Agriculture and Food Systems, B.A. - COLSA, UNH

Why study Agriculture and Food Systems (AGFS)?

Encompassing everything from land use, natural resource management, food production, processing, distribution, policy, consumption, and human health, the food system is one of the most complex and vital underpinnings of society. The AGFS major is designed to provide students with a foundational understanding of this complexity so that they may effectively engage in the ongoing evolution of our food system to meet future economic, social, and environmental challenges.

What kinds of jobs do AGFS graduates get?

Since the program began in 2010, our AGFS graduates have gone on to pursue a wide variety of exciting and fulfilling careers. Most (80%) are working in production agriculture or another sector of the food system. Some have chosen to pursue post-graduate degrees in agricultural science, nutrition, law, and related fields. Many are entrepreneurs or managers of food and agricultural businesses, and many others are educators, communicators, or advocates who support agricultural enterprises or consumers.

What are the opportunities in AGFS for "hands-on" learning and courses that would give me practical experience working in agriculture?

There are many!

For students interested in animal agriculture, there are numerous experiential courses, where students manage and care for animals as part of course requirements. All the following courses also include lectures and traditional assignments, but students take what they learn and apply it daily to the animals kept at UNH. These courses include Introduction to Livestock Management with a flock of sheep on campus in the spring semester, PEEP (Poultry Experiential Education Program) where students raise broilers over the course of the fall semester, and CREAM (Cooperative Real Education in Agriculture Management), where students manage (including feeding and milking) a herd of dairy cows for the entire school year.

For students interested in horticulture or plant-based agriculture, students in our Food Production Field Experience courses apply their knowledge of crop scheduling and planning to Farm to YouNH. Each student works in open-field and protected agriculture environments to produce crops year-round for UNH dining and catering.

Is it possible to add a double major, dual major or minor and still graduate on time?

Yes! The AGFS major is relatively flexible, and it is usually possible to add a dual major or minor as well as the AGFS major within four years. It is also possible, but a bit more challenging, to add a double major. This is more difficult for students transferring from other institutions or other majors if they have taken many classes that do not meet major requirements.

How big is the program?

The AGFS program currently has about 60 majors, so approximately 15 students graduate each year. We feel this is large enough to offer a cohesive group and critical mass, while also being small enough to offer personalized attention and small classes. There are currently faculty members representing a wide range of disciplines who teach and advise AGFS students. And our students benefit from a having a broad selection of courses as they pursue their specific interests within the program.

Are there opportunities to work closely with faculty?

Yes! Most of our majors do research in the labs of one or more faculty members while they are here at UNH. UNH hosts one of the largest undergraduate research conferences in the nation, and it is a great opportunity to share research results with other students, faculty members, and the broader community.

Are there opportunities to get hands-on experience working on farms, or internships with agricultural businesses or other sectors of the food system?

Yes! Many of our faculty have relationships with the agricultural community and the broader food system, and we post and share job opportunities on a regular basis.

There are also many jobs available on the UNH career database, Handshake. The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture is also home to the St. Martin Career Exploration Office, a terrific resource offering professional development for students.

Some of our AGFS majors have also taken advantage of Semester in the City, a UNH program that involves a semester in Boston with internships in urban agriculture and organizations working to enhance food security. Finally, UNH maintains numerous farms on or just off campus where students are strongly encouraged to apply for work-study positions, where they can work with animals, crops, and assisting faculty on research projects in the field.

It is easy. Once a student is accepted to UNH, an official credit evaluation will be completed to determine the total credits transferred and any Discovery Requirements that have been fulfilled. Then, we determine which courses from other institutions will be accepted towards fulfilling major requirements. We are happy to talk about what this might look like before you apply – please contact the program coordinator if you’d like more information.

Yes! Instead of having specific pre-determined “tracks” or “options”, each student defines and names their own emphasis area that comprises a cohesive group of courses. Recent emphasis areas declared by our students include dairy management, crop production and management, horticulture business operations, agricultural policy, agroecology, community nutrition and food systems, educational methods in agriculture, and many more.

Typically, near the end of their junior year, each student develops a proposal, writing an essay that explains how the courses chosen represent a cohesive emphasis area, and how this relates to the student’s personal and professional goals beyond UNH. A committee of faculty reviews and approves each emphasis area.

Yes! We do offer a minor in AGFS, consisting of five courses. We also offer two other related minors: Environmental Horticulture and Brewing Science.

What is a Student-Designed Emphasis?
Agriculture and food systems (AGFS) is a highly diverse subject area encompassing numerous 
topics and disciplines. In addition to providing you a broad introduction to AGFS through a required set 
of Foundation Courses, the AGFS program is designed to encourage you to continue to explore your
interests and further broaden your exposure through the free pursuit of a set of approved Program 
Electives (20 CR). By your junior year, with your Foundation Courses and at least some Program 
Electives completed, you will be ready to develop and propose a personal Student-Designed Emphasis
(20 CR), comprised of another set of freely-chosen courses. Unlike your broad Program Electives, 
however, which are opportunities to explore different areas of potential interest (i.e. increase your 
breadth), the courses that comprise your Emphasis must form a coherent set of classes that build depth
in an area of particular interest to you.
What do I need to do?

In your first two years, you should concentrate on completing your Foundation Courses and taking
approved Program Electives that interest you, with an eye toward expanding your understanding of the 
many aspects of agriculture and the broader food system. To help you choose among the many 
electives, consider this list of Possible Pathways/Courses. Then in your fifth semester (usually the Fall
semester of your junior year), you will develop and formally declare your emphasis by completing the 
Student-Designed Emphasis Area Declaration Form. You must submit your completed Declaration Form 
to your academic advisor before the start of your sixth semester (usually the Spring semester of your 
junior year).

How do I complete the form?
Successful completion of the Declaration Form begins with reflection on your part about what area 
within AGFS you would like pursue in greater depth. You will need to give a name to your Emphasis Area 
and then assemble a set of electives (20 CR) that work together to develop depth and focus in that area. 
As part of the form, you will also submit a thoughtful, personal, substantive, and well-written essay (1-2 
pages) that:

1. Starts with a clear introductory paragraph that names and describes your emphasis area, 
   explains your interest in it, and lists your selected courses (20 CR);
2. Describes how each of the selected courses, one by one, builds depth and focus in your 
   chosen emphasis area and how they function together in coherent support of it;
3. Explains how your emphasis relates to your future goals, personally and professionally; and
   Ends with a thoughtful concluding statement.

Please note that at the time of submission, you will have at least three semesters left in the program, 
which means that you are creating a proposed plan for taking well-chosen emphasis classes in your 
remaining semesters. In other words, many if not all of your emphasis classes may still be outstanding, 
making your Emphasis Declaration a prime opportunity to receive feedback from multiple AGFS faculty 
members on your academic plans. Because your essay will be evaluated critically by all AGFS Program 
Committee faculty members, it should be considered a serious piece of writing, with the thought and 
effort that entails.

Possible Pathways/Focus Areas within AGFS

Emphasis Declaration Form

Dual Major in EcoGastronomy

Field Experience

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station

UNH Cooperative Extension

UNH Sustainability Institute

Students interested in the Agriculture and Food Systems major may also be interested in the following advanced degrees at UNH. Students in the program also have the opportunity to participate in the UNH accelerated master’s program.

Agricultural Sciences M.S.

Agricultural Sciences Ph.D.

Natural Resources and the Environment M.S.

Natural Resources: Ecosystem Science M.S.

Natural Resources: Environmental Conservation and Sustainability M.S.

Natural Resources: Environmental Economics M.S.

Nutritional Sciences M.S.

Nutritional Sciences Ph.D.