Creating a healthier, more productive, more resilient agriculture for Wisconsin and the world.
That is the challenge taken up by the faculty, staff, and students of the agronomy program in the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences.
We generate and apply knowledge about the plants that feed and benefit humankind. Agronomic crops are typically grown for grain to feed people and livestock, or are processed into products. Feed crops are grown specifically to meet the nutritional needs of livestock. Forage crops are grown for their stems, leaves, and other edible plant parts.
We find and implement solutions to problems and opportunities concerning efficiency and sustainability of crop production and in safe and environmentally sound ways.
We generate knowledge on the genetics, genomics, biochemistry, and physiology of plants.
We study the interactions among cropping systems, climate, and the environment. We emphasize sustainable agriculture, whether precision, traditional or organic, in order to reduce the impact on the environment and the inhabitants of our planet.
We work to ensure that agricultural systems and products in Wisconsin and the world are able to meet rapidly-changing needs and those of future generations.
Undergraduates in the agronomy program earn a bachelor of science degree to prepare them for everything from pursuit of a graduate degree to careers in science, education, agriculture, agribusiness, and environment and conservation.
How to Get in
To declare this major, students must be admitted to UW–Madison and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). For information about becoming a CALS first-year or transfer student, see Entering the College.
Students who attend Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have the option to declare this major at SOAR. Students may otherwise declare after they have begun their undergraduate studies. For more information, contact the advisor listed in the Contact Box for the major.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
In addition to the University General Education Requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements (General Education and Breadth) or within college requirements (First-Year Seminar, International Studies, Science, and Capstone), but courses counted toward university requirements may also be used to satisfy a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, courses counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
College Requirements for all CALS BS Degree Programs
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Work: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. | ||
| Residency: Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. | ||
| First year seminar | 1 | |
| International studies | 3 | |
| Physical science fundamentals | 4-5 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
or CHEM 108 | Chemistry in Our World | |
or CHEM 109 | Advanced General Chemistry | |
| Biological science | 5 | |
| Additional science (biological, physical, or natural) | 3 | |
| Science breadth (biological, physical, natural, or social) | 3 | |
| CALS Capstone Learning Experience: included in the requirements for each CALS major (see "major requirements") | ||
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics | ||
| Complete one of the following (or may be satisfied by placement exam): | 5-6 | |
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I | ||
| Survey of Calculus 1 | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Introduction to Biostatistics | ||
| Statistical Methods for Bioscience I | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 5-9 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Biology | ||
| Complete one of the following options: | 10 | |
| Option 1: | ||
| General Botany | ||
| Animal Biology | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Introductory Biology and Introductory Biology | ||
| Option 3: | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Cellular Biology | ||
| Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Economics | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Economics-Accelerated Treatment | ||
| Foundation | ||
| Complete 8 credits from any Foundation category (see list below) | 8 | |
| Core | ||
| Complete all of the following: | 12 | |
| Principles and Practices in Crop Production | ||
| General Soil Science and Meet Your Soil: Soil Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Plant Pathology | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Entomology | ||
| Principles of Economic Entomology | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Grassland Ecology | ||
| The Vegetation of Wisconsin | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Wetlands Ecology | ||
| Electives within the Major | ||
| Complete 14 additional credits of Agronomy courses 1 | 14 | |
| Capstone | ||
| AGRONOMY 500 | Senior Capstone Experience | 2 |
| Total Credits | 71-79 | |
- 1
No more than 3 credits total in AGRONOMY 299 Independent Study, AGRONOMY 399 Coordinative Internship/Cooperative Education, AGRONOMY 699 Special Problems. Credits used to satisfy the capstone experience may not count here.
