Agricultural Business Technology

 

Career Outlook and Opportunities
    Modern agriculture has become more business oriented.  Business managers and marketers are found not only in the companies that support farm production but also on some of the large farm operations themselves.  Many people with management degrees serve as representatives of agricultural service and product providers.  Even those people who continue to work on the family farm need the tools to make increasingly complex business and financial decisions. One of the new and dynamic aspects of the agriculture industry is in the area of Marketing, which includes occupations in advertising, sales, promotion and research.
   Completion of a 2-year and preferably a 4-year bachelor's degree program in a college of agriculture continues to be important. In addition to formal education, work experience with a agricultural business enhances prospects for employment.

Job Outlook
 Management positions in general are expected to increase at near the average rate.  Sales representative positions specifically are expected to increase by 12%⁽¹⁾ . The majority of supervisors and managers who have post secondary education hold associate or bachelor's degrees. Job growth in various Marketing occupations is expected to increase by 28-53% between 1996 and 2006, depending on the industry.  As with other business related fields, management and marketing skills can be transferred to other industries.  It is important to note, however, that most of the expected job growth in agriculture is in agriculturally related services.

Salaries
 Starting salaries for full-time, salaried Management majors is currently around $24,000. For Marketing majors starting salaries are currently around $28,000.  The average income for all 2-year associate degree graduates is between $18,000 - $24,000.  Graduates in the field of management generally earn closer to the bottom of that pay range. Graduates in the field of marketing generally earn closer to the top of that pay range. The potential income of entrepreneurial service providers is much greater.

Educational Program
In today's economy, job prospects and salaries increase as the level of education increases.  The Agricultural Business Technology program at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is designed to provide students with a background in general business practices.  In addition, students can then specialize in either management or marketing.  Students then focus their business knowledge on various fields within agriculture such as Animal Science, Agricultural Mechanization, Plant Science or Chemicals.  As part of the program, students are given the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with one of many local, national and international agricultural companies through the internship program.  Many students find employment with those same companies after graduation. This is a two-year degree program that results in a A.A.S. degree. This major serves as an entry way into the B.A.S. degree in Diversified Agriculture

A detailed listing of the courses required for these majors can be found in the ABAC catalog.

1. All figures derived from U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook