Master of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Systems (Agribusiness and Food Industry Management)

The M.S. – Agricultural and Environmental Systems (Agribusiness and Food Industry Management) focuses on domestic and global food and fiber industries. This concentration provides students with broad education in the business management skills food industries require, and enhances the professional credentials that are important to advance in private industry and government service.

Graduates of our program find rewarding careers in agricultural economics, commodity brokering, environmental law, higher education, human resources, international trade, marketing and development, public relations and marketing, policy and financial analysis, university research, and local, state and federal government.

The curriculum includes 30 credit hours of coursework and offers thesis and non-thesis options. Students in the thesis track take nine hours of core courses and 15 hours of courses in the concentration. They also write a thesis for three credit hours and have three hours of interdisciplinary electives. The non-thesis option requires six hours of core courses, 15 hours in the concentration, six hours of interdisciplinary electives, and three hours for a non-thesis project.

Program objectives provide students:

• Skills in analysis and communications (both written and oral) for managing an agribusiness enterprise.
• Decision-making skills, including decision-making under risk and uncertainty.
• The ability to understand applied economics, including transaction costs analysis and game theory.
• The ability to understand the functions of management, including business strategy, marketing, finance, operations/logistics, and human resource management.
• An appreciation for contemporary issues facing food and agribusiness managers.
• An ability to be comfortable with networking, so as to build social capital.

Financial assistance

Paid research assistantships may be available on a competitive basis. Financial assistance may be awarded, based upon merit and availability of funds. For more information, contact Professor Kenrett Jefferson Moore, Ph.D., at 336-285-4829/336-334-7943 or jykenret@ncat.edu.

Admission

To be admitted to the program, students must first apply and be admitted to the Graduate School.  GRE scores are not required for admission.

We welcome your questions about how our program can prepare you for a successful professional career. Please contact:

Kenrett Jefferson Moore, Ph.D. 
Professor, Agribusiness Coordinator
Carver Hall
336-285-4829
jykenret@ncat.edu