California State University, Fresno
General Catalog
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Ag Ec - Courses



You are in the official 1998-99 General Catalog
for California State University, Fresno.

Department of Agricultural Economics

COURSES

Note: Active immunization against tetanus (available through Student Health Services) is a prerequisite for registration in any laboratory course in agriculture and for any student employment on the University Farm.

Note: Cost to the student of extended field trips will vary each semester depending upon itinerary. The student should ask the course instructor.

 

Economic Principles (Ag Ec)

1. Introductory Agricultural Economics (3)
Microeconomic principles of resource allocation, production, cost analysis, and market price equilibrium with primary application to farms and agribusiness firms; supply and demand in commodity pricing under perfect and imperfect competition; survey of agricultural management and marketing problems and issues. General Education BREADTH, Division 8.

2. Agricultural Sector Analysis (3)
Domestic and international forces affecting industry profitability of farm input suppliers, agricultural producers, commodity processors, food marketers; government fiscal, monetary, trade policies interaction with agricultural credit, price support, food subsidy programs; impact on agribusiness asset values, debt accumulation, income levels.

100. Intermediate Agricultural Economics (3)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 1 and intermediate algebra. Microeconomic theory of agricultural production in factor-product, factor-factor, product-product decisions; production costs and economies of size; consumer choice theory; price and output determination under imperfectly competitive markets; marginal productivity theory and the derived demand for agribusiness inputs.



Farm Management (Ag Ec)

110N. Introductory Farm Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Survey course for non-agricultural business majors. Introduction to applied economics and farm business management topics: farm accounting, financial statement analysis, management principles, computer assisted decision aids, animal and crop enterprise budgeting, farm business planning, tax management, investment analysis, agricultural finance. (2 lecture, 3 lab hours) (Computer lab fee, $15)

110. Farm Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 100. Production economics and management techniques for analysis of efficient farm resource use, planning and organization; analysis of budgeting and optimization techniques, and computer applications for developing farm management plans. (2 lecture, 3 lab hours) (Computer lab fee, $15)

114. Advanced Farm Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 110. Design, computerization, and analysis of profit maximizing; cost minimizing and multiperiod linear programming models; risk and uncertainty; data and information requirements for decision making; optimizing the level and mix of crop livestock enterprises; development of farm management plans.

117. Agricultural Labor-Management Relations (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Economic analysis of the farm labor market; labor productivity, agricultural mechanization and farm employment; farm labor laws and government regulations; agricultural labor relations, unionization, and collective bargaining; farm personnel administration practices and supervisory management principles.



Agribusiness Management (Ag Ec)

28. Introductory Agricultural Law (3)
Fundamentals of agricultural business law including historical sources and development; legislative laws; administrative regulations, judicial decisions affecting agriculture; express and implied contracts with remedies for their breach in agricultural situations; real and personal property law plus secured transactions in agriculture.

120. Agribusiness Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Organizational forms and management functions of agribusiness firms; human resource management systems; management science principles for optimizing plant location, equipment replacement, inventory control, and sales volume; operations research techniques, including probability-based network and decision models, for solving agribusiness problems.

122. Agricultural Cooperative Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 120. Philosophical, historical, and legislative evolution of U.S. agricultural cooperatives; uniqueness of cooperative organization, planning, direction and control functions vis-a-vis standard corporations; legal, financial, and tax considerations in managing input-supply and marketing cooperatives; case studies and field trips to cooperatives.

124. Food and Fiber Industry Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Production management of farm input manufactures, agricultural commodity processing, food/fiber product distribution; functional approach to transformation/value-added operations including planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, controlling; case applications to materials handling, product development, food packaging, quality control, transportation logistics, inventory management.

128. Advanced Agricultural Law (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 28 or B A 18. Case applications of agricultural business law; torts covering trespass, negligence, liability for farm livestock and chemicals; surface and mineral property rights; water law; farm labor law; agribusiness firm incorporation; agricultural cooperative regulation; state and federal marketing orders; farm estate taxation.



Financial Planning (Ag Ec)

31. Farm Accounting (3)
Basic concepts and principles of financial accounting systems applied to farm operations; mechanics of recording single and double entry transactions under cash and accrual accounting methods; preparation and analysis of enterprise records and financial statements to generate management information.

32. Agribusiness Managerial Accounting (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 31 or Acct 4A. Application and analysis of accounting information for farm and agribusiness management; integration of economic, and financial principles in preparing business plans; equipment cost control and crop enterprise accounting methods; capital investment and profit performance; introduction to computerized farm accounting systems.

130. Agricultural Finance (3)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 1 and Ag Ec 31 or Acct 4A. Analysis of farm financial statements; legal instruments of financial transactions; institutional sources of farm credit; time value of money and capital budgeting for agricultural investment; cost of debt and equity capital; risk management strategies; insurance, tax, and farm estate planning.

