Undergraduate Specializations

A specialization provides students with the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and a more diverse background to complement their academic program. Specializations are available as an elective to any student who is enrolled in Bachelor of Science degree program at Michigan State University as long as the specialization is outside of the student's degree program.

The following specializations are available in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources:

Agribusiness Management Specialization

One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ACC 201 Principles of Financial Accounting - 3 cr.
ACC 230 Survey of Accounting Concepts - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ABM 100 Decision-Making in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 130 Farm Management I - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ABM 225 Commodity Marketing I - 3 cr.
ABM 332 Agribusiness Operations Management - 3 cr.
ABM 430 Farm Management II - 3 cr.
 
Two of the following courses: (6 credits)
ABM 222 Agribusiness and Food Industry Sales - 3 cr.
ABM 337 Labor and Personnel Mgt in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 400 Public Policy Issues in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 435 Financial Management in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 425 Commodity Marketing II - 3 cr.
ABM 422 Vertical Coordination in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 427 Global Agri-Food Industries and Markets - 3 cr.
ABM 437 Agribusiness Strategic Management - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
GBL 323 Introduction to Business law - 3 cr.
MGT 325 Management Skills and Processes - 3 cr.
MSC 327 Introduction to Marketing - 3 cr.
FIM 335 Food Marketing Management - 3 cr.
HED 373 Merchandising Management Entrepreneurship - 3 cr.

Agronomy Specialization

All of the following courses: (9 credits)
CSS 101 Introduction to Crop Science - 3 cr.
CSS 210 Fundamentals of Soil Science - 3 cr.
CSS 488 Agricultural Cropping Systems - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (2 or 3 credits)
CSS 222 New Horizons in Biotechnology - 2 cr.
CSS 350 Introduction to Plant Genetics - 3 cr.
CSS 441 Plant Breeding and Biotechnology - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (2 or 3 credits)
CSS 135 Crop Scouting and Investigation - 2 cr.
CSS 151 Seed and Grain Quality - 2 cr.
CSS 201 Forage Crops - 3 cr.
CSS 212 Advanced Crop Production - 2 cr.
CSS 302 Principles of Weed Management - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (2 or 3 credits)
CSS 330 Soil Chemistry - 2 cr.
CSS 340 Applied Soil Physics - 2 cr.
CSS 360 Soil Biology - 3 cr.
CSS 440 Soil Biophysics - 3 cr.
CSS 470 Soil Resources - 3 cr.
 
Contact Karen Renner for more information.

Bailey Scholars Specialization

All of the following courses: (9 credits)
ANR 210 Foundations in Connected Learning - 3 cr.
ANR 310 Connected Learning Seminar - 2 cr.
ANR 311 Connected Learning Seminar - 1 cr.
ANR 410 Connected Learning Application - 3 cr.
 
Twelve additional credits with assistance from the Bailey Scholars, such as study abroad, internships, independent study, and Bailey or elective courses. For more information, see the Bailey Scholars Program External Link web site.

Biotechnology Specialization

All of the following courses: (14 credits)
CSS 350 Introduction to Genetics (or ZOL/BOT 341) - 3 cr.
BMB 401 Biochemistry - 4 cr.
CSS 451 Cellular and Molecular Principles and Techniques - 4 cr.
HRT 486 Biotechnology in Agriculture: App and Issues - 3 cr.

Environmental Economics Specialization

One of the following courses: (3 or 4 credits)
EC 201 Introduction to Microeconomics - 3 cr.
EC 202 Introduction to Macroeconomics - 3 cr.
EC 251H Microeconomics and Public Policy - 4 cr.
EC 252H Macroeconomics and Public Policy - 3 cr.
 
All of the following courses: (9 credits)
EEP 255 Ecological Economics - 3 cr.
EEP 320 Environmental Economics - 3 cr.
RD 460 Natural Resource Economics - 3 cr.
 
One additional course related to environmental policy issues and approved by your academic advisor.

Environmental Studies Specialization

Biological and Physical Dimensions of the Environment
Both of the following courses: (8 credits)
GLG 201 The Dynamic Earth - 4 cr.
ISS 310 People and Environment - 4 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 or 4 credits)
BS 110 Organisms and Populations - 4 cr.
FW 203 Resource Ecology - 3 cr.
 
One of the following two options: (3 or 4 credits)
Both of the following courses:
ZOL 355 Ecology - 3 cr.
ZOL 355L Ecology Laboratory - 1 cr.
 
One of the following courses:
CS 280 Introduction to Environmental Engineering - 3 cr.
CSS 210 Fundamentals of Soil and Landscape Science - 3 cr.
CSS 455 Pollutants in the Soil Environment - 3 cr.
FOR 404 Forest and Agricultural Ecology - 4 cr.
FW 207 Great Lakes: Biology and Management - 3 cr.
FW 364 Ecosystem Processes - 3 cr.
FW 444 Conservation Biology - 3 cr.
GEO 203 Introduction to Meteorology - 3 cr.
GEO 206 Physical Geography - 3 cr.
GLG 421 Environmental Geochemistry - 4 cr.
RD 324 Water Resource Development - 3 cr.
 
