The Agribusiness major prepares students for a variety of potential career fields including, but not limited to, agricultural law, agricultural policy analysis, economic consulting, agricultural production management, commodities marketing, and food chain supply management, including processing, sales, and distribution.
- Management
- Policy and Law
- Production
The Agriculture Education, Leadership, and Communications major equips graduates with the ability to inform and engage people about agricultural information and issues. This is achieved through curriculum emphasizing practical knowledge and hands-on experiences in teaching, leadership, and communications, in addition to well-rounded, individualized coursework in agricultural topics. Agricultural Education, Leadership, and Communications (AELC) graduates may become involved in a variety of occupations in agricultural business and industry, education, production, extension, and communications.
- Agricultural Communication
- Agricultural Leadership
- Agricultural Education
Our Agricultural Engineering Technology and Business (AETB) program prepares students for technical careers in agriculture, business, and land surveying. Our curriculum is characterized by a strong technical course base with business and finance-related courses added so that the graduate is uniquely qualified to work in industry/agriculture as a technical or business person. The program provides an educational opportunity for students interested in applying technical, business and management skills to problems in agricultural production, commodity-related and natural resource management.
- Enterprise Management
- Natural Resources and Environmental Management
- Precision Agriculture
- Surveying | Geomatics
The Agricultural Science degree prepares individuals for a variety of agriculturally related careers. Many agricultural businesses and organizations seek graduates who have a diversified knowledge of agriculture and life sciences, which includes production agriculture, business, leadership, and management. Many graduates become involved in agriculture business and industry, production agriculture operations, agricultural research, international agriculture development, or pursue advanced graduate study in one of their specialization areas. Graduates will have knowledge of the diversified field of agriculture, basic agricultural sciences, leadership principles, the basic principles of production, and the application of basic science principles to production agriculture and agricultural business management. Graduates will be able to plan and conduct basic agricultural research, manage an agricultural enterprise (business or production), provide leadership in a variety of employment settings, and effectively communicate orally and in writing.
Agronomy is the study of the science behind soil management and crop production. Agronomist use technology from the fields of biology, chemistry, economics, ecology, soil science, water science, pest management and genetics to improve and manage the crops of the world. Student will learn about producing and using plants in agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, recreation, and land restoration. The Department of Plant and Soil Sciences offers 4 concentrations.
The Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences provides several concentrations to meet individual career goals.
- Business and Industry
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine Technology
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine
- Production Management
- Science
Students learn the skills they need through three major areas. The first is environmental science, where students learn fundamentals about biology, chemistry, and ecology. The second area is policy, where students take courses in government, law, and how they interact with the environment. The third area of the major is economics, which includes a course in natural resource economics.
The Environmental Sciences in Agricultural Systems major provides an educational foundation to prepare students for diversified careers focused on environmental issues related to agronomic and horticultural production.
The undergraduate major in forestry is a science-based program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The forestry major concentrations in Environmental Conservation, Forest Business, Forest Management, Urban Forestry, and Wildlife Management leading to the B.S. degree in Forestry are accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). These programs prepare graduates for professional careers in forest resource management and use. By combining a broad general education with specialized professional courses, the curriculum is designed to produce professionally competent graduates who have skills in interpersonal communications, written and oral communications, and cultural understanding. Graduates of all five concentrations are fully qualified as entry-level professionals and prepared for career advancement into positions of increasing responsibility, while serving the current and future needs of society.
The Department of Geosciences strives for an integrated, interdisciplinary study of the whole Earth. The department offers a B.S. undergraduate degree program in Geosciences with emphasis in six different sub-disciplines or concentrations.
Horticulture is the cultivation of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Students learn to produce and market plants and flowers that may be sold to a landscape contractor, a lawn and garden super center or to a floral distributor.
The profession of landscape architecture offers students the opportunity to engage in shaping the environmental and cultural landscape through planning and design to improve quality of life. The Mississippi State University Landscape Architecture programs teach the artful synthesis of social and ecological processes related to planning, designing, building and managing regenerative communities in Mississippi and the Northern Gulf Region, within a global perspective.
A landscape contractor is a specialty contractor who provides the materials and services needed to make the landscape architect's project become a reality; and/or to provide the management and maintenance needed to keep the project in prime condition after implementation.
The undergraduate major in natural resource and environmental conservation is a science-based program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The natural resource and environmental conservation major offers concentrations in natural resource law and administration, natural resource technology, and resource conservation science are accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Graduates of the program can knowledgeably develop, apply, facilitate, and/or execute natural resource and environmental management plans that adequately address matters of ownership/public goals and objectives, ecosystem health and sustainability, and the legal and regulatory environment.
The Poultry curriculum provides for in-depth study of scientific principles important in the production, processing and marketing of poultry and poultry products. The curriculum is designed with academic and experiential components to ensure that graduates are prepared to manage people and resources vital to this important food industry. Poultry students should also expect to develop creative thinking skills that will allow them to develop solutions for complex real world problems as they develop their careers as managers. The strong science content of the curriculum also makes it an excellent fit for pre-vet students and students interested in graduate studies. The department provides one-on-one advising for all Poultry Science students.
- Applied Poultry Management
- Science
- Pre- Veterinary Medicine
The Sustainable Bioproducts major prepares students with a strong foundation in the manufacturing of wood and fiber-based products, their physical and mechanical properties, environmental implications, marketing, sales, and trading of wood and composite materials composed of agricultural residues and other natural fibers. Besides structural materials, specialty chemicals such as polymers and adhesives from natural resources, and bioenergy such as bio-oils, alcohols, and pelletized fuels are increasingly important to sustainable industrial production.
The Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU CVM) was the third college of veterinary medicine in the United States to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree program in veterinary medical technology (VMT). Nationwide, there are only 22 four-year VMT programs.
The Department offers a major in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture designed to provide students with curricula that has foundation in biology, ecology, natural resources management, social sciences, mathematics, and other educational subjects needed by natural resource professionals. Over 40 undergraduate courses in ecology, organismal biology and taxonomy, habitat evaluation and management, wildlife and fisheries management, human dimensions, policy, biometrics, landscape ecology, and special topics are offered by over 20 departmental faculty and instructors.
The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies is a university-wide degree coordinated through the College of Arts & Sciences by the Interdisciplinary Studies Committee. This multi-discipline academic program is appropriate for students motivated by specific interests not recognized in traditional majors and is not intended to compete with existing programs.