136. Farm and Ranch Appraisal (3)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 1; Ag Ec 110 or 110N (recommended). Principles of agricultural appraisal; physical and economic factors affecting land values; estimation of real estate value using income, cost, and market data approaches; case studies and field problems involving the valuation of local farm and ranch properties.



Agricultural Development (Ag Ec)

140. International Agriculture (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Comparative agricultural development in low, middle, and high income countries; structural, institutional, policy, research, technological, investment, trade strategies for modernizing food production/processing/distribution into technically sustainable, culturally compatible, economically viable farming systems; programs addressing poverty, malnutrition, overpopulation, underemployment, environmental degradation.



Public Policy (Ag Ec)

150. Agricultural and Food Policy (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Analysis of public policies affecting the economics of U.S. and California agriculture; government programs influencing agricultural production, commodity distribution, market prices, farm income; environmental and natural resource issues; nutrition, food safety and biotechnology concerns; food industry regulation; international agricultural trade. General Education CAPSTONE Cluster course.

153. Agricultural Trade (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 150. Comparative advantage, trade models, protectionist barriers and balance of payments; world agricultural trade patterns and international commodity agreements; domestic farm programs and foreign trade policies; surplus food aid and concessionary sales overseas; trade liberalization versus preferences issue and economic development.

155. Natural Resource Economics (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Economic analysis of public policies governing land use, water management, energy generation, mineral exploitation and forest administration; review of population pressures and resource conservation; examination of externalities, property rights issues, resource use planning, agricultural zoning, environmental regulations, and reclamation law.



Product Marketing (Ag Ec)

160. Agricultural Marketing (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Commodity transformation and product flow through processing and distribution channels; market structure, conduct and performance; marketing system efficiency and marketing bill components; over supply, marketing orders, grading and standards, and price stabilization; price forecasting, futures market trading, and risk management.

162. Commodity Futures Trading (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 160. Speculation and the price discovery process; fundamental analysis and long-run decisions to hedge; technical analysis and short-run timing of crop/livestock sales; trend line charts utilizing moving averages; trading mechanics, price projection and development of futures trading plans.

163. Agricultural Export Marketing (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 160. Determination of potential overseas markets for U.S. agricultural products through export marketing studies; foreign business environment and distribution channels; product preparation and transportation abroad; cultural-specific promotional and advertising programs; international sales agreements, financial transactions, plus banking and shipping documentation.

164. Agribusiness Sales Management (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Marketing management strategies for stimulating business and consumer demand for agricultural goods and services; food and fiber merchandising using institutional, functional, value approaches; sales program organization and staff development for effective communication of product information and timely completion of transactions.

166. Agricultural Communications (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Agricultural news and information gathering and dissemination to food producers and consumers through print/broadcast media and computer networks; formulation of promotional programs, advertising campaigns, and public relations for agricultural industries and institutions; mass communications writing, editing; simulated videotape presentations.

168. Agricultural Marketing Management Project (1-3; max total 3)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 71, 164 (or equivalent) and permission of instructor. Marketing management principles in preparing marketing plan for annual National Agri-Marketing Association intercollegiate competition; strategic planning for product development, sales projections, distribution channels, pricing tactics, promotion/advertising, market share analysis; focus group, survey research, oral/audio-visual team presentation. (2 activity hours per unit)



Decision Analysis (Ag Ec)

71. Agricultural Business Statistics (3)
Prerequisite: Students must take the ELM exam; students who do not pass the exam must record a grade of C or better in a college-taught intermediate algebra course. Application of descriptive statistics to analyze agricultural sector conditions; measures of central tendencies and dispersion, time series analysis, index numbers, seasonal variation, data collection and presentation, introduction to probability theory, and discrete and continuous probability distribution. General Education CORE, Quantitative Reasoning.

76. Agribusiness Microcomputer Applications (3)
Prerequisite: intermediate algebra. Applied microcomputing for agribusiness management. Evaluation of alternative microcomputing systems and software. Use of an electronic spreadsheet and database management programs; applications to farm accounting, crop and livestock enterprise management, and agricultural financial planning. (2 lecture, 3 lab hours) (Computer lab fee, $15)

78. Agricultural Systems Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: ELM requirement met. Functional relationships, marginal analysis and decision-making models in agribusiness; logic and probability in diagnosing problems, designing operations and achieving objectives; identification of procedures for efficient resource utilization.

170. Agribusiness Research Methods (3)
Prerequisites: senior standing or permission of instructor; Ag Ec 71, 76, 100, 120, 130, 160; upper-division writing skills requirement. Research methods applied to agricultural business; problem definition, hypothesis formulation, research design, data collection, and results analysis using descriptive and inferential statistics. A culminating project includes proposal, research, written report, and oral presentation of findings.



