7 Recommended Online Agriculture Degrees & Farming Courses

Your agricultural career dreams are no longer limited by geolocation. We live in a world that is constantly evolving. Education has evolved to include more distance learning and online agriculture degrees as a result of the internet. 

Here are some robust agricultural and farming courses delivered remotely.

1. Cornell Small Farms Program

With Cornell Small Farms Program, you can choose from more than 30 online agriculture courses taught mainly by educators from Cornell Cooperative Extension. These courses aim to help farmers improve their economic/business skills, and teach them the technical aspects of the farming economy.

Cornell Small Farms programs include:

• 5 to 8-week interactive courses
• Coordinated and led by experienced educators and farmers
• Courses are not restricted to geolocation.

Important requirements will have to be met for online education, such as hardware and software requirements for computer operating systems. Internet connection reliability and your country’s restrictions must also be accounted for in certain cases.

How does it work?

Courses start with BF 101: Starting at Square One, and guide individuals who are thinking about starting their own farming business or agribusiness operation. 

With this course, you will learn everything you need to know and build a solid foundation. As an aspiring farmer and future feeder of the world, it provides you with all the knowledge you may need.

A few of the online courses offered at the Cornell Small Farms Program:

• BF 103: Taking Care of Business
• BF 231: Grazing Management
• BF 202: Writing a Business Plan
• BF 110: Soil Health
• BF 153: Indoor Specialty Mushroom Production

“The expertise and resources presented and available in the course are awesome and arm me with the information needed to make better decisions” ~ Online course alum

2. Online Bachelor’s in Agribusiness by Greenville University

Greenville University’s online Bachelor’s degree program in Agribusiness develops your skills in business management, agriculture, and science. That’s everything that employers and your future agribusiness will need.

Further, this business management degree has been adapted for the growing industry. This means graduates of Greenville’s Agribusiness degree will gain invaluable experiential learning, for success in all agricultural business environments.

In this program, you will “study business and market plan development, complete entrepreneurial lab exercises, and explore agricultural commodity market simulations.” Graduates of this program are made to be business-ready, inventive professionals with the skills developed to lead and manage.

Career opportunities for graduates of an Agribusiness degree include farm appraiser, agricultural policy analyst, grain and livestock buyer, quality controller, market analyst, and more.

3. Online Agriculture Degrees by Colorado State University

Colorado State University offers several well-established online Bachelor’s degree programs in agriculture.

These online agriculture degrees are all designed to give students a leading edge in the industry and provide them with experience and skills that will set them up in their chosen field after completion of the programs.

Online Agricultural Business Bachelor’s Degree

This online degree will focus on the skills and expertise needed to manage and run small to medium-sized agricultural businesses. Subjects include:

• Marketing,
• Management,
• Finance,
• Agricultural Law

The program focuses on crucial agricultural sciences such as Animal Sciences, Horticulture, and Food Technology.

Career opportunities opened with an Agricultural Business degree:

• Agricultural Business
• Agricultural Finance
• Commodity Brokerage
• Commodity Merchandising

Online Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Degree

Recognising the link between conservation and sustainable practices, and economic management and skills to manage an agribusiness – Environmental and Natural Resources Economics focuses on the analytical tools you’ll need to assess, allocate, and manage natural resources sustainably while supporting economic growth.

This program will teach you to develop plans and policies that make an impact on the world while still nurturing the economic side of agribusiness. According to Colorado State University, “comprehensive economic analysis provides a strong basis to guide policies and business operations that directly and indirectly affect our environment.”

Career opportunities for an Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Degree holder include:

• Local, state, and federal government agency analyst
• Technical staff or analyst
• Economics consultant
• Environmental Consultant
• Environmental policy analyst

4. Online Agribusiness Management by Illinois College

Illinois College has one of the finest online Agriculture Degrees, as their approach to agribusiness is not sterile and monotonous. Their program builds essential business skills in accounting, finance, management, and marketing – while providing an interactive and diverse approach to the subject matter.

According to their program, you will also receive additional internship opportunities to provide you with invaluable experience that is sought after in the industry.

Potential career opportunities gained with a Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness Management include:

• Agricultural managers – oversight of the dairy, livestock and crop production of a farm or agricultural operation.
• Agricultural management analysts – work directly with farmers to improve the efficiency of their operations, and to increase dairy, livestock and crop production rates.
• Wholesale and retail sales representatives – work together with agricultural companies, marketing and distributing their products to customers.

5. Online A.S. and B.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming By The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture

The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture has been in the agriculture education game for a long time and has established great online Associate and Bachelor’s degree programs. 

These are 100% online degree programs which offer students the flexibility they need with no age limit for student admission.

A.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming

The A.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming is formulated for those who wish to explore careers in sustainable agriculture but are unable to attend classes on-site.

B.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming

The B.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming allows students to focus on vegetable, fruit and animal systems, permaculture, whole farm production and marketing, agricultural education, public policy, advocacy, community development and more. 

The invaluable hands-on internship is a wonderful addition to this program that is not compulsory but highly recommended.

6. Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management By Penn State World Campus

Penn State World Campus prides itself on offering online agriculture degrees. It has over 125 years of experience in providing distance education. This allows students to obtain their degrees through a fully operating online system with over 175 different programs to choose from.

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

As a student of this Bachelor’s program, you will learn to “combine core business concepts with principles of the agricultural industry as you focus on commodity markets, production, manufacturing, distribution, and the overall food system.”

You’ll gain valuable expertise and knowledge through courses in finance, supply chain, marketing, and consumer behaviour.

Potential career opportunities for Agribusiness Management include:

• Sales or Account Manager
• Marketing Coordinator
• Pricing Analyst
• Production Supervisor

7. Sustainable Agricultural Land Management By University of Florida | Via Coursera

This beginner course is a free program offered to students that are looking to build their knowledge and expertise in Agricultural Land Management, to better utilize and analyze the use of land resources for the production of agricultural goods.

The Sustainable Agricultural Land Management course covers subjects such as the agricultural and urban water quality issues in Florida, land nutrient management strategies, and the science and policy behind the best management practices (BMPs).

The University of Florida offers a varying range of online degree programs, partnering with Coursera to offer leading degree programs to students throughout the world. 

Start your career with an online agriculture degree

Finding the right course may seem daunting, so we’ve helped make the process a simple one at FarmingCourses. Find more online degrees, programs, and courses from universities across the world in the directory.