Undergraduate

Agriculture and Food Systems

Explore an interdisciplinary blend of biology, ecology, economics, and social sciences.

2026

Degree

Bachelor of Science

Location

Durham, NH

Courses

23*

Credit

128 hrs.*

Full-time

4 yrs.

Part-time

Varies

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Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems

The Agriculture and Food Systems major at UNH offers interdisciplinary preparation across biology, ecology, economics and the social sciences. You can tailor your studies with concentrations in agroecology, horticulture or animal agriculture while gaining hands-on experience in advanced research facilities.

With access to dairy farms, greenhouses and a brewing science lab, the program prepares you for careers in agricultural business, research, education and policy. Coursework emphasizes real-world applications and practical skills, equipping you to develop innovative solutions to today’s agricultural challenges.

*Number of courses and course credit hours may vary, please reach out to your academic advisor for exact requirements.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems Department

Key Links

Tuition Costs

Contact Cards

Rebecca Sideman

Professor

Becky.Sideman@unh.edu

Kendall Hall, Durham, NH 03824

(603) 862-3203

What is agriculture and food systems?

The goal of agriculture and food systems is to meet society’s food and fiber needs in a way that ensures clean air, water and thriving ecosystems for future generations. Agriculture and food systems at UNH is the study of the biological, ecological, economic and social components of agroecosystems. The B.S. degree program provides an interdisciplinary experience with an emphasis on systems thinking. Students will gain a broad base of knowledge and experience in modern agricultural and food systems and a strong foundation in the biological sciences.

Why study agriculture and food systems at UNH?

Our B.S. degree program is ideal for students interested in developing both a broad base of knowledge and experience in modern agricultural and food systems, and a strong foundation in the biological sciences. Each student develops their own customized emphasis area within agriculture and food systems: agroecology, horticulture, animal agriculture, agriculture and food systems policy, and entrepreneurship are some examples. Most of our students also gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge research taking place at our top-notch agricultural research facilities including two working dairy farms, horticulture and agronomy farms, greenhouses, and the UNH brewing science laboratory.

Potential careers

Agricultural business management and entrepreneurship
Agricultural research
Agricultural services and support
Education and outreach
Grant writing
Policymaking
Production of food and fiber

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

Building on a strong foundation in the biological sciences, the Agriculture and Food Systems B.S. offers a highly flexible curriculum to students interested in cultivating expertise in a wide variety of topics including modern agricultural practices, the science and management of working landscapes, local and regional food systems, value-added agricultural products, and the promotion of healthy eating through sustainable food production and policies. An interdisciplinary field comprising the social, physical, and life sciences and beyond, agriculture and food systems lie at the center of many of the major challenges facing the world, such as producing food to meet the needs of an ever-growing population while conserving natural resources and promoting human wellness.

Our students get hands-on experience in applied coursework and are actively encouraged to conduct impactful research alongside faculty. Our graduates become practitioners and entrepreneurs of agricultural and food businesses, researchers and policy-makers at state/federal agencies and non-profit organizations, laboratory technicians, and agricultural educators. Some go on to obtain advanced degrees in the agricultural sciences.

Requirements for the Program

Degree Requirements

Minimum Credit Requirement: 128 credits

Minimum Residency Requirement: 32 credits must be taken at UNH

Minimum GPA: 2.0 required for conferral*

Core Curriculum Required: Discovery & Writing Program Requirements

Foreign Language Requirement: No

All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.

Major Requirements

The AGFS B.S. program structure includes FOUR major components: foundation courses, courses in a student-designed emphasis area, program elective courses, and a capstone. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- in all courses required for the major.

Foundation courses include 49 credits, which satisfy at least 6 of the University Discovery requirements.

Student-Designed Emphasis courses include 20 credits that make up a cohesive emphasis or focus area. Courses may be selected from the List of Approved Program Electives, but do not need to be on that list. Each student will define their emphasis area in consultation with their advisor and submit it to the AGFS program committee for approval prior to the start of their 7^th semester.

Elective courses include 16 credits, chosen from the List of Approved Program Elective courses.

