Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (BS): Agroecology Research & Production Concentration
The Bachelor of Science in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems is offered jointly through the Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences and Horticultural Science.听 This multidisciplinary major offers students diverse courses, hands-on learning, community engagement opportunities, internships, and research experiences to address the grand challenges of agriculture and food systems. Students can choose from three career path concentrations 鈥� Agroecology Research and Production, Community Food Systems, and Urban Horticulture.听
The Agroecology Research and Production concentration is for students interested in the deeper science of sustainable agriculture production practices, research, and graduate school opportunities in agriculture, entomology, horticulture, soil sciences and related sciences. Students will have the opportunity to learn from a wide diversity of faculty leading cutting edge sustainable agriculture research, many at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), a national recognized sustainable agriculture research, education and extension facility.听
Community Food Systems is a broad concentration for students interested in connecting production with issues in the greater food system, such as food security, policy, community education or extension. Students can also participate in social science, agricultural economics, agriculture education research and others with food system with researchers at CEFS and NC State that support this concentration.听
The Urban Horticulture concentration integrates horticulture production and agriculture business education for students interested in starting or managing their own sustainable horticultural farm, working with community gardens, and more.听 There are many focused horticulture classes, research and internship opportunities as well for this concentration.听听
Program Highlights:
- Students in our program gain valuable hands-on experience in sustainable and organic production in our hands-on Agroecology Education Farm, a student farm near campus where all the food produced goes back into NC State Dining cafeterias and the food pantry on campus.听听
- Students interested in Agroecology can also join the Agroecology Student Club at NC State who organize various sustainable agriculture and food system activities each semester.听
- As a required part of the curriculum, students will complete either an internship program or research experience to gain practical and professional development experience. Students will have no problems finding an opportunity with the numerous sustainable agriculture researchers and community stakeholders that collaborate with NC State focused in sustainable agriculture and food systems.听
- Seniors will complete a Senior Capstone Project through which they draw on both their major courses and their concentration to address a problem or issue that they identify.听听
- Agroecology and Sustainable Food System students have the opportunity to student abroad with the various global food and sustainable agriculture focused study abroad programs in Ireland, Scotland, England, Mexico and others.听
Contact Person
Undergraduate Programs Office
Crop & Soil Sciences Department
2234 Williams Hall
Campus Box 7620
919-515-5820
cropsoil-undergraduate-office@ncsu.edu
For more information about our program, visit our .
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orientation | |||
| 础尝厂听103 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 | |
| 辞谤听础尝厂听303 | Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | ||
| 颁厂厂颁听290 | Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences | 1 | |
| Mathematics & Natural Sciences | |||
| 惭础听121 | Elements of Calculus | 3 | |
| 辞谤听惭础听131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | ||
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| 础贰颁听360 | Ecology | 4 | |
| 辞谤听笔叠听360 | Ecology | ||
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 | |
| 叠滨翱听183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 | |
| 辞谤听笔叠听200 | Plant Life | ||
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 | |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 | |
| 笔驰听131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 | |
| Advanced Chemistry | |||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | ||
| Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | |||
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | |||
| Communication/Advanced Writing | |||
| 颁翱惭听110 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| 辞谤听颁翱惭听112 | Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| Communication Methods and Media | |||
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | |||
| Communication for Business and Management | |||
| Communication for Science and Research | |||
| Major Requirements | |||
| 础搁贰听201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 | |
| 颁厂听230 | Introduction to Agroecology 1 | 3 | |
| 颁厂听415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 | |
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 | |
| HS/CS 410 | Community Food Systems | 3 | |
| HS/CS 480 | Sustainable Food Production (capstone) | 1 | |
| 厂厂颁听200 | Soil Science 1 | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 | |
| 厂罢厂听323 | World Population and Food Prospects | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听427 | Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听428 | Soil Management Principles for Sustainable Agriculture | 1 | |
| Experiential Learning | |||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | ||
| Professional Internship Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | |||
| Research Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | |||
| International Learning Experience in Agriculture and Life Sciences | |||
| Teaching Experience in Horticultural Science | |||
| Concentration Electives | |||
| Foundational Elective | 3 | ||
| Agricultural Sciences Electives | 6 | ||
| Advanced Agricultural Sciences Elective | 9 | ||
| Socio-Economic and Food System Electives | 6 | ||
| Advanced Socio-Economic and Food System Electives | 3 | ||
| GEP Courses | |||
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Elective | 3 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Free Electives | |||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) | 6 | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.
