BA Agribusiness
The Bachelor of Art degree in Agribusiness program, offered 100% online, prepares graduates with the knowledge, skills, and outlook necessary to be successful in a variety of management settings. Examples of these include farm input suppliers, commodity buyers and processors, food manufacturers and distributors, retailers; and farm-based crop, livestock, poultry, horticulture, forestry, and agritourism businesses, government, and non-profits.
The program is designed to allow students to develop management proficiencies through rigorous academic courses and research at a time and setting convenient to their schedule. The program emphasizes the biological, legal and regulatory, marketing and trade, and policy environments that are unique to agriculture, even to specific commodities such as dairy products.
Meeting the needs of agriculture from global to local, this program covers the art and science of management principles specific to agriculture and agribusiness. A degree from the University of Mount Olive will apply to any agricultural operation.
Key Program Features
Business plan creation in agribusiness and farm management
Development of marketing plans and marketing strategies
Diversity of agricultural enterprises including off-farm agribusinesses, and farming and other farm-based businsses including nursery, forestry, and agritourism activities
Financial analysis
Fundamentals of agricultural accounting and taxation
Unique characteristics of agricultural markets and finance, including institutions of the Farm Credit system
Legal and regulatory affairs in agriculture
Business organization structure, including agricultural cooperatives
Personal management and human resources
Applications of concepts in agricultural and natural resource economics
Forecasting techniques
Risk management using tools such as insurance, and futures and option contracts
Current concepts in rural development and agricultural entrepreneurship
Regulatory and economic environment of international trade in agricultural products and services
Professional, ethical, and legal standards applicable to agribusiness and farm managers
Regulatory and economic environment of international trade in agricultural products and services
Understanding of the impact of agricultural leadership and communication strategies
Program Details
- Students benefit from small and engaging classes led by instructors with extensive professional experience in the field.
- Students are educated in a diverse range of off-farm and on-farm management and production applications – including input sales, commodity trading, food distribution and retailing, government, nonprofits, livestock, agritourism, organics, agronomics, small and large farm operations, and value-added opportunities.
- Program can be completed in 2 years for incoming students with an Associate degree.
- Individuals with some experience or education in agribusiness, including off-farm agribusinesses, farm-based crop, livestock, poultry, horticulture, forestry, and agritourism businesses, who have earned an Associate’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and now seek a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness.
- Individuals who have some experience or coursework in agribusiness including off-farm agribusinesses, farm-based crop, livestock, poultry, horticulture, forestry, and agritourism businesses and now seek the flexibility of an online bachelor’s degree program that provides greater work/life balance than a traditional program.
- Interested individuals, including members and veterans of the US Armed Forces, with no agricultural experience that wish to transition to a career in farming or agribusiness. Faculty will engage with students to further enrich their understanding of the multi-faceted agricultural industry through research or internship opportunities.
More Information
- Farm manager/owner
- Agricultural input and service sales
- Federal, state and local government agricultural services
- Nonprofit sector in agriculture and food provision
- Commodity trader
- Agricultural lending and insurance
- Agricultural manufacturing
- Provision of legal and accounting services
- Food and fiber transport, storage, wholesaling, and retailing
- Commodity and trade associations, including lobbying
- Religious and faith-based settings