Agriculture

The Agriculture program enriches the broad general education provided by Wilmington College with basic courses designed to prepare students either for graduate programs or for participation in the food systems industry. This includes production, processing, management, finance, marketing, research, and other varied professions.

The Agricultural Business concentration combines agriculture courses with varied offerings in accounting, business administration, and economics. Students with this concentration usually enter supply or marketing firms closely associated with farm production or return to home farms. They work in areas such as agricultural credit, farm business management, agricultural supply firm management, and marketing.

The Agricultural Communications concentrations is designed as a cross-curricular degree program that combines an agricultural science core with study and application in integrated communication. Through the context of agriculture, students will explore the rich and growing fields of food policy and development, technical, and science writing, agricultural journalism, public relations, event planning, and communications management. As the global demand for food and fiber increases, so will the need to bridge the information gap between producers and consumers-or industry and the public. Graduates of the agricultural communications program will serve that niche in a variety of ways.

The Agronomy concentration prepares students for agriculture professions in areas of soil science, crop science, agriculture biochemistry and basic research, as well as soil and water conservation. Many students in agronomy will minor in Chemistry.

The Animal Science concentration prepares students for career opportunities as herd managers, managers of livestock enterprises, field representatives of livestock enterprises, livestock buyers, or related meat industry positions. Students may want to complement this concentration with a minor in Biology.

The Resource Conservation and Regenerative Agriculture concentration teaches a whole-systems approach to agriscience-from soil to supermarket. The emerging practices of agroecology, regenerative agronomy, permaculture, soil management, and conservation planning are taught and implemented on the college's 267-acre academic farm and throughout its greenhouses, high tunnels, and raised beds. This program is ideal for students interested in federal- and state- agency soil science/soil conservation careers, and meets all qualification standards as outlined by the USDA-NRCS (at least 12 semester hours in combination of soils and crops or plant science).

Transfer students from Clark State Community College, Agricultural Technical Institute - The Ohio State University, and Southern State Community College, who have completed an Associate of Applied Science or a two-year technical degree in an area related to Agriculture, Horticulture, Natural Resources, or Environmental Studies with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0, can complete this degree program by taking the 24 Resource Conservation and Regenerative Agriculture hours remaining outside of the 26-hour Agriculture core.

In addition, Wilmington College offers a Career-Technical license in Agriscience (grades four and beyond). Students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. It is recommended that students seeking licensure consult faculty in the Agriculture and Education areas. See Education for additional information.

The Equine Business Management major will offer core classes in both the Equine and Business areas. The foundation of coursework will be centered on communication, science, and business management as it pertains to the equine industry. Upon completing an Equine Business Management degree, students will have the knowledge and skill set to be competitive upon entering the work force or the background to continue on with specialized academic or vocational pursuits in the equine industry. Graduates of the program are prepared for careers in equine event management, equine nutrition, farm, and ranch management, or owning an equine related business. Please note student pursing the Equine Business Management major cannot also pursue the Equine Studies minor.

The Equine Studies minor curriculum is based on core Equine classes. Electives are offered areas of Agriculture, Business, and Equine. This provides students the opportunity to tailer their education and concentrate on their area of interest. Students will be offered hands-on opportunities to manage animals, integrate solutions, and explore the score of the equine industry. The Equine Studies minor complements majors in the area of Agriculture, Business, and Biology. 

Independent Studies and Internships are available to students with cumulative averages of 2.50 or higher and the recommendation of a faculty member in the department.