AA/AS in Agricultural Production Operations

This associate program prepares students for hands-on careers in production agriculture, including farming and farm management. Instruction covers raising crops and livestock, mechanical skills and the business side of operating a farm, alongside general college coursework. A distinctive part of the degree is a paid internship of 19 weeks at an agricultural production facility. The program places students, and college credit is earned for the supervised occupational experience that runs through the curriculum. Graduates usually take full-time jobs as production managers, herdsmen or similar positions tied directly to grain and livestock production. College agriculture staff coordinate those placements, and a staff member visits every student at the worksite while the internship is under way. The program is organized around practical learning, which keeps classroom study tied to what farm managers do every day.