Foundational Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 颁厂听224 | Seeds, Biotechnology and Societies | 3 | |
| 贰厂听200 | Climate Change and Sustainability | 3 | |
| 贵奥听221 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 | |
| 滨顿厂听203 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听185 | Land and Life | 3 |
Agricultural Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听203 | An Introduction to the Honey Bee and Beekeeping | 3 | |
| 颁厂听213 | Crop Science | 3 | |
| 颁厂听214 | Crop Science Laboratory | 1 | |
| 颁厂听216 | Southern Row Crop Production - Cotton, Peanuts, and Tobacco | 3 | |
| 颁厂听218 | Southern Row Crop Production - Corn, Small Grains and Soybeans | 3 | |
| 颁厂听251 | Production of Forage Crops | 3 | |
| 颁厂听411 | Crop Ecology | 3 | |
| 颁厂听424 | Seed Physiology | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听425 | General Entomology | 3 | |
| 笔叠听215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 | |
| 笔叠听250 | Plant Biology | 4 | |
| 笔笔听315 | Principles of Plant Pathology | 4 |
Advanced Agricultural Sciences Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听400 | Applied Ecology | 3 | |
| 础狈厂听215 | Agricultural Genetics | 3 | |
| 颁厂听211 | Plant Genetics | 3 | |
| 颁厂听411 | Crop Ecology | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听401 | Honey Bee Biology and Management | 3 | |
| 贰狈罢听526 | Organic Agriculture: Principles and Practices | 3 | |
| 贬厂听431 | Vegetable Production | 4 | |
| 贬厂听432 | Introduction to Permaculture | 3 | |
| 贬厂听451 | Plant Nutrition | 3 | |
| 贬厂听462 | Postharvest Physiology | 3 | |
| 贬厂听476 | Crop Physiology and Production in Controlled Environments | 3 | |
| 笔叠听321 | Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| 笔叠听345 | Economic Botany | 3 | |
| 笔叠听346 | Economic Botany Lab | 1 | |
| 笔叠听450 | Plant Ecology | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听332 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听341 | Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听342 | Soil and Plant Nutrient Analysis | 1 | |
| 厂厂颁听455 | Soils, Environmental Quality and Global Challenges | 3 | |
| 厂厂颁听461 | Soil Physical Properties and Plant Growth | 3 |
Socio-Economic and Food System Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础搁贰听215 | Small Business Accounting | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听270 | Principles of Agribusiness Entrepreneurship | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听303 | Farm Management | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听304 | Agribusiness Management | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听306 | Agricultural Law | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听309 | Environmental Law & Economic Policy | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听311 | Agricultural Markets | 3 | |
| FS/NTR 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| 滨顿厂听211 | Eating through American History | 3 | |
| 狈罢搁听210 | Introduction to Community Food Security | 3 | |
| 狈罢搁听310 | Food Insecurity and Federal Nutrition Programs | 3 | |
| 狈罢搁听330 | Public Health Nutrition | 3 |
Advanced Socio-Economic and Food System Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听470 | Urban Ecology | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听433 | U.S. Agricultural Policy | 3 | |
| 础搁贰听448 | International Agricultural Trade | 3 | |
| 滨顿厂听303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| 狈罢搁听330 | Public Health Nutrition | 3 | |
| 笔搁罢听430 | Tourism, Poverty, and Health | 3 | |
| 厂翱颁听311 | Community Relationships | 3 | |
| 厂翱颁听342 | International Development | 3 | |
| 厂翱颁听350 | Food and Society | 3 |
Semester Sequence
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 础尝厂听103 or 础尝厂听303 | Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences or Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences | 1 |
| 颁厂厂颁听290 | Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences | 1 |
| 叠滨翱听181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | 4 |
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| 惭础听121 or 惭础听131 | Elements of Calculus or Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | 3 |
| Foundation Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 叠滨翱听183 or 笔叠听200 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology or Plant Life | 4 |
| 颁翱惭听110 or 颁翱惭听112 | Public Speaking or Interpersonal Communication | 3 |
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 颁贬听101 &补尘辫;听颁贬听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| 颁厂听230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 |
| Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 础搁贰听201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| AEC/PB 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| 厂厂颁听200 | Soil Science | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 |
| Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 厂厂颁听427 | Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听428 | Soil Management Principles for Sustainable Agriculture | 1 |
| CS/HS 410 | Community Food Systems | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Chemistry - A Quantitative Science and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication Methods and Media | ||
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Business and Management | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 |
| 厂罢厂听323 | World Population and Food Prospects | 3 |
| Advanced Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Advanced Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Socio-Economic and Food Systems Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CS/HS 480 | Sustainable Food Production (capstone) | 1 |
| 笔驰听131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| Advanced Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Socio-Economic and Food Systems Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Professional Internship Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | ||
| Research Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences | ||
| International Learning Experience in Agriculture and Life Sciences | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 17 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂听415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| Advanced Socio-Economic and Food Systems Elective | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 120 |
Career Opportunities
Interested in the deeper science of sustainable agriculture production, research, and graduate school opportunities in agriculture, entomology, horticulture, soil sciences and related sciences? Then Agroecology Research and Production is for you. Career tracks include:
Career Titles
- Agriculture and Environmental Science Researcher
- Agriculture Policy and Education Specialist
- Community Garden Director
- Conservationist
- Ecologist
- Environmental Scientist
- Farmer
- Farm Nursery Manager
- Governmental (USDA, NRCS, EPA) Researcher and Educator
- International Agriculture Worker
- Organic Farmer
- Plant Breeder
- Sustainable Agriculture Specialist
- Weed Ecologist
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