Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (BS): Community Food Systems 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | ||
| 础尝厂听103 | First-year Success in Agriculture and Life Sciences | 1 |
| 辞谤听础尝厂听303 | Transfer Success in Agriculture and Life Sciences | |
| 颁厂厂颁听290 | Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences | 1 |
| Mathematics & Natural Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Elements of Calculus | ||
| Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| 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 &补尘辫;听颁贬听102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| 础贰颁听360 | Ecology | 4 |
| 辞谤听笔叠听360 | Ecology | |
| 笔驰听131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| 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 |
| CS/HS 410 | Community Food Systems | 3 |
| 颁厂听415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 |
| CS/HS 480 | Sustainable Food Production (capstone) | 1 |
| FS/NTR 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 |
| 厂翱颁听202 | Principles of Sociology | 3 |
| 厂翱颁听350 | Food and Society | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听200 | Soil Science 1 | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 |
| 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 | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| 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 | 9 | |
| Economics, Education and Policy Electives | 9 | |
| Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Electives | 9 | |
| GEP Courses | ||
| 贰狈骋听101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | ||
| GEP Foundations of American Democracy (verify requirement) | ||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | ||
| Free Electives | ||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) | 4 | |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 厂罢厂听323 | World Population and Food Prospects | 3 |
Agricultural Sciences Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 础贰颁听203 | An Introduction to the Honey Bee and Beekeeping | 3 |
| 础贰颁听400 | Applied Ecology | 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 | 3 | |
| 颁厂听424 | Seed Physiology | 3 |
| 贰狈罢听401 | Honey Bee Biology and Management | 3 |
| 贰狈罢听425 | General Entomology | 3 |
| 贰狈罢听526 | Organic Agriculture: Principles and Practices | 3 |
| 贬厂听205 | Home Food Production | 3 |
| 贵厂听222 | Discover: Conventional, Organic and Genetically Engineered Foods | 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215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 |
| 笔叠听250 | Plant Biology | 4 |
| 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 |
| 笔笔听315 | Principles of Plant Pathology | 4 |
| 笔叠听450 | Plant Ecology | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听332 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听455 | Soils, Environmental Quality and Global Challenges | 3 |
Economics, Education and Policy Elective
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 础贰贰听206 | Introduction to Teaching Agriculture | 3 |
| 础贰贰听230 | Introduction to Cooperative Extension | 3 |
| 础贰贰听311 | Communication Methods and Media | 3 |
| 础贰贰听323 | Leadership Development in Agriculture and Life Sciences | 3 |
| 础贰贰听325 | Planning and Delivering Non-Formal Education | 3 |
| 础贰贰听326 | Teaching Diverse Learners in AED | 3 |
| 础搁贰听215 | Small Business Accounting | 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 |
| 础搁贰听336 | Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| 颁翱惭听289 | Science Communication and Public Engagement | 3 |
| 骋笔贬听201 | 3 | |
| 狈笔厂听340 | Fundamentals of Grant Development for Nonprofits | 3 |
| 滨顿厂听201 | Environmental Ethics | 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 |
| 滨顿厂听203 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 础贰贰听433 | Leadership and Management of Volunteers in Agricultural and Extension Education | 3 |
| 础贰贰听435 | Professional Presentations in Agricultural Organizations | 3 |
| 础贰贰听460 | Organizational Leadership Development in Agriculture and Life Sciences | 3 |
| 础贰贰听450 | Transformative Leadership in Agricultural and Life Sciences | 3 |
| 础贰贰听478 | Advanced Issues in Extension Education | 3 |
| 础搁贰听433 | U.S. Agricultural Policy | 3 |
| 础搁贰听448 | International Agricultural Trade | 3 |
| 狈笔厂听340 | Fundamentals of Grant Development for Nonprofits | 3 |
| 笔厂听320 | U.S. Environmental Law and Politics | 3 |
| 厂翱颁听311 | Community Relationships | 3 |
| 厂翱颁听342 | International Development | 3 |
Semester Sequence
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| 础尝厂听103 or 础尝厂听303 | First-year Success in Agriculture and Life Sciences or Transfer Success in Agriculture and 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 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Elements of Calculus | ||
| Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| 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 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 颁贬听101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science | 3 |
| 颁贬听102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| 颁厂听230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 |
| 础贰颁听360 or 笔叠听360 | Ecology or Ecology | 4 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| 听 | Hours | 15 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 础搁贰听201 | Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听200 | Soil Science | 3 |
| 厂厂颁听201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 |
| NTR/FS 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 |
| Economics, Education and Policy Elective | 3 | |
| Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| 厂翱颁听202 | Principles of Sociology | 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 |
| CS/HS 410 | Community Food Systems | 3 |
| 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 | ||
| Economics, Education and Policy Elective | 3 | |
| 听 | Hours | 16 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂听430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 |
| 厂翱颁听350 | Food and Society | 3 |
| 厂罢听311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Economics, Education and Policy 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 Economics, Education and Policy Elective | 3 | |
| Advanced Economics, Education and Policy 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 | ||
| 听 | Hours | 14 |
| Spring Semester | ||
| 颁厂听415 | Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| GEP Elective | 3 | |
| Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 4 | |
| 听 | Hours | 13 |
| 听 | Total Hours | 120 |
Career Opportunities
Interested in food policy and education, nutrition, food security, community impacts, and graduate school opportunities in sociology, economics, education and other disciplines related to food? Then Community Food Systems is for you.
Career Titles
- Agricultural Educat辞谤听
- Agriculture Extension Agent
- Community Education Specialist
- Community Garden Manager
- Farmer
- Farm Nursery Manager
- Food Educator
- Food Policy Specialist
- Food Security Professional
- Local Food Procurement Professional
- Organic Farmer
- Sustainable Agriculture Specialist
Learn More About Careers
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