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Academic Programs > Undergraduate Programs > Minors and Specializations

Specializations

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

Agribusiness Management Specialization

The Specialization in Agribusiness Management is designed to serve students with majors in other fields who are interested in careers in agribusiness. The primary educational objective of the specialization is to provide students with a fundamental knowledge of business management in relation to agribusiness firms. For additional information, please contact Ruthi Bloomfield Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. One of the following courses: (3 credits)
    • ABM 100 Decision-Making in the Agri-Food System - 3 credits
    • ABM 130 Farm Management I - 3 credits
  2. One of the following courses: (3 credits)
    • ABM 225 Commodity Marketing I - 3 credits
    • ABM 332 Agribusiness Operations Management - 3 credits
    • ABM 430 Farm Management II - 3 credits
  3. Two of the following courses including at least one course at the 300 or 400 level. Courses not used to satisfy requirements 1. and 2. may be used to substitute for courses listed in requirement 3. (6 credits).
    • ABM 222 Agribusiness and Food Industry Sales - 3 credits
    • ABM 337 Labor and Personnel Mgt in the Agri-Food System - 3 credits
    • ABM 400 Public Policy Issues in the Agri-Food System - 3 credits
    • ABM 422 Vertical Coordination in the Agri-Food System - 3 credits
    • ABM 425 Commodity Marketing II - 3 credits
    • ABM 427 Global Agri-Food Industries and Markets - 3 credits
    • ABM 435 Financial Management in the Agri-Food System - 3 credits
    • ABM 437 Agribusiness Strategic Management - 3 credits
  4. One of the following courses (3 credits):
    • ACC 201 Principles of Financial Accounting - 3 credits
    • ACC 230 Survey of Accounting Concepts - 3 credits
  5. One of the following courses (3 credits):
    • GBL 323 Introduction to Business Law - 3 credits
    • MGT 325 Management Skills and Processes - 3 credits
    • MSC 327 Introduction to Marketing - 3 credits
    • RET 373 Merchandising Management Entrepreneurship - 3 credits

Agricultural and Natural Resources Biotechnology Specialization

The Specialization in Agricultural and Natural Resources Biotechnology is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in Bachelor of Science degree programs with majors in animal science, biosystems engineering, crop and soil sciences, fisheries and wildlife, food science, forestry, and horticulture. The specialization is administered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. All of the following courses: (7 credits)
    • BMB 401 Basic Biochemistry - 4 credits
    • HRT 486 Biotechnology in Agriculture: Applications and Ethical Issues - 3 credits
  2. One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits):
    • ANS 314 Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals - 4 credits
    • CSS 350 Introduction to Plant Genetics - 3 credits
    • ZOL 341 Fundamental Genetics - 4 credits
  3. Complete one of the following (4 or 5 credits):
    • ANS 404 Advanced Animal Genetics (2 credits) and ANS 425 Principles of Animal Biotechnology (3 credits)
    • CSS 451 Biotechnology Applications for Plant Breeding and Genetics - 4 credits

Connected Learning in Agriculture and Natural Resources Specialization

The Specialization in Connected Learning in Agriculture and Natural Resources will be available as an elective to undergraduate students whom the college has identified as Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars. The specialization will be administered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program coordinates the specialization on behalf of the Dean. For additional information, please contact Roseann Bills Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. All of the following courses: (9 credits)
    • ANR 210 Pathways in Connected Learning - 3 credits
    • ANR 310 Connected Learning Seminar I - 3 credits
    • ANR 410 Connected Learning Transitions - 3 credits
  2. At least 12 additional credits in approved courses.

Food Industry Management Specialization

The Specialization in Food Industry management is designed to serve students with majors in other fields who are interested in careers in the food industry. The primary educational objective of the specialization is to provide students with a fundamental knowledge of business management in relation to the food industry. For additional information, please contact Ruthi Bloomfield Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

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

Food Processing and Technology Specialization

The Specialization in Food Processing and Technology is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (other than the Bachelor of Science degree program with a major in food science), The School of Hospitality Business, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition in the College of Human Ecology, and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and to students who are enrolled in the Environmental Biology/Microbiology and Microbiology coordinate majors in Lyman Briggs School. The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition administers the specialization. For additional information, please contact John Partridge Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. One of the following courses: (3-4 credits)
    • ANS 210 Animal Products - 4 credits
    • FSC 211 Principles of Food Science - 3 credits
  2. The following course: (4 credits)
    • FSC 325 Food Processing: Unit Operations - 4 credits
  3. Two of the following courses: (5-6 credits)
    • FSC 342 Food Safety and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Program - 3 credits
    • FSC 420 Quality Assurance - 2 credits
    • FSC 421 Food Laws and Regulations - 3 credits
  4. One of the following courses: (3 credits)
    • ANS 320 Muscle Foods - 3 credits
    • FSC 430 Food Processing: Fruits and Vegetables - 3 credits
    • FSC 431 Food Processing: Cereals - 3 credits
    • FSC 432 Food Processing: Dairy Foods - 3 credits
    • FSC 433 Food Processing: Muscle Foods - 3 credits

