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

2020-2021

Degree

Minor

Total Credits

16

Locations

Mankato

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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

The course is an active learning course where students are immersed in the process of starting a new enterprise. In managing their entrepreneurial projects, students conceptualize and develop business plans that include self-assessment, industry and market analyses, a marketing plan, human resource management, and financial analyses and projections. Students have contact with business professionals and entrepreneurs via field trips, guest speakers, and entrepreneurial networking events.

Prerequisites: none

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

Prerequisites: none