Foundation Courses
Ag Social Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| A A E 320 | Agricultural Systems Management | 3 |
| A A E 322 | Commodity Markets | 4 |
| A A E 323 | Cooperatives and Alternative Forms of Enterprise Ownership | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 421 | Economic Decision Analysis | 4 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 140 | Introduction to Community and Environmental Sociology | 4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| C&E SOC/AMER IND/SOC 578 | Poverty and Place | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 650 | Sociology of Agriculture | 3 |
Animal Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AN SCI/DY SCI 101 | Introduction to Animal Sciences | 3 |
| AN SCI 200 | The Biology and Appreciation of Companion Animals | 3 |
| AN SCI/DY SCI/NUTR SCI 311 | Comparative Animal Nutrition | 3 |
| AN SCI 431 | Beef Cattle Production | 3 |
| AN SCI 432 | Swine Production | 3 |
| DY SCI 205 | Dairy Cattle Improvement Programs | 2 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI 361 | Introduction to Animal and Veterinary Genetics | 2 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI 363 | Principles of Animal Breeding | 2 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI 370 | Livestock Production and Health in Agricultural Development | 3 |
| DY SCI 378 | Lactation Physiology | 3 |
| ENTOM/ZOOLOGY 302 | Introduction to Entomology | 4 |
| ENTOM 351 | Principles of Economic Entomology | 3 |
Atmospheric Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM OCN 100 | Weather and Climate | 3 |
| ATM OCN/ENVIR ST 171 | Global Change: Atmospheric Issues and Problems | 2-3 |
Biological Systems Engineering
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BSE 301 | Land Information Management | 3 |
Food Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD SCI 120 | Science of Food | 3 |
| FOOD SCI 440 | Principles of Food Engineering | 3 |
| A A E/C&E SOC/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| NUTR SCI/BIOCHEM 510 | Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism | 3 |
Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT I S 211 | Introductory Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT I S 301 | Financial Reporting I | 3 |
| ACCT I S 302 | Financial Reporting II | 3 |
| ACCT I S 401 | Business Organizations and Negotiable Instruments | 3 |
| A A E 320 | Agricultural Systems Management | 3 |
| A A E 322 | Commodity Markets | 4 |
| A A E 323 | Cooperatives and Alternative Forms of Enterprise Ownership | 3 |
| A A E 419 | Agricultural Finance | 3 |
| A A E/ECON 421 | Economic Decision Analysis | 4 |
| A A E/ECON 474 | Economic Problems of Developing Areas | 3 |
| GEN BUS 301 | Business Law | 3 |
| FINANCE/ECON 300 | Introduction to Finance | 3 |
| INTL BUS 200 | International Business | 3 |
| MARKETNG 305 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| MARKETNG 310 | Marketing Research | 3 |
| MARKETNG/INTL BUS 420 | Global Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| MARKETNG 424 | Sales Strategy and Management | 3 |
| MARKETNG 426 | Strategic Retailing | 3 |
| MARKETNG 460 | Marketing Strategy | 3 |
| M H R 322 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R 420 | Leading Change in Organizations | 3 |
| M H R 612 | Labor-Management Relations | 3 |
| R M I 300 | Principles of Risk Management | 3 |
Nutritional Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NUTR SCI 132 | Nutrition Today | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/AN SCI/DY SCI 311 | Comparative Animal Nutrition | 3 |
| NUTR SCI 332 | Human Nutritional Needs | 3 |
| NUTR SCI/A A E/AGRONOMY 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | 3 |
Soil Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SOIL SCI/ENVIR ST 324 | Soils and Environmental Quality | 3 |
Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Genetics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MICROBIO 101 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| MICROBIO 102 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| MICROBIO 303 | Biology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| MICROBIO 304 | Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory | 2 |
| MICROBIO/FOOD SCI 324 | Food Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| MICROBIO/FOOD SCI 325 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| GENETICS 466 | Principles of Genetics | 3 |
Ecological Sciences
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| F&W ECOL/ENVIR ST 100 | Forests of the World | 3 |
| F&W ECOL 318 | Principles of Wildlife Ecology | 3 |
| F&W ECOL/BOTANY 455 | The Vegetation of Wisconsin | 4 |
| F&W ECOL/BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 460 | General Ecology | 4 |
| F&W ECOL 550 | Forest Ecology | 3 |
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- Articulate the role of biological processes, management systems, environmental influences, and economic and social factors on world food, feed, and fiber production. Specific topics that all students should have knowledge of include: photosynthesis, nutrient cycling, genetic inheritance, and management and uses of primary U.S. crop species.
- Demonstrate the ability to critically and creatively analyze problems and evaluate systems.
- Communicate effectively through writing and speaking and will be able to identify and critically evaluate available sources of information
- Develop a global perspective and appreciate the interdependencies among individuals and their workplaces, communities, environments, and the planet; and an understanding of the role of science in society
Four-Year Plan
Sample Agronomy Four-Year Plan
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| AGRONOMY 100 | 4 | BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 | 5 | ||
| CHEM 103 or 109 | 4-5 | CHEM 104 (or Elective) | 5 | ||
| MATH 112, 114, or 1711 | 3-5 | Elective | 3 | ||
| COMM A | 3 | ECON 101, 111, or A A E 101 | 4 | ||
| First Year Seminar | 1 | ||||
| 15-18 | 17 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| Foundation Course2 | 3 | Foundation Courses | 5 | ||
| ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 | Social Science Course | 3 | ||
| Statistics Course | 3 | Agronomy Course3 | 3 | ||
| Ethnic Studies Course | 3 | COMM B | 3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| Agronomy Courses | 6 | Agronomy Course | 3 | Internship or Agronomy Independent Study | 1-3 |
| SOIL SCI 301 & SOIL SCI 302 | 4 | GENETICS 466 or AGRONOMY 338 | 3 | ||
| ENTOM 351 or 302 | 3 | International Studies Course | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Humanities Elective Course | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 1-3 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| Agronomy Course | 3-4 | Agronomy Course | 6-7 | ||
| ZOOLOGY/BOTANY/F&W ECOL 460 | 4 | AGRONOMY 500 | 2 | ||
| PL PATH 300 | 4 | Electives | 6-9 | ||
| Humanities Course | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 17-18 | 14-18 | ||||
| Total Credits 123-133 | |||||
- 1
Determined by placement exam. Consult SOAR advisor.
