The Agronomy Major provides specialization in managing field crop systems and includes learning experiences in crop and soil management, plant genetics, and physiology. You will gain skills and knowledge needed to optimize and diversify crop systems to preserve soil and water resources while growing food, fiber, and fuel for the world. Our faculty are dedicated to helping students reach their professional goals.
Planning Your Degree
Creating an individual development plan is important to make sure you get all the courses, experiences and knowledge you want while in college. Some students complete extended internships (6-, 9-, or 12-month) and take an extra semester or two to graduate, while other students have a lot of dual credit from high school and graduate in 3 or 3.5 years. Each student has their own goals and timeline, and these may change as you progress in your academic program and discover new paths. Whenever your target graduation date is, make sure you work with your advisor to get the courses and experiences you want while hitting your target graduation date.
Scholarships
The Department of Agronomy and Horticulture offers scholarships to students enrolled in the agronomy, plant and landscape systems, or plant biology majors (CASNR). Each year approximately 80 students receive departmental scholarships that total more than $120,000.
Careers
Our alumni are University extension educators or specialists; agronomist or crop consultants; elevator or co-op managers; farmers or farm managers; seed, fertilizer or chemical sales or technical representatives; field or lab researchers; plant breeders; soil conservationist; and professors. Our graduates earn competitive salaries doing what they love!
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Agronomy Internships
Students are required to complete two internships as part of their graduation requirements. They are encouraged to complete these internships with different businesses to experience different facets of the ag industry and to increase their professional network.
InternshipsCLUBS AND TEAMS
Agronomy Club
The Agronomy Club is dedicated to helping educate and involve students in the world of agriculture. The club provides educational and leadership opportunities and training outside of the classroom including guest speakers, club trips, volunteer opportunities and fundraisers.
Agronomy Club
Crops Judging Team
The Crops Judging team is an extracurricular, intercollegiate contest team which competes at both regional and national Crops Judging contests.
Crops Judging Team
Soil Judging Team
Soil judging provides an opportunity for students to study soils through direct experience in the field. Students learn to describe soil properties, identify different kinds of soils and associated landscape features, and interpret soil information for agriculture and other land uses.
Soil Judging Team
Weed Science Team
Students on the Weed Science Team compete in regional and national contests in multiple events ranging from identifying weeds to solving complex weed management challenges faced by farmers and land managers.
Weed Science Team
Agronomy Research Experiences
Our agronomy faculty are activity engaged in research to improve cropping systems, crop and soil management and plant genetics. We hire undergraduate students to help with these research projects during the summer and academic year. You can even earn internship credit with these experiences.
Christian Elowsky
Plant Biology Undergraduate Adviser