Special Topics (Ag Ec)

80. Undergraduate Research (1-4; max total 4)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 1 and permission of instructor. Directed study or research on particular problems in the field of agricultural economics and business. Consult department policies and procedures governing undergraduate research. Approved for SP grading.

85T. Topics in Agricultural Business (1-3; max total 6)
Agricultural economics, farm management, agribusiness management, financial planning, agricultural development, public policy, product marketing, and decision analysis. Topics may require lab hours.

180. Undergraduate Research (1-4; max total 4)
Prerequisites: Ag Ec 170 and permission of instructor. Directed study or research on particular problems in the field of agricultural economics and business. Consult department policies and procedures governing undergraduate research. Approved for SP grading.

185T. Topics in Agricultural Business (1-3; max total 9)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Agricultural economics, farm management, agribusiness management, financial planning, agricultural development, public policy, product marketing, and decision analysis. Topics may require lab hours.



Industry Relations (Ag Ec)

192. Agricultural Business Field Studies (2)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 1. Business and economic functions performed by specialized agricultural agencies with emphasis on physical operating patterns. Field trips to production, marketing, and finance firms. Workshops with agribusiness managers. (1 lecture, 2 lab hours) (Field trip fee, up to $75)

194. Agribusiness Internship (1-8; max total 8)
Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and approval of internship committee. Emphasis on development of decision-making ability through industrial experience integrated with basic principles acquired in the classroom. CR/NC grading only.

195. Agribusiness Career Seminar (2)
Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. Career exploration and academic preparation in agribusiness; assessment of personal and professional skills matching agricultural occupational choices; career planning, self-marketing strategies, and job-hunting tactics; resume and letter writing, interview and job-offer negotiations; workshops with industry representatives.



Agricultural Sciences and Technology (AST)

197. Clinic Project (3; max total 6)
Prerequisite: permission from clinic project adviser. Student team works with faculty adviser and develops client liaison on client identified problem. Projects are pre-selected. Team will develop a solution to the client's problem, provide a written report, and make a group presentation.

GRADUATE COURSES

(See Course Numbering System and Eligibility.)

Agricultural Business (Ag Bs)

200. Seminar in Agricultural Business (1; max total 4)
Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Written and oral reports concerning recent literature on current problems and issues related to agricultural business.

210. Farm Management Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: classified standing or permission of instructor. Integration of production economics theory with management science techniques to develop farm management plans; analysis of farm management decisions under uncertainty using programming models, statistical analysis, and other operations research methods.

225. Food Processing and Distribution Management (3)
Prerequisite: classified standing or permission of instructor. Analysis of strategic management decisions involving pricing relationships, processing and packaging systems, transportation modes and distribution logistics for agricultural products in domestic and global markets; application of modern management tools to food industry case problems including operations of international food marketing firms.

240. Agricultural Sector Planning (3)
Prerequisite: Ag Ec 130 or Fin 120, Ag Bs 250. Economic policies, incentive structures, and resource constraints affecting agricultural development; rural development theories, growth models and sector strategies for increasing farm productivity; design, implementation, and evaluation of technical assistance programs; economic and financial appraisal of public and private investment projects.

250. Agricultural Policy Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: classified standing or permission of instructor. Exploration of policy-making processes; evaluation of government farm and food programs; determination of industry responses and firm adjustments to changing market structures and public policies; investigation of agricultural sector problems, issues, and linkages with the national and international economies.

260. Agricultural Marketing Analysis (3)
Prerequisite: classified standing or permission of instructor. Examination of demand and supply functions underlying market price determination; review of farm-retail marketing margins; analysis of spatial and intertemporal price equilibrium models; application of econometric techniques to empirical cases; preparation of marketing studies; development of distribution/merchandising strategies.

280T. Topics in Agricultural Business (3; max total 6)
Prerequisite: upper-division agricultural economics courses appropriate to the topic. Fields of study include: farm management, agribusiness management, financial planning, agricultural development, public policy, and product marketing.

290. Independent Study (1-3; max total 6)
See Academic Placement -- Independent Study. Approved for SP grading.

298. Project (3-6; max total 6)
Prerequisite: prior advancement to candidacy; see Criteria for Thesis and Project. Management audit of an operating agricultural business firm, replicated feasibility study, computer model, system simulation or similar professional problem-solving activity with extensive written documentation. Public presentation of proposal and seminar, plus final oral defense required. Approved for SP grading.

299. Thesis (3-6; max total 6)
Prerequisite: prior advancement to candidacy; see Criteria for Thesis and Project. Preparation, completion, and submission of an acceptable thesis for the master's degree. Approved for SP grading.

IN-SERVICE COURSE

(See Course Numbering System.)

Agriculture (Agri)

300. Topics In Agriculture (1-3; max total 6)
Topics may require lab hours. In-service professional training in selected areas of agriculture.

 

Agricultural Economics Degrees

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