Agricultural and life sciences education combines food, agriculture, and life sciences with social sciences and communications. With coursework spanning the breadth of agriculture, you will have a great variety of experiences. Graduates enter a variety of agricultural careers that include working with people in agriculture, such as education, extension, agribusiness and public agencies.
All Majors
Agricultural and rural policy studies is an interdisciplinary major with an emphasis on social sciences related to agriculture. As a student, you will take courses in sociology, political science, and economics which prepare you for careers with public and private agencies concerned with public services in rural and agricultural areas.
The agricultural business major prepares you with coursework in the marketing (buying and selling) of agricultural commodities, the selling of agricultural products and services, the managing of farm and agribusiness operations and the lending of credit to agricultural firms. In addition, you will take courses in technical agriculture, agricultural policy, accounting, business finance, computerized record keeping, business marketing, agricultural law and resource economics.
The agricultural communication major prepares students with knowledge and skills to be effective agricultural communicators. Students build knowledge of agricultural sciences while becoming experts at using a variety of communication channels and strategies for different audiences.
Agricultural Studies covers the broad spectrum of agriculture and life sciences with the flexibility for you to customize the major to pursue your career goals. With all the flexibility, you could choose an area of emphasis such as farm management, agronomy and crop production, agricultural law, agricultural systems and technology, or international agriculture.
Agricultural Systems Technology (AST), in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering prepares you for careers in agricultural machinery industries; construction companies; governmental agencies; grain, feed, seed, fertilizer and chemical businesses; production agriculture; and environmental organizations.
If you want to explore your options before choosing a major, consider applying as Agriculture and Life Sciences Exploration. You will have an academic advisor to help you explore your options or even schedule courses to make progress towards graduation in any of the majors you are considering. Agriculture and Life Sciences Exploration is great way to take some time to find the career field that fits you.
As an agronomist, you can use your natural curiosity and enthusiasm for science to help solve some of the toughest problems currently facing humanity. A career in agronomy will keep you in the center of scientific efforts to increase the supply of high-quality food, feed, fiber, and energy, as well as protecting and conserving our environment.
Animal ecology is the study of the relationships of wild animals to their environment. As a student, you will be able to apply your knowledge to wildlife and environmental management. With career opportunities at natural resource and environmental protection agencies, organizations and businesses, you can place an emphasis on wildlife biology, fisheries biology, aquatic sciences, interpretation of natural resources, or pre-veterinary and wildlife care.
In animal science you will gain an understanding of the life-cycle of companion and production animals, through study of the fundamentals of behavior, growth and development, lactation, genetics and breeding, nutrition and reproduction. With a curriculum that integrates enterprise management and marketing aspects of the animal industry, you will have career opportunities in agribusiness, biotechnology, dairy foods and meat science, pet food and feed industry, marketing, or research.
Biochemistry majors learn how to think and work at the atomic, molecular, and cellular levels. There are whole universes to explore when you zoom in to a different perspective. You can specialize your study with focus options in Research & Biotechnology, Pre-Medicine, or Biophysics. We'll show you the tools to do everything from decoding DNA to analyzing enzymes.
Offered as a BS degree in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, our high quality academic program offers the flexibility to accommodate a range of career goals in areas like plant biology, zoology, genetics, cell and molecular biology, ecology, and evolutionary biology.
Culinary food science is an interdisciplinary degree combining a strong food science foundation with basic culinary skills development. You will study basic sciences, including chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, microbiology, and biochemistry. At the same time, you'll take courses in quantity food production, fine dining management, and food safety and sanitation.
The dairy science curriculum provides training for a variety of career opportunities in agriculture, particularly those involved with dairy cattle or associated industries.
The Diet & Exercise program combines the study of nutrition and exercise science. You will study advanced nutrition and physical activity concepts while completing both a bachelor’s and master’s degree. The program meets requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Didactic program to apply for accredited internships, take the exam, and become a registered dietitian, as well as those of the American College of Sports Medicine to take the exam for certification as a health fitness specialist.
The undergraduate program in dietetics is the only program in the state of Iowa accredited through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Graduates are eligible to apply for admission to dietetic internships/supervised practice programs. Upon successful completion of the experience program, graduates are eligible to take the national examination to become a Registered Dietitian.
Environmental Science uses an integrated approach to environmental systems, preparing you to be a leader in a rapidly changing discipline. Core courses incorporating the physical, chemical, and biological aspects give you the knowledge to work in the public sector for agencies like the EPA or in the private sector providing consulting services.
Environmental studies offer you the opportunity to understand the relationship between humans and nature, or between humans and natural systems. You will have the opportunity to study regional and global environmental issues and develop an appreciation of different perspectives.
Food science follows the process of food from the time it leaves the farm until it’s consumed. You will apply principles of chemistry and physics to improve food quality, safety and nutrition and upon graduation, secure positions in the food industry, sales and marketing, food processing, biotechnology, government, and research.
The program in forestry provides you with an understanding of the following areas: forest ecosystems, wood technology and products, forest resource management, agro-forestry, urban and community forestry, biodiversity, water quality, wilderness areas and wildlife.
The curriculum in genetics is based on preparation in biology, chemistry and biochemistry, as well as genetics. In this program, you will receive an understanding of modern methods of genetic engineering and will be prepared for jobs in industry and for further work in the biological sciences, including graduate, veterinary or medical school.
The Global Resource Systems major prepares you to work on complex global resource issues through leadership positions in international non-governmental organizations, global businesses, government agencies engaged in international trade and development, and globally engaged foundations, educational institutions and volunteer organizations.
The horticulture curriculum is the part of plant agriculture concerned with turfgrasses, nursery crops, greenhouse crops, fruits, nuts and vegetables. You will gain the skills to gather and analyze information and then be engaged in addressing current, real-world issues and decisions faced every day in the field. With active-learning and hands-on laboratory experiences, you will gain experience through landscape construction and management projects.
The Industrial Technology program provides a hands-on, collaborative learning environment to help you develop the workplace competencies necessary to be successful in today's competitive world. In class, you will develop technical, supervisory and management skills in technical setting, studying manufacturing and related technologies that enable advanced, globally competitive production.
The international agriculture secondary major provides you with a global perspective. You will be prepared for careers overseas or for careers in the United States with multinational companies and agencies like the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Microbiology allows you to learn about the microorganisms that affect us every day and how they interact with their surroundings. Through the program, you will be equipped with the knowledge to work in areas related to agriculture, the environment and medicine.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at Iowa State University is an RN-to-BSN program, designed for those who are already a Registered Nurse (RN), and desire to further their nursing career and education at the next level. This unique, campus-based program is designed to meet the needs of the working nurse by providing a hybrid mode of learning in which students need only attend one day per week (synchronous online or face-to-face). The remainder of the course content is completed independently online.
The Nutritional Science major allows you to study the connections between health, nutrition, disease, and wellness. The versatile curriculum can provide you with a strong background in science, the foundation for applications to pre-professional programs like medical school, or with the knowledge to plan and evaluate nutrition programming for community, public health, non-profit, and corporate wellness programs.
Seed Science allows you to learn more specifically about the seed industry, in particular seed production, conditioning, pathology, physiology, quality control, and marketing, as well as seed plant designs.
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