Agriculture Business
Your Ag Career Starts Here
Grow a rewarding career in the agricultural sales and service industry with Kirkwood’s two-year degree. You’ll be in great company because Kirkwood is one of the largest schools in the nation for its number of ag program graduates.
Students study agricultural business from all angles, including sales, advertising, merchandising, economics, farm management, marketing, agronomy, and animal science.
The required internship will introduce you to great industry contacts, which could lead to a full-time position after graduation. You’ll also have a chance to take a spring semester study abroad opportunity to learn about Brazilian agriculture.
Kirkwood offers more than $3 million in scholarships for students each year!
Graduates of the Agriculture Business program will be able to:
- Analyze agribusiness problems and interpret the financial results.
- Integrate fundamental agribusiness principles and analysis techniques to make benefit-cost decisions at all levels of business activities.
- Make recommendations based on an understanding of policy and the regulatory environment within agricultural/agribusiness operations.
- Demonstrate oral and written communication proficiency in a knowledgeable, coherent, and persuasive manner, in relation to any array of contemporary agribusiness topics.
- Apply the formal language and concepts of economics while demonstrating appropriate informational and or technical competencies for future planning and management.
A one-hour program conference is required prior to acceptance to the program. You'll learn more about the program, specific admissions requirements, and have the opportunity to have questions answered by program faculty and staff.
Program Costs
Agriculture Business
School Year: 2023–2024
Program Entry Semester: Fall/Spring/Summer
| Pre-Reqs | Fall | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring | Summer | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours per Semester | 0 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 18 | 16 | 0 | 65 |
| In-State Tuition | $0 | $3,570 | $2,940 | $0 | $3,780 | $3,360 | $0 | $13,650 |
| Technology Fee per Semester | $0 | $50 | $50 | $0 | $50 | $50 | $0 | $200 |
| Clinical Expenses (mileage, lodging, screenings, etc.) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Conferences/Seminars | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Course Resources (textbooks, software, etc.) | $0 | $400 | $245 | $0 | $420 | $315 | $0 | $1,380 |
| Course/Section Fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Laptop (required devices) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Testing Fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Third Party Credentials | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tool Sets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Uniforms | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $4,020 | $3,235 | $4,250 | $3,725 | $15,230 |
Costs provided are estimated and based on the following current tuition rates: $210 (In-State), $281 (Out-of-State), $400 (International).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, students transfer to Iowa State University with 65 credits from Kirkwood and in most cases, start as a junior at the four-year institution. Other four-year programs are: Northwest Missouri State, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Western Illinois University, and South Dakota State University.
Graduates with Agribusiness degrees can obtain jobs in a variety of different career opportunities. Some examples are:
- Ag banks and credit unions
- Crop scouting
- Cooperatives
- Fertilizer applications
- Custom applicators
- Ag delivery service
- Feed mixing
- Data collection from research/analysis
Our students have interned at large farming operations, fertilizer application and distribution companies, grain elevators and feed mills, and with agriculture businesses.
Other students interned as sales representatives for the chemical, seed, fertilizer, pesticide, equipment, and livestock industries.
Contact Ashley Moeller, associate dean at 319-398-7635 or Holly Feldmann, department coordinator at 319-398-4952.
Program Requirements
To get into the Ag Business program, you must complete the following, in addition to Kirkwood’s steps to become a student:
Additional Information
Agribusiness Industry Management Certificate*
Agricultural Business Diploma*
*State and federal aid may be used for the diploma on its own or as part of the degree program above.
“Kirkwood’s professors and advisors are very encouraging, keeping me hyped to work hard and get ahead. They know how to keep me motivated.”
Rein Crawford,
Kirkwood Student
Mission Statement
The Agricultural Business Program graduates individuals who are educated and trained with the foundational skills and professionalism demanded by today’s agribusiness industry.
Questions?
Agricultural Sciences
1000 Washington Hall
319-398-5609
agsciences@kirkwood.edu