Agricultural Sciences Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
- LaGrande
The Agricultural Sciences major gives you the freedom to design your own degree! As part of the degree program, you can choose from various agricultural-based credits and electives. You can go broad with exposure to all areas of agriculture, go deep within two or more emphasis areas — or do a combination of both.
Our major allows you to customize your degree and take courses from different areas throughout our College of Agricultural Sciences. The agricultural sciences major allows our students to create a purposeful course plan, crossing several areas of study, to meet their individual career goals. Students use this major to prepare to return to their family operation, teach agriculture, develop agricultural communications materials, work in Extension, go into industry, sell equipment/insurance, start their own businesses, or work for state or federal agricultural programs.
Major Code: 259
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate professional skills/competencies and ability to adapt to diverse audiences and diverse work environments.
- Demonstrate an ability to apply scientific, and computer literacy knowledge.
- Analyze and communicate effectively how agricultural sciences integrate with contemporary, social, economic, political, and environmental issues.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Core | ||
| AEC 211 | AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| AG 111 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| AG 421 | ^WRITING IN AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| SOIL SCIENCE and *SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 (Corvallis) | ||
| *SOIL SCIENCE (Ecampus) | ||
| Select 9-12 credits from the following: | 9-12 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION | ||
| EARLY FIELD EXPERIENCE | ||
| PLANNING AND DELIVERING NON-FORMAL AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION | ||
| SPECIAL STUDIES (Orientation to Agricultural Sciences Major) | ||
| ORIENTATION TO THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES MAJOR | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO EXTENSION AND ENGAGEMENT | ||
| *ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE OF PACIFIC NW INDIANS | ||
| *NATIVE AMERICAN AGRICULTURE | ||
| *COMMUNICATING GLOBAL AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES | ||
| FARM IMPLEMENTS | ||
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| AG SAFETY AND HEALTH | ||
| PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS IN AGRICULTURE | ||
| SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY IN AGRI SCIENCES & NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| *RISK AND CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS IN AG SCI & NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS (Navigating Global Experiences) | ||
| Select 60 credits of Agricultural electives (may include above, 24 of which must be upper division) | 60 | |
| Business and Law | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| *ENVIRONMENTAL LAW, POLICY, AND ECONOMICS | ||
| AGRICULTURAL LAW | ||
| LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING | ||
| ELEMENTARY STATISTICS I | ||
| Communication | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| *COMMUNICATING GLOBAL AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES | ||
| PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS IN AGRICULTURE | ||
| SOCIAL MEDIA ADVOCACY IN AGRI SCIENCES & NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
| *RISK AND CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS IN AG SCI & NATURAL RESOURCES | ||
Any COMM/WR course (if WR, must be above WR 115) | ||
| Introductory Applied Economics | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| *INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS AND POLICY | ||
| *INTRODUCTION TO AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD ECONOMICS | ||
| +*INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS | ||
| Sciences - Physical and Biological | ||
| Physical Science - Chemistry | ||
| CH 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| CH 122 | *GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| Biological Sciences – One-Year Series | ||
| Select one of the following series: | 12 | |
| Preferred Series | ||
| *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS and *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ORGANISMS and *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: POPULATIONS | ||
| Alternate Series | ||
| *ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY, CONSERVATION, GLOBAL CHANGE and *ANIMAL BIOLOGY: GENES, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION OF LIFE and *HUMAN BIOLOGY: ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND DISEASE | ||
| Online Series | ||
| *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I and *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II and *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY III | ||
| Leadership and Engagement | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO EXTENSION AND ENGAGEMENT | ||
| PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT | ||
| *TEAM AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP | ||
| LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR CAREER SUCCESS | ||
| LEADERSHIP THROUGH CONVERSATIONS | ||
| Math | ||
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| Electives 1 | 49-52 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core Course (BCC)
- ^
Writing Intensive Course (WIC)
- +
Core Education course. Applies only to students admitted to an OSU undergraduate degree from Summer 2025 onwards
- 1
A minimum of 45 of these elective credits must come from College of Agricultural Sciences. Remaining credits may be approved from other disciplines, to reach 60 total Ag Science electives
Major Code: 259
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| AG 200 | ORIENTATION TO THE AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES MAJOR | 2 |
| BI 221 or BI 204 | *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS or *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | 4 |
| MTH 111Z | +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | 4 |
| WR 121Z | *COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| AG 111 | INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| BI 222 or BI 205 | *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ORGANISMS or *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II | 4 |
| HHS 231 | *LIFETIME FITNESS FOR HEALTH | 2 |
| COMM 114 or COMM 111Z | *ARGUMENT AND CRITICAL DISCOURSE or +*PUBLIC SPEAKING | 3 |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| AGRI 399 | SPECIAL TOPICS (Navigate Global Experiences) | 1 |
| BI 223 or BI 206 | *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: POPULATIONS or *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY III | 4 |
| Bacc Core: Literature and the Arts | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: WR II | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: PAC | 1 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CH 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| SOIL 205 | SOIL SCIENCE | 3 |
| SOIL 206 | *SOIL SCIENCE LABORATORY FOR SOIL 205 | 1 |
| Introductory Applied Economics | 4 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| AEC 211 | AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD MANAGEMENT | 4 |
| AG 230 | INTRODUCTION TO EXTENSION AND ENGAGEMENT | 3 |
| AG 301 | *ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE OF PACIFIC NW INDIANS | 3 |
| CH 122 | *GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| LEAD 342 | *TEAM AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP | 3 |
| Bacc Core: Cultural Diversity | 3 | |
| Bacc Core: WIC | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 4 | |
| WR/COMM Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AEC 388 | AGRICULTURAL LAW | 4 |
| AG 311 | *NATIVE AMERICAN AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| Bacc Core: Synthesis | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Winter | ||
| AG 351 | *COMMUNICATING GLOBAL AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES ISSUES | 3 |
| BA 315 | ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING | 4 |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 4 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| AG 410 | INTERNSHIP | 12 |
| Bacc Core: Synthesis | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AG 391 | FARM IMPLEMENTS | 3 |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| AG 421 | ^WRITING IN AGRICULTURE | 3 |
| AGRI 438 | EXPLORING WORLD AGRICULTURE | 2 |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 3 | |
| College of Agricultural Sciences Elective (Upper Division) | 4 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |