Colorado State University’s New Online Agricultural Business Degree Completion Program Meets Needs of Rural Students

A new online undergraduate degree completion program in Agricultural Business from the Division of Continuing Education at Colorado State University was announced at an event at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling early this month. The program is designed for students who have completed an associate’s degree with an emphasis in agriculture or have required transfer credits.

"Our Northeast Colorado economy is built on the strength of agriculture," said Lance Bolton, president of Northeastern Junior College. "We know that many of our current and former students will embrace the opportunity to complete their Agricultural Business degrees through this new online option. We applaud CSU’s efforts to increase access to higher education with targeted programs that meet the needs of rural Colorado."

The flexible online program uses economic theory to provide a framework for understanding agricultural issues, predicting the likely effects of government policies and regulations and devising solutions to economic and environmental problems. It focuses on the production and marketing of agricultural products for an industry that requires a variety of businesses to distribute, process, package and market agricultural commodities in addition to other businesses to supply agricultural producers with capital, fuel, machinery, fertilizer and management services.

"Colorado State has a long history of working with Northeastern Junior College to provide agricultural education, and we are pleased to be moving forward together to provide quality online learning options for students who seek an undergraduate degree," said Lou Swanson, vice provost for Outreach and Strategic Partnerships at Colorado State.

Marshall Frasier, professor in CSU’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, points to the flexibility of the program as a unique element that makes it valuable for students. "This degree completion program allows students to take charge of their own education and, together with an adviser, build a flexible plan of study that meets their needs and helps them succeed," he said.

The Division of Continuing Education at Colorado State University develops and delivers quality programs and educational opportunities in support of the university’s land grant mission with fully online and face-to-face graduate and undergraduate degrees; professional development training; certificate programs; online credit and noncredit courses; and industry specific training throughout Northern Colorado, Denver, and wherever students are located through online and distance delivery modes.

For more information, visit http://www.learn.colostate.edu/degrees/ or call (970) 491-5288 or (877) 491-4336.

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