Agribusiness and Food Innovation Minor

Summary

The Agribusiness and Food Innovation Minor prepares individuals to work and innovate in agribusiness, food, and agriculturally-related businesses.  The minor includes awareness of the legal, marketing, and financial aspects of business development and culminates in an internship or capstone experience in agriculture. 

Catalog Year

2024-2025

Degree

Minor

Total Credits

16

Locations

Mankato

Career Cluster

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

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Program Requirements

Core

This class examines major intellectual property legal issues particularly as they apply to business, technology, innovation and digital media. Topics covered include patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, intellectual property crime, free speech, the internet and social media, innovation and other emerging issues.

Prerequisites: none

This course is designed to develop a students personal creativity and help a student identify the process of organizational innovation. The course is comprised of a combination of short lecture, in-class discussion of readings and videos, writing assignments, an elevator pitch and group activities.

Prerequisites: none

This course examines basic business concepts and principles and their application to modern and future agriculture industries. Agribusiness topics covered include commodities, supply chain, finance, sales, accounting, law, engineering, food safety, healthcare, data analysis, and technology. Professionals in the agriculture industry will be brought into class to explain how business knowledge and skills are essential to various sectors; including but not limited to: livestock, poultry, corn/soybeans, bio-fuels, engineering, and natural resources. Students will have an opportunity to broaden their thinking, understanding, and professional potential as related to the agriculture industry while interacting with industry professionals.

Prerequisites: none

This course focuses on startup and post-startup venture activities. Students who have achieved proof of concept with a venture idea will find this course helpful. Students will learn to evolve a business model concept into a sustainable, scalable venture in a variety of business sectors. Topics discussed include business operations, analysis, entrepreneurial finance, growth, and exit strategies. Students will also learn to present their venture ideas to interested stakeholders. The course will allow students to have the opportunity to engage with business professionals and entrepreneurs.

Prerequisites: none

Supervised experience in agribusiness or food related organizations, industry, state, or federal institutions.

Prerequisites: none

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Admissions Requirements

Admission requires a 2.5 minimum GPA. Advising for College of Business (COB) minors is done by the COB Advising Team in the COB Student Center. Students must be admitted to a major before they can take 300/400 level courses. Students cannot major and minor in the same discipline.

Graduation Requirements

To meet graduation requirements, students pursuing the minor must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.0 ("C") in the total of all (and only) courses taken to complete the minor. Transfer students pursuing a minor in the College of Business must complete at least 50% (one-half) of their minor coursework at Minnesota State Mankato.