Social-Environmental Interactions
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ANP 470 Food, Hunger, and Society - 3 cr.
EEP 260 World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 cr.
EEP 320 Public Policy Analysis Methods - 3 cr.
FOR 464 Natural Res. Economics and Social Science - 3 cr.
JRN 408 Topics in Specialized Reporting and Writing - 3 cr.
PKG 370 Packaging and the Environment - 3 cr.
PLS 342 Comparative Political Economy - 3 cr.
PRR 302 Environmental Attitudes and Concepts - 3 cr.
RD 201 Environmental and Natural Resources - 3 cr.
RD 336 State Environmental Law - 3 cr.
RD 430 Law and Resources - 3 cr.
RD 460 Resource and Environmental Economics - 3 cr.
SOC 452 Environment and Society - 3 cr.
UP 323 Land and Environmental Planning - 3 cr.
ZOL 446 Environmental Issues and Public Policy - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
PLS 301 American State Government - 3 cr.
PLS 310 Public Bureaucracy in the Policy Process - 3 cr.
PLS 313 Public Policy Analysis - 3 cr.
PLS 324 American Legislative Process - 3 cr.
PLS 331 Political Parties and Interest Groups - 3 cr.
TC 310 Basic Telecommunications Policy - 4 cr.
 
Seminar
NSC 192 Environmental Issues Seminar - 3 cr.
 
Each seminar is 1 credit, thus 3 seminars are required.

Food Industry Management Specialization

One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ACC 201 Principles of Financial Accounting - 3 cr.
ACC 230 Survey of Accounting Concepts - 3 cr.
 
Both of the following courses: (6 credits)
ABM 100 Decision-Making in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
FIM 220 Food Product Marketing - 3 cr.
 
Two of the following courses: (6 credits)
ABM 222 Agribusiness and Food Industry Sales - 3 cr.
ABM 337 Labor and Personnel Mg in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 400 Public Policy Issues in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 422 Vertical Coordination in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
ABM 427 Global Agri-Food Industries and Markets - 3 cr.
ABM 435 Financial Management in the Agri-Food System - 3 cr.
EEP 405 Corporate Environmental Management - 3 cr.
FIM 439 Strategic Analysis and Business Planning - 3 cr.
MSC 351 Retail Management - 3 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 or 4 credits)
MGT 325 Management Skills and Processes - 3 cr.
GBL 323 Introduction to Business Law - 3 cr.
MSC 327 Introduction to Marketing - 3 cr.
FIM 335 Food Marketing Management - 3 cr.
FIM 439 Strategic Analysis and Business Planning - 3 cr.

International Agriculture Specialization

Foreign Language: (0 - 8 credits)
 
Study Abroad Experience: (6 - 12 credits)
 
Both of the following courses: (4 credits)
CSS 431 World Soil and Plant Resources - 3 cr.
CSS 494 International Agriculture - 1 cr.
 
One of the following courses: (3 credits)
ABM 427 Global Agri-Food Industries and Markets - 3 cr.
ANP 470 Food, Hunger and Society - 3 cr.
ANR 250 Global Issues in Agriculture and Natural Resources - 3 cr.
ANS 480 Animal Systems in International Development - 3 cr.
EEP 260 World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 cr.
FOR 450 Forestry in International Development - 3 cr.
 
Contact Russ Freed for more information.

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Specialization

Both of the following courses: (4 credits)
CSS 124 Introduction Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems - 1 cr.
CSS 424 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems: Integration and Synthesis - 3 cr.
 
Three of the following courses, including at least one course from the Agricultural Sciences and one course from the Social Sciences: (9 credits)
Agricultural Sciences
CSS 101 Introduction to Crop Science - 3 cr.
CSS 360 Soil Biology - 3 cr.
CSS 431 International Agricultural Systems - 3 cr.
ENT 479 Organic Pest Management - 3 cr.
HRT 203 Principles of Horticulture - 3 cr.
HRT 251 Organic Farming Principles and Practices - 3 cr.
HRT 341 Vegetable Production and Management - 3 cr.
 
Social Sciences
EEP 255 Ecological Economics - 3 cr.
EEP 260 World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 cr.
ESA 343 Community Food and Agricultural Systems - 3 cr.
ESA 444 Pesticides, People and Politics - 3 cr.
GEO 410 Geography of Food and Agriculture - 3 cr.
RCAH 292B Engagement and Reflection (D) - 3 cr.
 
Contact Julie Cotton for more information.

For a listing of all specializations available at Michigan State University, please see the University Curriculum and Catalog Specializations External Link.