A Capstone experience must take place during senior year. There are two capstone course options below. The capstone MAY NOT be counted towards elective or emphasis credits.

Of the Student-Designed Emphasis and Program Elective courses, at least 16 credits (not counting the capstone) must be earned at the 600/700-level.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Foundation Courses (B.S.)
AGFS 405	Sustainable Agriculture and Food Production	4
AGFS 421	Introductory Horticulture	4
AGFS 502	Agroecology	4
AGFS 602	Emphasis Development and Professional Pathways in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems	1
AGFS 620	Food Systems & Community Resilience	4
ANSC 421	Introduction to Animal Science	4
BIOL 411	Introductory Biology: Molecular and Cellular	4
BIOL 412	Introductory Biology: Evolution, Biodiversity and Ecology	4
BIOL 528	Applied Biostatistics I	4
or NR 525	Statistical Methods and Applications
AGFS 690	Agricultural and Food Policy	4
or NR 411	Environmental and Resource Economics Perspectives
or ECON 402	Principles of Economics (Micro)
CHEM 403	General Chemistry I ¹	4
or CHEM 411	Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences
CHEM 404	General Chemistry II	4
or BMCB 501	Biological Chemistry
or BIOL 541W	Ecology
NR 501	Studio Soils	4
Student-Designed Emphasis Area
At least 20 credits, proposed using the emphasis area declaration form (see your advisor) at least 2 semesters prior to planned graduation date.		20
Electives
Select 16 credits from the approved electives list below.		16
Capstone
AGFS 733W	Advanced Topics in Agriculture and Food Systems	4
or ANSC 750	Collaborative Farm Design and Development
Total Credits		89