International Agriculture Specialization

This International Agriculture Specialization seeks to increase student understanding of global agriculture, particular agriculture-related problems and issues in developing and developed nations, and issues related to sustainability and stewardship of the Earth. Students who complete this specialization will be prepared for effective employment in the arena of international agriculture and/or multinational firms. For additional information, please contact Russ Freed Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. Foreign Language: 0 - 8 credits
  2. Study Abroad Experience: 6 - 12 credits
  3. Both of the following courses: (4 credits)
    • CSS 294 International Agriculture - 1 credits
    • CSS 431 World Soil and Plant Resources - 3 credits
  4. One of the following courses: (3 credits)
    • ABM 427 Global Agri-Food Industries and Markets - 3 credits
    • ANP 470 Food, Hunger and Society - 3 credits
    • ANR 250 Global Issues in Agriculture and Natural Resources - 3 credits
    • ANS 480 Animal Systems in International Development - 3 credits
    • EEP 260 World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 credits
    • FOR 450 Forestry in International Development - 3 credits

Natural Resource Recreation Specialization

The Specialization in Natural Resource Recreation is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. It includes the management of land, water, forests, fisheries and wildlife and agriculture and is targeted toward students considering careers in public parks and recreation, commercial recreation enterprise management, forestry, fisheries, wildlife, criminal justice (conservation or recreation law enforcement), environmental policy, environmental management, landscape architecture, and agriculture. For additional information, please contact Frances Kaneene Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. One of the following courses: (3 credits)
    • PRR 210 Our National Parks and Recreation Lands - 3 credits
    • PRR 302 Environmental Attitudes and Concepts - 3 credits
  2. One of the following courses outside the student’s major requirements (3 or 4 credits):
    • ANS 110 Introductory Animal Agriculture - 4 credits
    • CSS 101 Introduction to Crop Science - 3 credits
    • ESA 200 Introduction to Environmental Studies and Agriscience - 3 credits
    • FOR 202 Introduction to Forestry - 3 credits
    • FW 101 Fundamentals of Fisheries and Wildlife Ecology and Management - 3 credits
    • PRR 211 Introduction to Natural Resource Recreation - 3 credits
  3. Two of the following courses, one of which is outside the student’s course requirements for the major (5 to 7 credits):
    • CSS 210 Fundamentals of Soil Science - 3 credits
    • ESA 324 Water Resource Management - 3 credits
    • ESA 430 Environmental and Natural Resource Law - 3 credits
    • FOR 404 Forest and Agricultural Ecology - 3 credits
    • FOR 412 Wildland Fire - 2 credits
    • FOR 466 Natural Resource Policy - 3 credits
    • FW 419 Applications of Geographic Information Systems to Natural Resources Management - 4 credits
    • FW 443 Restoration Ecology - 3 credits
    • GEO 221 Introduction to Geographic Information - 3 credits
    • PRR 451 Interpretation and Visitor Information Systems - 3 credits
    • PRR 474 The Tourism System - 3 credits
    • ZOL 355 Ecology - 3 credits
  4. Both of the following courses (6 credits):
    • PRR 448 Foundations of Natural Resource Based Recreation Management - 3 credits
    • PRR 449 Natural Resource Based Recreation Management Applications - 3 credits

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Specialization

The Specialization in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems is designed to foster active learning about agriculture and food systems for undergraduate students from different disciplinary backgrounds. Contemporary agriculture and food systems issues will be considered in biological, ecological, social, and economic contexts. For additional information, please contact Julie Cotton Email Link.

Specialization Requirements:

  1. Both of the following courses: (4 credits)
    • CSS 124 Introduction Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems - 1 credits
    • CSS 424 Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems - 3 credits
  2. 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 credits
      • CSS 360 Soil Biology - 3 credits
      • CSS 431 International Agricultural Systems - 3 credits
      • ENT 479 Organic Pest Management - 3 credits
      • HRT 203 Principles of Horticulture - 3 credits
      • HRT 251 Organic Farming Principles and Practices - 3 credits
      • HRT 341 Vegetable Production and Management - 3 credits
    • Social Sciences
      • EEP 255 Ecological Economics - 3 credits
      • EEP 260 World Food, Population and Poverty - 3 credits
      • ESA 343 Community Food and Agricultural Systems - 3 credits
      • ESA 444 Pesticides, People and Politics - 3 credits
      • GEO 410 Geography of Food and Agriculture - 3 credits
      • RCAH 292B Engagement and Reflection (D) - 3 credits

Additional Specializations

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


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