Sustainable Agriculture Minor

Offered at: San Luis Obispo Campus

Students approach modern agricultural problems from a holistic perspective, emphasizing agricultural planning integrated with ecological principles. Through experience in sustainable agricultural practices, students learn about a farm/ranch in the context of an agro-ecosystem: a system whose processes and relationships can be manipulated to allow production with fewer adverse environmental impacts and external inputs. Students develop knowledge and skills involving holistic management, crop production, and adaptive decision-making in a hands-on environment. The minor is available to all Cal Poly students. 

Program Learning Objectives

1. Detect and apply sustainability principles within cross-disciplinary agricultural systems.
2. Argue how natural, economic, and social systems interact in the production of plant or animal production systems.
3. Debate agricultural and environmental sustainability at the local, national, and global levels using the learning concepts gained.
4. Evaluate agricultural and environmental sustainability principles while developing values.

Minor Requirements and Curriculum

• At least half of the units must be from upper-division courses (3000-4000 level).
• At least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly (in residence).
• No more than one-third of the units will be taken with credit-no credit grading (CR/NC), not counting courses with mandatory CR/NC. Departments may further limit CR/NC grading if desired.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor.

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Course may be taken if not used to satisfy a requirement listed above.