Agricultural Business Management, B.S.

Today's businesses and industries in the agricultural and food sectors of the economy are growing rapidly. Agribusiness industries, such as those that supply farm inputs or process and market agricultural products, need staff who are educated in both business and agriculture. Students in agricultural business management also find employment in companies specializing in biological systems engineering, landscape architecture, biotechnology, food technology, food science, food marketing, and large-scale farm enterprises.

The Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management degree program (ABM) enables students to obtain a strong foundation in economics to learn how businesses make decisions and minimize risk and how to use applied mathematics and statistics to analyze prices and markets. Agricultural and Applied Economics (AAE) courses constitute a substantial segment of the curriculum for the B.S. in Agricultural Business Management degree. In addition to general college requirements, a major in ABM includes courses in economics, math, and statistics. ABM students will also take credits from the School of Business. (See Requirements tab for more information.)

Agricultural Business Management emphasizes coursework in the functional areas of the business school: accounting, finance, marketing, management, and human resources.

A degree in Agricultural Business Management prepares students for a career in agribusiness or other fields of business. The Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics may be consulted for specific career information for the major.

Students completing the Agricultural Business Management major are awarded the Bachelor of ScienceAgricultural Business Management degree.

1. Use economic concepts to think critically about real-world problems and business management issues.
2. Use appropriate quantitative techniques to analyze business management issues.
3. Communicate results effectively orally and in writing.

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

For more information or to declare a major in agricultural business management, contact:

Linda Davis
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics      
424 Taylor Hall
608-262-9488
[email protected] 
Schedule an appointment using Starfish.

Students with a degree in agricultural business management often find careers in areas such as banking and finance, business analysis, marketing, management, commodities trading, sales or consulting.

Types of employers:

• Agribusiness firms
• Financial institutions, banks or investment firms
• Local, state or federal government agencies
• Co-operatives
• Retail food companies
• Tech companies 

Students can use the services provided by the CALS Career Services Office, which include help with creating a resume or cover letter and mock interviews. CALS students also have access to Handshake, an online job/internship posting tool that provides students with hundreds of job and internship listings.