Degree: B.S.

Director: Barry W. Jesse (jesse@aesop.rutgers.edu)

The agriculture and food systems (A&FS) major is the result of a major rethinking of the previous major in agricultural science.  Agriculture and food systems is directed at students who are interested in an entrepreneurial and innovative education in the agricultural sciences. Students following the AF&S major receive training in agriculture that spans the range from field to plate. The A&FS major targets students who seek careers in agribusiness, government service, and agricultural education and extension, as well as those preparing to be owner/operators of farming enterprises. Rather than provide specific options within the major as do other SEBS majors, a unique aspect of the A&FS major is the ability of students to tailor their coursework to meet their specific interests, due to their ability to choose classes of interest from several clusters of specific courses. Depending upon the courses chosen, areas in which a student could focus include controlled-environment and precision agriculture, agricultural policy and entrepreneurship, energy efficiency, and niche agriculture, including agrotourism, community-supported agriculture, and sustainable agriculture. The curriculum of this major is expected to continue evolving as additional experience in the delivery of the curriculum's content is gained, and new areas of emphasis are identified.