Program Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate and apply excellent written, verbal, listening and visual communication skills through class and public presentations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of both standard and modern communications practices, including effective writing, layout and design, photography, computer skills, and oral communication through collected portfolio work.
- Demonstrate the ability to work in a professional communications setting through experiential-learning (i.e. internships, work experience, student organizations).
- Analyze and communicate effectively about major issues in agriculture by developing and sharing educational scientific media and materials.
- Understand the importance of effective communication in the agriculture industry by studying agriculture in the media.
- Use and evaluate technologies that enhance the communication process through software training and media analytics.
- Apply ethical journalism practices in daily work and recognize media and corporate roles and responsibilities in society by studying public relations, government regulation and sustainability.
- Demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to cultural demographics of an increasingly global agriculture industry by studying agricultural trade.
- Develop a high degree of agricultural literacy, a reservoir of skills and knowledge in agricultural subjects to meet the needs of the agricultural communication profession and the industry through capstone courses and experiences.
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:
- 2.0 GPA
- 60 units of upper-division courses
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major courses may be selected as credit/no credit.
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| AGC 102 | Orientation to Agricultural Communication & Agricultural Science | 2 |
| AGC 205 | Agricultural Communications | 4 |
| AGC 207 | Software Applications for Agricultural Publications | 2 |
| AGC 225 | Digital Communication in Agriculture and Science | 4 |
| AGC 301 | New Media Communication Strategies in Agriculture | 4 |
| AGC 339 | Internship in Agricultural Communications | 4 |
| or AG 339 | Internship in Agriculture | |
| or AGED 339 | Internship in Agricultural Education | |
| AGC 404 | Foundations of Agricultural Leadership | 3 |
| AGC 407 | Agricultural Publications | 4 |
| AGC 425 | Multimedia Storytelling in Agriculture and Science | 4 |
| or JOUR 390 | Visual Communication for the Mass Media | |
| AGC 426 | Presentation Methods in Agricultural Communication | 4 |
| AGC 463 | Senior Project | 3 |
| AGC 475 | Crisis Communication in Food and Agriculture | 4 |
| BIO 111 | General Biology (B2 & B3) 1 | 4 |
| or BIO 161 | Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | |
| CHEM 110 | World of Chemistry (B1 & B3) 1 | 4 |
| COMS 316 | Intercultural Communication (GE Electives) (USCP) 1 | 4 |
| ECON 222 | Macroeconomics (D2) 1 | 4 |
| ENGL 310 | Corporate Communication | 4 |
| JOUR 203 | News Reporting and Writing | 4 |
| JOUR 312 | Public Relations | 4 |
| MATH 118 | Precalculus Algebra (B4) 1, 2 | 4 |
| STAT 217 | Introduction to Statistical Concepts and Methods (GE Electives) 1 | 4 |
| or STAT 218 | Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | |
| Agricultural Business and Economics | ||
| AGB 212 | Agricultural Economics | 4 |
| AGB 260 | Agribusiness Data Literacy | 4 |
| AGB 301 | Food and Fiber Marketing | 4 |
| AGB 312 | Agricultural Policy | 4 |
| Agricultural Systems Technology | ||
| BRAE 121 | Agricultural Mechanics | 2-3 |
| or BRAE 141 | Agricultural Machinery Safety | |
| Animal Science | ||
| ASCI 112 | Principles of Animal Science | 4 |
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Beef Production | ||
| Systems of Swine Production | ||
| Systems of Small Ruminant Management | ||
| Equine Science | ||
| Introduction to Poultry Management | ||
| General Dairy Husbandry | ||
| Environment and Natural Resources | ||
| BRAE 340 | Irrigation Water Management (Upper-Division B) 1 | 4 |
| NR/ES 308 | Fire and Society (Upper-Division D) 1 | 4 |
| or NR 323 | Human Dimensions in Natural Resources Management | |
| SS 120 | Introductory Soil Science | 4 |
| or SS 130 | Soils in Environmental and Agricultural Systems | |
| Food Science | ||
| FSN 230 | Elements of Food Processing | 4 |
| FSN 275 | Elements of Food Safety | 4 |
| or FSN 250 | Food and Nutrition: Culture and Customs | |
| Plant Science | ||
| PLSC 120 | Principles of Horticulture and Crop Science | 4 |
| Agricultural Issues | ||
| Select from the following: | 4 | |
| Issues Affecting California Agriculture | ||
| Current Trends and Issues in Agricultural Communication | ||
| Plants, Biotechnology, and the Media | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below.) | 40 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives | 7-8 | |
| Total units | 180 | |
| 1 | Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement. |
| 2 |
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 72 units required, 32 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 40 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: A1 (Oral Communication), A2 (Written Communication), A3 (Critical Thinking), and B4 (Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning).
| Area A | English Language Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| A1 | Oral Communication | 4 |
| A2 | Written Communication | 4 |
| A3 | Critical Thinking | 4 |
| Area B | Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| B1 | Physical Science (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| B2 | Life Science (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| B3 | One lab taken with either a B1 or B2 course | |
| B4 | Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division B (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 | |
| Area C | Arts and Humanities | |
| Lower-division courses in Area C must come from three different subject prefixes. | ||
| C1 | Arts: Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music, Theater | 4 |
| C2 | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 4 |
| Lower-Division C Elective - Select a course from either C1 or C2 | 4 | |
| Upper-Division C | 4 | |
| Area D | Social Sciences - Select courses in Area D from at least two different prefixes | |
| D1 | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 4 |
| D2 | Lower-Division D (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division D (4 units in Major) 1 | 0 | |
| Area E | Lifelong Learning and Self-Development | |
| Lower-Division E | 4 | |
| Area F | Ethnic Studies | |
| F | Ethnic Studies | 4 |
| GE Electives in Areas B, C, and D | ||
| Select courses from two different areas; may be lower-division or upper-division courses. | ||
| GE Electives (8 units in Major) 1 | 0 | |
| Total units | 40 | |
| 1 | Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement. |
San Luis Obispo, California 93407