Agribusiness Management
Cultivate Your Agribusiness Career
Discover an opportunity for meaningful career advancement with the online Bachelor of Arts in Agribusiness Management from Illinois College.
Our online agribusiness management degree prepares you for business roles within the ever-changing agricultural sector. Designed to offer you the latest skills and tools, the program prepares you for a successful and exciting future in the industry.
The curriculum successfully combines essential business and agriculture topics, giving you a broad understanding of successful practices in all aspects of the field. You’ll study topics like:
- Accounting and agricultural finance
- Agricultural marketing
- Economics as applied to agriculture
- Emerging issues across the industry
- Farm management
You’ll also gain hands-on experience with a required internship that fulfills two semester credits.
Because our agribusiness management degree is fully online, you’ll study on your own terms with either a full- or part-time schedule. An online program means you have the flexibility to study in an asynchronous environment, allowing you to work and keep other commitments while you earn your degree. The online BA in Agribusiness Management degree can be completed in 18 months.
After Graduation
At Illinois College, we are particularly proud of the professional opportunities we offer our students and graduates. As a student, you’ll connect with top companies and government departments in the industry like:
- Archer Daniels Midland Co.
- Caterpillar Inc.
- CGB Diversified
- Climate Corps
- GROWMARK FS, Inc.
- Hummert International
- Illinois Beef Association
- Illinois Department of Agriculture
- Millennium Park (Chicago, Ill.)
- Regional agriculture companies like Burrus Seed and Beard Implement
Your support continues after you graduate, with opportunities to join valuable networks such as:
- Farm Bureau
- International Food and Agribusiness Management Association
- National Agri-Marketing Association
When you graduate, you’ll be prepared to work in a number of agribusiness industries, such as lending, management, sales or the supply chain.
The Online Agribusiness Management Degree is Designed For…
- Agriculture professionals who want to advance in their careers
- Working adults with an associate degree seeking to complete their bachelor’s
- Individuals who want to increase their knowledge of business principles within an agricultural framework
- Individuals with an associate degree who want to complete a bachelor’s
“I choose the online agribusiness management program at IC because I was impressed with the opportunities outlined on the website, including the chance to connect with major agriculture companies and to gain knowledge that will help me pursue a new career. I needed a program that was both online to fit with my schedule and was also going to provide me with a good experience, and IC online was the best fit. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to pursue their educational goals without having to rearrange their lives.”
– Erik Stover ’21 Bachelor of Arts in Agribusiness Management
Courses and Admissions
Grow Your Career
At Illinois College, our online agribusiness management degree equips you with a range of business skills required to become a leader in this exciting field. The program is 42 semester hours, including core courses in business and agribusiness as well as electives.
Courses
Students must take a total of 78 semester hours in a variety of areas. These include courses in writing; world languages; the arts; speech; science; social, spiritual and philosophical issues and more.
Course Description Credits AC 231 Fundamental financial and managerial accounting concepts used in decision making. Emphasis is on operating, investing, and financing activities and planning, controlling and evaluating performance.4 EC 105 This course is a one-term combination of both micro- and macro-economics. In this course, students are introduced to analysis of supply and demand, national income theory, the banking system, monetary policy and the corresponding usage for economic stabilization, theory of the consumer, theory of the firm and other selected microeconomic topics.4 CO 210 This course is designed to enhance one’s understanding of the skills, principles and contexts of communication in business and organizational settings. Oral presentations and written assignments are utilized to evaluate competencies in verbal and nonverbal communication efforts. A framework of strategic communication is introduced for the planning and implementation of various interpersonal and presentational principles and skills along with an examination of important theories of organizational communication. This course exposes students to compelling communication-related issues in contemporary business and professional settings.4 Choose ONE of the following ethics courses:
Course Description Credits CO 315 This course examines the ethical issues surrounding the role of verbal and nonverbal communication in distinguishing human participation in society. Students are asked to think critically about the range of issues germane to communication from a variety of normative perspectives. Prerequisite: junior standing or consent of the instructor.4 PH 216 An introduction to the ethical theories needed to examine various ethical issues in computing such as privacy, security, reliability, responsibility, intellectual property, and freedom of expression. Examples illustrating important concepts are drawn from both the past and current media. A brief history and overview of computing is provided so that prerequisite courses in computer science are not needed other than familiarity with current popular applications software.4 MG 315 Consideration of the problem of determining the rules which should govern the relationship between industry and government, a company and its customers and management and employees.4 Course Description Credits AG 111 Survey of emerging issues in the food and agricultural industry, including: 1) geography of food production and consumption; 2) human agricultural and natural resource relations; 3) agriculture in the United States and abroad; 4) modern agribusiness; 5) food, agriculture, and natural resources policy; 6) ethical and legal implications; and 7) role and impact of science and technology.4 AG 211 The role of agricultural business in the economy. Introductory economic and business principles and their application to the solution of agricultural problems. Corequisite: EC 105 or equivalent.4 AG 320 Fundamental concepts for financial management decisions in agricultural/farm businesses. Emphasis is on financial statement analysis of profitability, efficiency, liquidity, repayment capacity, risk, leverage, growth, capital budgeting, investment decisions, farmland bid price determination, and farm real estate appraisal. Financial markets and credit institutions serving the agricultural sector are also addressed. Prerequisites: AG 211 or equivalent, AC 231, and EC 105.4 AG 321 Marketing concepts, techniques and management of the U.S. marketing system from agricultural production, agribusiness and traditional business perspectives.4 AG 340 Economic principles are applied to the management of farms using budgeting system analysis, record analysis, financial management, and lease analysis. Students develop expertise in evaluating and making decisions like those faced by farm operators and managers. Prerequisite: AG 211 or equivalent and EC 105.4 AG 463/464 A practical application of theoretical skills in actual job-related situations. May be repeated for a maximum of six hours. Open to sophomore, junior and senior majors. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.2 AG 491 This course will serve as the capstone course for all senior-level students majoring in Agribusiness Management. In addition, a strong emphasis will be placed on undergraduate research. Specifically, students will be asked to research relevant agribusiness topics from either the social scientific or humanistic perspectives during the semester and formally present their scholarly findings. As part of the capstone experience in this course, students will be asked to synthesize their previous coursework and critically reflect on their experiences in the Agribusiness Management program. Prerequisite: senior standing or consent of the instructor.4
Admission Requirements
To qualify for admission to Illinois College Online, applicants must:
- Be a high school graduate (or equivalent)
- Have a 2.5 GPA
How to Apply
Candidates must submit the following:
- An online application
Apply for free at admission.ic.edu/apply - Official transcripts of all high school and/or college work completed
Tuition
At Illinois College, we feature a high-quality education at a price you can afford. See how your past academic credentials can help you make the most of your college education.
| Curriculum Component | Cost | Total* |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (32 credit hours) | $375 per credit hour | $12,000 |
| Fees (4 terms) | $25 per term | $100 |
| Total with Transfer Credits | $12,100 | |
* Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Career Outcomes
When you earn your BA in Agribusiness Management, you’ll Graduate READY to begin an exciting new chapter in your career. The degree can prepare you for any number of jobs, such as the ones listed here.
All employment information from Payscale.
Why Illinois College?
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Future-focused.
The online BA in Agribusiness Management degree prepares you to thrive in a rapidly changing industry.
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Rigorous academics.
Learn business fundamentals that can help you succeed.
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Hands-on learning.
A required capstone internship means you’ll gain real-world experience that prepares you for career success.
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Professional connections.
Build a robust professional network with experienced instructors and industry connections.
Benefits of
Learning Online
Whether it’s increasing your paycheck or advancing your career, an online degree can help you go further.
View BenefitsFrequently Asked Questions
Students who excel in online programs have similar traits and habits that contribute to their success. They possess self-motivation and self-discipline and are willing to commit time and effort to their studies. Additionally, they choose to meet deadlines, follow through on assignments and communicate regularly with their academic support network.
Online degrees provide flexibility to earn a degree at your own pace. Completion times will vary depending on previous college credit and how much time per week you are able to dedicate to academics. Average completion time for our online degrees is 18 months.
We’re glad you’re ready to take the next step in your career! Our application is free and offered fully online for your convenience. In addition to submitting your completed application form, you will need to request and supply your official transcripts from all previously attended institutions and have a minimum 2.5 GPA. If you are applying for the RN to BSN program, you will need to supply a valid RN license.
For specific admissions requirements, visit your program page of interest.