- 2
Eight (8) credits of foundation courses required. See requirements tab for details.
- 3
Fourteen (14) credits of agronomy electives required. See requirements tab for details.
Advising and Careers
Advising
The Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences is faculty-advised, meaning that faculty members take on the responsibility of guiding and advising undergraduates through graduation. Students and faculty are matched as closely as possible by interest. All new first-year and transfer students are temporarily advised by the student services coordinator until the advising relationship between professor and student is established. If you would like to have a conversation about joining the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences, please contact agronomy@wisc.edu or the advisor, Bill Tracy wftracy@wisc.edu.
Careers
An Agronomy degree is an open door to careers in many related fields such as biotechnology, plant genetics, crop management, agricultural financial management, farming, seed sales, crop consulting, Certified Crop Advising, Certified Professional Agronomy, agribusiness, extension agronomy, agricultural education, government work, and international agronomy.
Genetics
The fastest growing sector of agriculture is plant breeding, genetics, and genomics. Plant scientists are working at the field, plant, cellular, and molecular level to create cultivars that are hardier, disease resistant, nutritious, and affordable. The industry's growth is currently outstripping the rate of graduation; graduates can take their pick of interesting, fulfilling careers in the public and private sectors.
Biofuels
The biofuel industry is also experiencing rapid growth, with research and development being focused on sugar-based biofuels, cellulosic biofuels, and biodiesels, made from plants as varied as switchgrass, sugar cane, corn, and wood pulp. These energy crops are harvested and processed into alternatives to fossil fuels.
Agribusiness
In agribusiness, agronomists take data and translate it into real-world applications. They sell tools for crop production, provide agricultural loans, consult on crops, manage businesses, and much more. They are often responsible for translating technical research data into applications. Numerous agronomy graduates are also involved in the sale of agricultural products, which are vital to today’s economy. Other successful agronomists serve as crop advisers, farm managers, consultants, bank loan specialists, managers, and much more.
Research/Education and Extension
Agronomic educators specialize in teaching and working with high school and college students. They also teach and advise students who chose advanced studies for a master’s degree and/or PhD They are extensively involved in research, publishing findings on a regular basis and making scientific advances.
Extension agronomists usually work for a state, local, or national government; they consult with farmers and others to help find answers to their specific problems and help farmers translate research results into usable management practices. Government-employed agronomists also work with farmers and ranchers to plan for soil and water conservation so crops and land can be managed efficiently and with minimal impact to the environment.
Wisconsin Experience
The following opportunities can help students connect with other students interested in agronomy, build relationships with faculty and staff, and contribute to out-of-classroom learning:
- Badger Crops Club, a professional, social, and educational group for agronomy students and students in related fields interested in any aspect of crop production.
- Collegiate FFA, an official collegiate chapter of the National FFA organization.
- AWA—the Association of Women in Agriculture, a professional student organization for young women with a passion for agriculture.
- WISELI—Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute, a research center aiming to increase the representation, advancement, and satisfaction of women faculty and members of groups currently underrepresented on the faculty and in leadership at UW–Madison.
- Study Abroad: Agronomy majors have the opportunity to go on experiential study abroad programs, where students can immerse themselves in research or global agronomy field experiences. Students can review the International Academic Programs website and the CALS study abroad advising page for information on these and other programs, as well as requirements that can typically be fulfilled abroad and things to consider when fitting study abroad into an academic plan.
- Research/Lab experience: Students are encouraged to get involved in research, whether in the agronomy department or through other plant-, soil-, or ecology-related departments. Research can be performed for either course credit or pay, depending on the opportunity. Research opportunities can primarily be found by inquiring with faculty members.
Resources and Scholarships
The Agronomy program is proud to participate in the CALS Scholarship Program, which awards thousands of dollars to undergraduate scholars every year. The majority of our students have some form of financial aid through CALS, the university, or work-study or laboratory jobs.