COLLEGE OF APPLIED & NATURAL SCIENCES

Agricultural Business

Agricultural Business offers two concentrations, Business or Plant Science. Louisiana Tech is the only regional institution that offers a degree in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Plant Science. The program’s broad range of courses includes horticultural production, landscape design and contracting, agronomic applications, pest management, soil and water management. Learning settings include our greenhouses, horticultural gardens, tree farm, garden and nursery areas.

Graduate School Opportunities

Graduates of the Louisiana Tech program in Agricultural Business are prepared to go on to master’s programs at other universities in several areas, including:

• Horticulture
• Agronomy
• Plant pathology
• Entomology
• Weed science
• Agricultural economics
• Business administration

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Agricultural Business: Business Concentration

Louisiana agriculture contributes billions to the state’s economy annually. In addition to understanding the on the ground fundamentals of managing operations that involve livestock, poultry, horses, swine, greenhouses and plant nurseries, and agricultural row crops, for example, one must understand how to make their business flourish in order to provide a steady income. Understanding areas of agricultural business like international trade, investments, and market fluctuations are essential to make a business economically relevant. Here at Louisiana Tech, students majoring in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Business gain specific knowledge and experience in areas such as agricultural marketing, policy, and finance, natural resource economics, and farm and agribusiness management.

Graduates of the Program

The Agricultural Business degree plan offers a mixture of science and business based courses that prepare students for a diverse workforce.  Students that graduate from our program enjoy careers in areas of banking/lending, sales (chemicals, agricultural equipment and technology, real estate, insurance), landscape contracting, accounting, agricultural crop consulting, government programs and agencies, agricultural production, seed and plant technology, and agricultural education, just to name a few.  The degree program also lays an excellent foundation for students who choose to further their education in graduate school.

Pursuing a Master’s degree in areas such as Agricultural Economics, Marketing, and Policy, Business Administration (available at Louisiana Tech),and post-graduate work in law school are just a few of the options students may choose to pursue after earning their Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Business.

Curriculum information

A Business Administration minor from the College of Business is built in to the concentration. In addition to the agricultural business courses mentioned above, for the minor, students must take courses in computer information systems, finance, marketing, accounting, management, and business law in the College of Business. Fourteen hours of directed electives offers some flexibility to earn a second minor or gain more exposure in areas of plant science and animal science.

Most Agricultural Business courses are offered annually while others vary depending on student interest and faculty availability.

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Agricultural Business: Plant Science Concentration

Louisiana Tech University is the only institution in the central to north Louisiana region that offers a degree program in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Plant Science. Students enrolled in this concentration can choose from a broad range of Plant Science courses that encompass areas such as horticultural production, landscape design and contracting, agronomic applications, integrated pest management strategies, and soil and water management. The facilities offer students hands-on experience in a variety of settings that include the Louisiana Tech Greenhouses, the John D. Griffin Horticultural Gardens, Louisiana Tech Farm, outside nursery areas, and raised bed vegetable gardens.  Students can also get involved in the Plant Science club Greenscape.

Graduates of the program

Graduates with a degree in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Plant Science have many options for a career path. The following list contains examples of positions that may be options for graduates of the program: landscape contractor, landscape designer, greenhouse/nursery manager, golf course grounds manager, agricultural crop consultant, pesticide sales, agricultural equipment sales, County/Parish extension agent, USDA program specialist, high school agriculture teacher, laboratory supervisor, and agricultural producer.

The degree program also lays an excellent foundation for students who choose to further their education in graduate school. Pursuing a Master’s degree in areas such as Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Weed Science, Agricultural Economics, and Business Administration (available at Louisiana Tech) are just a few of the options students may choose to pursue after earning their Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business with a concentration in Plant Science.

Curriculum information

A Plant Science minor is built in to the concentration. To earn the minor, a student must complete 18 hours of Plant Science courses with nine of those credit hours being required at a 300 or 400 level. Students enrolled in the Agricultural Business concentration and in other degree programs such as Animal Science, Agricultural Education, and Environmental Science (School of Biological Sciences) will often minor in Plant Science. Earning the Plant Science minor in these other degree programs is accomplished by using electives built in to their respective curricula.

Some Plant Science courses are offered annually while others vary depending on student interest and faculty availability.

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