Agriculture Business

With a raw product value in excess of three billion dollars, agriculture is Merced County’s number one industry and is the county’s largest employer. Production agriculture employs a fifth of the county’s residents.

When you include food processing, agriculture employs about a third of the workforce. Dollar-wise, Merced is the fifth most important ag county in the state and the nation.

Agriculture is a vital component to our local, state and national economies and offers many exciting employment opportunities. The Agriculture Business program is designed to prepare students for immediate employment in Agribusiness and transfer to four-year colleges/universities to pursue advanced degrees in agriculture.

The Associate of Science degree in Agriculture Business is available for students who meet the graduation requirements and complete the following required courses, with a minimum grade of a “C” in each course in the degree, and maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

A. Analyze the core concepts of various agriculture business disciplines.

B. Analyze local, state, and national agricultural issues and trends.

C. Examine economic principles with respect to the production and distribution of agricultural products and services

D. Develop communication and problem solving skills to work effectively, respectfully, ethically, and professionally with people of diverse age, gender, ethnicity and culture in agribusiness.

E. Combine team building skills and collaborative behaviors in the accomplishment of group goals and objectives.

Program Requirements:

Program Core: (24 Units)

Completion of MCCD-GE Breadth: (24 units)

Elective (as needed to reach 60 units) Units: (12 Units)

Total Degree Units: (60 Units)