The organic agriculture degree program at Washington State University provides students with the science and marketing background needed to work as farm owners, consultants or marketers of organic products. The university maintains a four-acre organic farm where students learn to produce fruit and vegetables which they sell at a local farmers' market and distribute to area food banks. Students in the organic agriculture program can customize their studies to focus on areas such as soil management, crop production, and organic animal and dairy production. In addition the bachelor's program, Washington State offers an online certificate in organic agriculture. The certificate program includes courses in organic gardening, soils, and sustainable farming.
Office of Admissions
370 Lighty Student Services Building
Washington State University
PO Box 641067
Pullman, WA 99164-1067
afs.wsu.edu
Graduates of the bachelor's program in AgroEcology at Penn State University find work as farmers, farm managers, and crop consultants, or go on to graduate school. The degree program trains students in ecosystem and plant science, as well as information management. AgroEcology majors choose a concentration in Plant Science or Integrated Crop Management. Students in either track can focus their studies on horticulture, soil conservation or the impact of insects on ecosystems. All students in the AgroEcology program learn how to communicate information about plants and production methods for a variety of crops. Students must complete two internships, and past students have met this requirement at seed companies and farms or by performing research in Europe or Africa.
Penn State University
College of Agricultural Sciences
201 Agricultural Administration Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-2541
agsci.psu.edu
The bachelor's program in soils and sustainable crop systems, or SSCS, at Clemson University is interdisciplinary, and students in the program can tailor their studies by selecting from one of several concentration areas including sustainable crop production, agricultural biotechnology, and soil and water environmental science. The curriculum includes courses in chemistry, calculus and economics during the first two years, and upper-level students take advanced science courses as well as classes related to their concentration. For example, agricultural biotechnology students take courses on the biology of plants, major crops in the world, and plant physiology. Graduates of the bachelor's degree program are prepared to go on to graduate school or pursue careers in such areas as field ecology or farm management.
Clemson University
Entomology, Soils & Plant Sciences Department
114 Long Hall
Clemson, SC 29364-0315
864-656-3111
entweb.clemson.edu
Iowa State University has a graduate program in sustainable agriculture where students can pursue a master's or doctoral degree. Graduate students take three core courses in sustainable agriculture and then select courses from one of six thematic areas, such as crop and livestock production, landscape management, or international development and food security. Sustainable agriculture students select a committee of faculty members to supervise their studies; master's candidates choose at least three committee members and PhD committees have at least five members. With guidance from the committee, graduate students develop a program of study based on their interests and academic background. Students in the sustainable agriculture master's program have the option of completing a dual degree in community and regional planning.
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-4111
iastate.edu