Cornell's New Agricultural Sciences Undergraduate Major – A Commitment to Developing Future Agricultural Practitioners and Leaders.

The Agricultural Sciences interdisciplinary undergraduate major was created in 2005 and is directed to students wishing to pursue a general education in agriculture to prepare for careers that require a scientific and integrated understanding of agriculture and food systems. We create a space for students who are interested in learning about agricultural sustainability from multiple perspectives by taking a wide breadth of core coursework, complemented by a ‘concentration’ in which students develop depth in one of the following areas of study (a) Animal Science, (b) Agricultural Economics and Management, (c) Education and Communication, (d) Crop Production and Management, or (e) Sustainable Agriculture. Core courses in our major include agribusiness, animal science, field crop and soil science, education, food science, horticulture, international agriculture, pest management, and sustainable agriculture. This structure allows students to respond quickly to the fast paced changes occurring in agriculture today. Experiential and hands-on learning are the foundations of the program. All students are required to participate in an internship of their choosing where they conduct real-world work in a cooperating external organization under supervision of qualified professionals and faculty. The culmination of the Agricultural Sciences Major is a Senior Capstone course that includes team identification and analysis of agricultural problems through design, evaluation, synthesis, and a written and oral report of the end product. The program has grown rapidly over the last four years with projected enrollment estimated to reach 70-80 students this fall semester.