¹: Some courses (e.g. genetics, microbiology) require CHEM 403 General Chemistry I and CHEM 404 General Chemistry II as a prerequisite. If you intend to take these courses, you should take CHEM 403 General Chemistry I rather than CHEM 411 Introductory Chemistry for Life Sciences.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Approved Electives
AAS 421	Large Animal Behavior and Handling Techniques	2
AAS 423	Dairy Selection	2
AAS 425	Introduction to Dairy Herd Management	4
AAS 432	Introduction to Forage and Grassland Management	3
AAS 434	Equipment and Facilities Management	3
AAS 439	Fundamentals of Animal Health	2
AGFS 410	A Taste of the Tropics	4
AGFS 415	Introduction to Brewing Art and Science	4
AGFS 515	Technical Brewing	4
AGFS 601	Fruit Crop Production	4
AGFS 632	Urban Agriculture	4
AGFS 651	Plant Pathology	4
AGFS 670	Systems Thinking: Land Use Capability and Sustainability in Aotearoa New Zealand	4
AGFS 671	Agroecology and Sustainable Land Management in Aotearoa New Zealand	4
AGFS 672	Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in Aotearoa New Zealand	4
AGFS 673	Agricultural Production and Business Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand	4
AGFS 679	Food Production Field Experience I	4
AGFS 680	Food Production Field Experience II	4
AGFS 689W	Greenhouse Management and Operation	4
AGFS 733W	Advanced Topics in Agriculture and Food Systems	4
AGFS 750	Food System Solutions; Increasing Sustainability and Equity	4
AGFS 760W	Integrated Pest Management	4
AGFS 795	Investigations	1
AGFS 795W	Investigations	1
ANSC 548	Agricultural Business Management	4
ANSC 600	Field Experience	1-4
ANSC 602	Animal Rights and Societal Issues	4
ANSC 603	Introduction to Livestock Management	4
ANSC 605	Poultry Production and Health Management	4
ANSC 609	Principles of Animal Nutrition	4
ANSC 612	Genetics of Animals	4
ANSC 625	Animal Diseases	4
ANSC 650	Dairy Industry Travel Course	1
ANSC 690	Livestock and Wildlife in Namibia: Challenges, Opportunities and Geography	4
ANSC 698	Cooperative for Real Education in Agricultural Management (CREAM)	4
ANSC 701	Physiology of Reproduction	4
ANSC 710	Dairy Nutrition	4
ANSC 715	Physiology of Lactation	4
ANSC 724	Reproductive Management and Artificial Insemination	4
ANSC 727	Advanced Dairy Management I	4
ANSC 728	Advanced Dairy Management II	4
ANSC 750	Collaborative Farm Design and Development	4
ANSC 795	Investigations	1-4
BIOL 409	Green Life: Introducing the Botanical Sciences	4
BIOL 510	Mushrooms, Molds, and Mildews: Introduction to the Fungal Kingdom	4
BIOL 541W	Ecology	4
BIOL 566	Systematic Botany	4
BIOL 704	Plant-Microbe Interactions	3
BIOL 720	Plant-Animal Interactions	4
BIOL 752	New England Mushrooms: a Field and Lab Exploration	4
BMS 503	General Microbiology	3
BMS 504	General Microbiology Laboratory	2
CEP 415	Community Development Perspectives	4
CHBE 410	Energy and Environment	4
ECOG 401	Introduction to Ecogastronomy	4
AGFS 690	Agricultural and Food Policy	4
NR 579	Wildland Fire Ecology and Management	4
GEN 604	Principles of Genetics	4
GEN 772	Evolutionary Genetics of Plants	4
GEOG 670	Climate and Society	4
HMGT 570	International Food and Culture	4
MGT 520	Topics in Management	4
MKTG 530	Survey of Marketing	4
NR 425	Field Dendrology	4
NR 435	Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness	4
NR 504	Freshwater Resources	4
NR 506	Forest Entomology	4
NR 527	Forest Ecology	4
NR 602	Natural Resources and Environmental Policy	4
NR 643	Economics of Forestry	4
NR 650	Principles of Conservation Biology	4
NR 706	Soil Ecology	4
NR 729	Silviculture	4
NR 749	Forest Inventory and Modeling	4
NR 760	Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources	4
NR 761	Environmental Soil Chemistry	4
NR 782	Forest Health in a Changing World	4
NR 785	Systems Thinking for Sustainable Solutions	4
NUTR 400	Nutrition in Health and Well Being	4
NUTR 405	Food and Society	4
NUTR 550	Food Science: Principle and Practice	4
NUTR 720	Community Nutrition	4
NUTR 730	From Seed to Sea: Examining Sustainable Food Systems	4
NUTR 795	Investigations	1-4
RMP 724	Research, Evaluation, and Data-Driven Decisions	4
MEFB 772	Fisheries Biology: Conservation and Management	4
ZOOL 555	Introduction to Entomology	4
ZOOL 610	Principles of Aquaculture	4

University Requirements

In addition to meeting the AGFS major requirements, students must satisfy all University requirements including those that pertain to the minimum number of credits, grade-point average, writing-intensive courses, and the Discovery Program.

Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate a working understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of agriculture and food systems and the basic principles underpinning sustainability including: economic viability, environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and the trade-offs between competing metrics of sustainability.
Students will demonstrate in-depth knowledge, critical thinking and analysis, and effective written communication in a self-declared area of emphasis within the program.
Students will gain an applied understanding of agriculture and food systems by engaging in an experiential education opportunity.
Students will be able to independently interpret, evaluate, and engage with research in the agricultural sciences, including its biological, physical, social, and/or economic aspects.

Explore Program Details

FAQ

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 SAFS 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.

What is the process for transferring into the AGFS program from another 2- or 4-year institution?

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.

If I am interested in a specific aspect of Agriculture and Food Systems, can I focus on that?

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.

How does the process of “declaring an emphasis area” work?

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.

Is there a minor in AGFS?

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

Designing Your Emphasis Area

Possible Pathways/Focus Areas within SAFS

Emphasis Declaration Form

Opportunities

Dual Major in EcoGastronomy

Field Experience

New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station

UNH Cooperative Extension

UNH Sustainability Institute

Relevant UNH Graduate Programs

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.

College of Life Sciences & Agriculture (COLSA)

Ella Henzel-Cronin '25

UNH student Ella Henzel-Cronin '25 is researching ways to reduce nitrogen pollution in the dairy industry by studying the effects of Biochanin A on nutrient utilization in dairy cows.

04/28/2025