Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus
A Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business prepares students for careers not only in the dynamic global food and fiber supply chain but outside the food and agricultural industries as well. The program provides a course of study that develops the requisite critical thinking and problem solving skills, and complements them with teamwork and social skills useful for a successful career in firms and organizations that span and support industries and organizations across the entire food and fiber supply chain.
Career opportunities for Cal Poly Agribusiness graduates range from food and fiber production, sales and management, logistics and transportation, marketing and finance to agricultural support organizations and government agencies, providing a wide range of choices for any graduate.
Program Learning Objectives
- Analyze and solve complex agricultural business problems using critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Apply strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, as well as the ability to work independently, to develop solutions to agribusiness problems.
- Develop technical competency in agricultural management, economics, marketing, finance, accounting, and policy, while learning to apply and think of them in a broader global context, that will lead to lifelong learning in the global agricultural business sector.
- Demonstrate professionalism, high ethical standards, and respect for diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in the US and global food supply chain.
- Utilize oral and written communication skills that are effective with diverse audiences (employers, employees, industry, and government, and community members).
- Apply skills and knowledge that demonstrates industry-readiness recognized and valued by food sector employers.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 40 units of upper-division courses
- 2.0 GPA
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: Up to 4 units of credit/no credit grading may be selected for Major or Support courses. In addition, no more than 12 units of cooperative or internship courses can count towards your degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| AGB 1101 | Introduction to Agribusiness | 3 |
| AGB 2202 | Introduction to Sales | 3 |
| AGB 2212 | Agricultural Economics | 3 |
| AGB 2214 | Agribusiness Financial Accounting | 3 |
| AGB 2260 | Agribusiness Data Literacy | 3 |
| AGB 3301 | Food Marketing | 3 |
| AGB 3308 | Introduction to Agribusiness Finance | 3 |
| AGB 3312 | Agricultural Policy | 3 |
| AGB 3322 | Principles of Agribusiness Management | 3 |
| AGB 3327 | Agribusiness Data Analysis | 3 |
| AGB 3328 | Decision Tools for Agribusiness | 3 |
| AGB 3369 | Agricultural Personnel Management | 3 |
| AGB 4462 | Senior Project - Applied Agribusiness Problems | 3 |
| or AGB 4463 | Senior Project - Agribusiness Consulting | |
| Agribusiness General Electives | ||
| Select any 3000-4000 level AGB courses | 12 | |
| Select any 4000 level AGB course | 3 | |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| BUS 2207 | Legal Responsibilities of Business | 3 |
| ECON 2040 | Macroeconomics (4B) 1 | 3 |
| MATH 1267 | Business Calculus (2) 1 | 3 |
| STAT 1210 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| Agricultural Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Principles of Animal Science | ||
| Safe Handling of Animal-Derived Foods | ||
| General Dairy Manufacturing | ||
| Principles of Rangeland Management | ||
| Elements of Food Safety | ||
| Principles of Plant Sciences and Principles of Plant Sciences Lab | ||
| Introductory Soil Science | ||
| Select any AG, AGC, AGED, ASCI, BRAE, DSCI, EIM, ERSC, ESCI, FSN, NR, PLSC, SS, or WVIT courses 2 | 6 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below) | 37 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 2 | 7-8 | |
| Total Units | 120 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.
- 2
If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 43 units required, 6 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 37 Units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: 1A (English Composition), 1B (Critical Thinking), 1C (Oral Communication), and 2 (Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning).
| Lower-Division General Education | ||
| Area 1 | English Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| 1A | Written Communication | 3 |
| 1B | Critical Thinking | 3 |
| 1C | Oral Communication | 3 |
| Area 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| 2 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 3 | Arts and Humanities | |
| 3A | Arts | 3 |
| 3B | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 3 |
| Area 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | |
| 4A | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 3 |
| 4B | Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Area 5 | Physical and Life Sciences | |
| 5A | Physical Sciences | 3 |
| 5B | Life Sciences | 3 |
| 5C | Laboratory (may be embedded in a 5A or 5B course) | 1 |
| Area 6 | Ethnic Studies | |
| 6 | Ethnic Studies | 3 |
| Upper-Division General Education | ||
| Upper-Division 2/5 | Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning or Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| Upper-Division 3 | Arts and Humanities | 3 |
| Upper-Division 4 | Social and Behavioral Sciences (Area 4 courses must come from at least two different course prefixes.) | 3 |
| Total Units | 37 | |
- 1
Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement.