Agribusiness degrees are available at associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels, with specializations in areas such as agricultural economics, food marketing, and business management. Career opportunities depend on the level of degree and specialization, ranging from working in fertilizer companies to policy making.
Agribusiness is the study of the business aspects of agriculture, usually with a particular focus on economics and business administration. There are agribusiness degrees available at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, each with a specific focus on certain aspects of agriculture. At the associate level, a degree in agribusiness technology is available; at the bachelor’s level, degrees in agribusiness management, agricultural economics, food marketing, and others may be available. The Master of Agribusiness (MAB) degree and the Doctorate in Agribusiness and Managerial Economics are available at postgraduate level.
At the associate level, a student may want to major in general agribusiness or agribusiness technology. Associates’ agribusiness degrees focus on teaching students how to help run a family farm or manage a business venture. The focus is on the business aspects of farm work, including accounting, agribusiness economics, animal production and business management. The agribusiness technology degree focuses more on the technical aspects of agriculture, including sales and marketing of non-agricultural businesses such as fertilizer sales or feed mills. Associate-level studies can be a suitable prerequisite for those pursuing higher degrees in agribusiness.
Several different bachelor’s programs in agribusiness are available. Some programs focus on managing food production systems, while others focus on soil science and plant cultivation. There are several specializations in the program, such as agricultural business management, which teaches production, finance, and marketing; and agricultural economics, which analyzes the analytical and statistical aspects of agricultural products.
The Master of Agribusiness (MAB) is for people looking for specialized training in the field. Depending on the school offering this degree, it may be focused on financial and financial analysis and strategic management, or offer more specialization options including studies in food marketing, business management or international trade. Some schools also offer an MBA (MBA) in agricultural business management.
Some schools offer students the option to complete a doctorate in agribusiness. These advanced agribusiness degrees are often heavily focused on the economics of agriculture and public administration. Economic theory and quantitative analysis are also often emphasized.
Generally, the career opportunities available to students depend on the level of agribusiness degrees and the specialization of a specific program. Associate degrees can prepare a student to work in a fertilizer company or in grain elevators. A bachelor’s degree could prepare someone to work in agricultural marketing or agricultural management. A MAB degree can be good preparation for a job with a large agricultural company working in product development or international trade. Someone interested in economics and policy making might want to pursue a PhD.
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