UTM To Offer Degree In Agricultural Business

Martin, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees has approved plans for UT Martin to offer a new Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business. This program is the 18^th bachelor’s degree program offered at UT Martin.
 
The program is an expansion of UT Martin’s existing concentration where students earning a degree in general agriculture could take select courses in agricultural business. Now, students will be able to earn a specialized bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with concentrations in areas such as agricultural marketing or agricultural finance.
 
“There is a large demand for agribusiness professionals. Approximately 47 percent of all agriculture jobs are directly related to agribusiness,” said Dr. Joey Mehlhorn, professor of agricultural economics. “New students who enter the program will benefit from a specialized degree which will allow them to compete with existing agribusiness programs. They will be able to market their degree as an agricultural business degree as opposed to a traditional agriculture degree.”
 
Mehlhorn said current students pursuing the existing agricultural business concentration can choose whether to move to the new catalog requirements for the independent degree program or continue on their current course of study. Incoming students will be automatically enrolled in the new degree program beginning with the fall 2018 semester.
 
This new degree program has been in the planning stages for the past two years, and Mehlhorn says all new courses will be taught by existing faculty members with no new hires anticipated.
 
With the addition of this new bachelor’s degree, UT Martin now offers 18 bachelor’s degree programs with more than 100 specialized concentrations as well as five graduate-level programs. The new Bachelor of Science in agricultural business will be offered through the Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources within the College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences.
 
For more information, contact the department at 731-881-7260.
Photo: Dr. Joey Mehlhorn at UT trustees’ meeting.