implications of climate change on people and earth systems with the purpose of building a person’s climate change literacy, empowering them to reduce impacts of climate change, and giving students awareness of climate change mitigation/adaptation strategies to bring to their workplaces. Students will learn:
1. What is climate change, why is it now a serious problem, and what can we do about it?
2. What are the key issues for understanding how groups of people respond to and are affected by climate change?
3. What are the key responses and feedbacks of earth systems to climate change?
4. What adaptation, mitigation solutions or business strategies might be employed in real-world systems?
The certificate is being taught across 3 colleges/5 departments and is open to all students across campus, in-person and online.
Open to all undergraduate students, the Certificate in Design Thinking will improve not only the way students learn and find solutions to problems in their current coursework, but will also help make students more employable with sought-after marketable skills. Students will gain an awareness of the impact of design thinking and its application – regardless of discipline, profession, or major. Nancy Richardson Design Center course offerings are available in a mix of online, hybrid, or face-to-face. For a full list of learning opportunities offered by the RDC, please visit the courses page.
To earn the certificate in Design Thinking online, you must complete 12 credits from the following courses:
The undergraduate certificate in Disability and Neurodiversity provides an interdisciplinary understanding of individuals across the lifespan with disabilities and is relevant to majors and careers in health, education, rehabilitation, and human service professions. Students will explore how disabilities interact with health, life outcomes, family, society, stigma, and the physical environment, and intersect with identities such as race and gender. This certificate consists of basic coursework as well as experiential learning through research or field experiences.
Please complete the online minor/certificate declaration form to declare a minor or certificate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. It may take 5-7 business days to process your request, so check your CSU email for an email from the Registrar’s Office asking you to approve the request to declare the minor. You must approve the request for the declaration to be processed. You should see the minor or certificate updated in Ramweb within a week of your approval.
Additional coursework may be required due to prerequisites. Some elective courses are restricted to majors, minors, or honors students. Other related courses may be substituted upon approval of the certificate advisor. A maximum of 6 credits may double-count with the Gerontology Interdisciplinary Minor, the Certificate in Youth Mentoring, and the Minor in Human Development and Family Studies.
The undergraduate Certificate in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will equip students with in-depth knowledge of principles of integrated management of pest insects, weeds, and diseases associated with managed and natural landscapes. The students will learn about principles underlying integrated pest management, become familiar with key pests, and learn how to apply IPM in managed landscapes with a goal of minimizing environmental and economic impacts of pest control. This certificate is an excellent choice for students interested in entering the workforce immediately after graduation, as well as professionals that require certification in IPM. The certificate will prepare the students for careers in crop protection, pest management education and policy, among others.
This Certificate allows students to obtain a credential acknowledging their competence in international economics. The courses already exist and combining them into a Certificate provides a directed program of study for students interested in expanding their technical and substantive understanding of the topic.
The Certificate in Macroeconomics will educate students in the key ideas, tools, and policies of macroeconomics. Major ideas include the causes and consequences of economic growth, unemployment, inflation, and the changing distribution of income, both in the U.S. and internationally. Students will develop both theoretical and analytical skills that are highly valued by employers.
For students interested in working in animal science, veterinary medicine, or related fields, this certificate program teaches intermediate-level Spanish for use in agricultural and animal care settings. Learn to communicate in Spanish about livestock, equine, and small animal breeds, give directions for animal care and handling, issue instructions for safety and drug administration, and more.
Prepare for a career as a seed analyst with online courses in seed technology. These courses, led by Colorado State University and supported by three other major universities (Iowa State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Kentucky) and the Crop Science Society of America, offer a comprehensive overview of seed analysis, a technical skill requiring patience, attention to detail, and a scientific understanding of seed biology. After completion, you will be prepared to complete the examinations to become a Registered Seed Technologist.
Call or email our student success team to find out if the program is a good fit for your goals. Our coaches are available Monday-Friday to help you find the right program and navigate the application process.
Complete Colorado State University's online undergraduate application and pay any associated nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online) or waiver (if eligible).
Select "Agricultural Business — online degree program" when choosing major.
Online applications must be submitted before 5 p.m. (Mountain Time) on the deadline date. If you miss the application deadline, you may still register for courses to begin your program of study as a non-degree student. Students seeking Federal financial aid must be admitted prior to enrolling.
Planning to transfer credits from another college or university? Please review our FAQ page, then complete a Tentative Transfer Evaluation Form to see how your prior credits may transfer.
Questions? Your dedicated support coach has the answers