Business Administration–Agricultural Business
The agricultural business option offers students a business administration major with distinctive agriculture courses. Our design sets NWC apart from competitors that offer more of an agriculture production curriculum with only a few business courses. The agricultural business option is for students who desire a strong foundation from an accredited business program in a liberal arts context that improves communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills; agricultural industry knowledge and connections; and hands-on experience in the growing, innovative field of agri-business. Careers in agriculture increasingly require savvy strategy and entrepreneurial instincts.
That's what a Northwestern agricultural business degree will prepare you for.
Business and economics department homepage
Major requirements
AGR 101 - Introduction to Agricultural Business
(4 credits) This course will examine the foundational principles in livestock and crop production systems utilized in the Midwest. Basic cultural, management, scientific, and business principles used in the production of food and fiber will be covered. In addition, the course will incorporate agricultural safety and occupational hazards for developing competencies needed for the agricultural work site.
AGR 210 - Practicum in Agricultural Business
(1 credit) This course will provide practical work experience for students in the field of agricultural business. Prerequisite: AGR101.
AGR 330 - Agricultural Technology Systems
(4 credits) This course will provide exposure to many of the current technology advances utilized in modern agricultural production. Topics will include drones, global positioning systems, auto steer, variable rate technology, soil grid sampling, cloning, embryo transfer, robotic milking, laser cutting, and data analysis. This course will include numerous tours, demonstrations, and presentations. Prerequisite: AGR101.
AGR 340 - Agricultural Issues and Ethics
(2 credits) This course will examine many of the current issues and ethical arguments facing the agricultural industry today. Topics will include livestock production practices, animal rights issues, genetically modified crops, organic foods, water quality issues, climate change, conservation, energy use, food safety, land acquisition, and government farm programs.
Prerequisites: AGR101 and sophomore standing.
AGR 410 - Agricultural Risk & Cost Management
(4 credits) In this course, we will analyze and review commodity marketing, marketing costs, governmental regulations, marketing information sources, pricing, distribution, competition, and retailing. In addition to marketing, we will examine the risk factors on the production side of agricultural products. Prerequisites: AGR101 and ACC216.
AGR 417 - Agricultural Internship
(3 credits may apply toward the major). Prerequisite: approval by business department.
BUS 432 - Small Business Management
(4 credits) This course focuses on current theory and practice relating to starting and continuing management of small and family businesses. As such, it is designed for students contemplating management or ownership of a small business. The course will focus on leadership, decision-making, management, marketing, financial controls and other necessary processes to ensure the successful start-up and long-term health of the small business enterprise. It will include identifying the particularities of small business management, analyzing process and life cycle, focusing on growth, and taking an emphasis on total quality management. Prerequisites: junior standing.
Business Administration Core requirements
ACC 215 - Principles of Financial Accounting
(4 credits) This course covers the basic introduction to financial management and financial accounting, including an understanding of the concepts, principles and practices in these areas.
ACC 216 - Principles of Managerial Accounting
(3 credits) This course covers the basic concepts, principles and practice in managerial accounting, including the use of accounting in management decision- making. Prerequisite: ACC215.
BUS 200 - Principles of Marketing
(2 credits) This course introduces students to marketing terminology; defines the elements necessary in moving a product, service or idea from concept to market sales; and enables students to understand and replicate the marketing process at an entry level.
BUS 201 - Principles of Management
(2 credits) This course introduces the student to the basic principles of management. It includes the understanding of manager's actions in the work place, on the organization and employees. It includes the study of basic management tools and techniques.
BUS 221 - Introduction to Legal Environment
(2 credits) The goal of this course is to provide the student with an introduction to the American legal system from a Christian perspective. Emphasis is placed on those topics which are particularly relevant to business and business transactions.
BUS 300 - Principles of Finance *
(2 credits) This course covers the basic principles, theory and techniques of financial decision-making in the structure of a corporation. Prerequisites: ACC215 and ACC216; and either MAT109QR or MAT117QR.
BUS 403SR - Strategic and Ethical Management
(4 credits) This capstone management major course is designed to assist students in analyzing and synthesizing the material covered in other courses throughout their studies along with integrating their faith with that of their business education. It focuses on an integrated approach to management decision-making using all of the functional areas of business with an
emphasis on strategic thinking. Prerequisites: Completion of business core and senior class standing.
Choose one course:
AGR 310WI - Agribusiness Writing
(2 credits) (Writing intensive) Agribusiness Writing is an interdisciplinary writing course focused on the study and practice of written communication essential to success in the professional world. The course explores techniques and strategies specific to agribusiness writing through lectures, exercises, collaborative projects, and individual writing assignments.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and two ACC, AGR, BUS, or ECO courses.
BUS 315WI - Business Writing
(2 credits) (Writing intensive) Business Writing is an interdisciplinary writing course designed to provide instruction on writing skills relevant to the workplace. The course focuses on the practice and study of methods of written communication that are utilized in the professional world. This course explores techniques and strategies specific to business writing
through in-class lectures and exercises, a group project, and individual writing assignments.
Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and two ACC, AGR, BUS or ECO courses.
Choose one course:
BUS 205 - Project Management
(2 credits) This course is an introduction to the field of project management. The main objective is to gain a basic overview of how project management is an art, a science, and a practice. Students will gain technical skills but even more importantly soft skills. Projects are about people, working with people, using skills like communication, working effectively in teams, interpersonal skills, time management, critical thinking, and organizational skills that are all highly valued by employers. The course will emphasize experiential learning and collaborative learning. Prerequisites: BUS200 or BUS201.
BUS 210 - New Venture Innovation
(2 credits) This course is a foundational course designed to inspire and engage students in dimensions that drive new ideas as well as the methods and tools to develop innovation and problem solving. Students will address practical problems associated with starting a business, including a feasibility analysis. The focus is to empower learning through entrepreneurial thinking and immerse students in experiences that will develop skills for new ventures. This course will be of value to students of all majors and requires no specialized knowledge.
Cognate requirements:
CSC 120 - Business Data Analysis using Spreadsheets
(2 credits) This course teaches students to use spreadsheets to organize, calculate, analyze, and report on business data. Topics include using built-in statistical, logical, lookup, and financial functions, writing custom formulas and conditional formulas, using built-in data analysis tools, presenting information with charts and graphs, creating PivotTables and PivotCharts, exporting and importing data to and from other applications, sharing data on the World Wide Web, and using macros to automate tasks. The course will culminate by developing key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards.
ECO 213 - Principles of Microeconomics
(4 credits) Microeconomics deals with price determination and how the price system functions. Supply and demand, output, competition, monopoly, resource pricing, international trade and finance will be studied.
ECO 214 - Principles of Macroeconomics
(4 credits) Macroeconomics concerns itself with economic aggregates such as inflation, unemployment, recessions, national debt, and income inequality international trades. Macroeconomic models will be introduced. These models will be used to understand the application of monetary and fiscal policy.
MAT 117QR - Applied Statistics for Management
(3 credits) (NWCore option under Quantitative Reasoning) The course is designed to study statistical methodology commonly used in business including descriptive statistics (the nature of data and how to summarize it), basic probability concepts, and inferential statistics (making claims or decisions from one or more sets of data using
confidence intervals and multiple types of hypothesis testing). Prerequisite: ACT math score of 20 or above (SAT 510 or above), ALEKS placement exam score of 46 or above, concurrent enrollment in MAT100, or permission of instructor.
Note: Students may receive credit for only one course among MAT 116QR, MAT 117QR and MAT 208QR.
Total credits required: 55-56
Note:
*BUS300 is waived for students who have taken ACC315 and 316
