Proposed Curriculum and Courses
Agriculture is more than just farming; it is also about food, energy, and conservation. Rural is more than just small towns; it is the linkages between cities, urban consumers, and the global economy. Our major prepares students to guide political and social decisions impacting agriculture and the well-being of rural communities. Students will learn about agricultural and conservation policy, and strategies to promote rural resiliency and community vitality. Students will learn how to lead and manage policy programs, and how to get diverse audiences to discuss controversial issues. The goal is to give students the tools to help rural people and places thrive in the 21st century. So whether you want to advocate for local producers in small towns, organize local food networks in cities, influence governmental affairs in D.C., or travel the world for international development, you will make a difference with a degree in Agricultural and Rural Policy from ISU.
What career skills will I learn?
- Investigating how social, economic, and cultural systems affect policy decisions
- Debating the ethical and moral dimensions of policy
- Analyzing policy effects and recommending policy solutions
- Evaluating program and policy outcomes
- Interpreting information and ideas for others to guide policy
- Communicating information and ideas to others to implement policy
- Leading and managing policy programs
- Promoting civic engagement across diverse people and places
Major Requirements
35 crs. Agricultural and Rural Policy Core
Ag P 110 Orientation - orientation course.
Ag P 210 Data Discovery & Visualization - course on how to manage data, create descriptive statistics, make charts and graphs in Excel, and other methods to visualize data. Primary training in Excel or Access.
Ag P 215 Civic Engagement & Inclusion - course on group facilitation, focus group, and public participation skills. Includes identification of issues, prioritization, managing conflict and value differences, and understanding diversity issues in rural America.
Ag P/Soc 230 Rural America in Transition - existing course.
Ag P/Soc 325 Agriculture & Food in Society - existing course.
Ag P 340 Technology in Society - existing course Soc 415 renamed/renumbered. Course on how technology is adopted and diffused in society, with emphasis on adoption models, public trust, social perceptions, and technology governance by various actors.
Ag P/Soc 348 Global Poverty, Resources & Sustainable Development - existing course.
Ag P 410 Policy Analysis Methods - course on basic research concepts, applied statistical analysis (descriptives, MANCOVA, OLS regression), spatial analysis (GIS), and case study methods.
Ag P 411 Policy & Program Evaluation - course on evaluation of public programs and policies, with emphasis on agricultural and rural contexts.
Ag P 415 Policy Leadership & Management - course on organizational leadership, human resources, and budgeting for public programs.
Ag P 420 Conservation & Environmental Policy - course on farm conservation programs, renewable energy and biofuels, environmental law and regulation, water quality, pollution, and endangered species. Focus on agriculture and natural resource applications.
Ag P 425 Agricultural & Food Policy - course on current Farm Bill policies in nutrition, commodity and conservation programs, crop insurance, rural development, trade, and other relevant sections. Discussion of previous Farm Bills and their creation.
Ag P 430 Strategies for Rural Resiliency & Vitality - course on policies and strategies to address issues related to jobs, income and poverty, workforce development, housing, and quality of life in rural communities.
Ag P 492 Graduating Senior Survey - R course on graduation, job searches, resume building, interviewing, and exit interviews.
Future Elective Courses
- Ag P 315-319 – Applied Policy Communication (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, REDcap, Facebook, Twitter)
- Ag P 325-329 – Local Food Systems
- Ag P 330-334 – Amish in American Society
- Ag P 330-334 – Rural Criminology
- Ag P 335-339 – Community Economics
- Ag P 345-349 – Rural Health Policy & Strategies
- Ag P 410-414 – Applied Data Science for Policy Analysis
- Ag P 435-439 – Cooperatives and Community Vitality
- Ag P 435-439 – Economic & Fiscal Impact Analysis
- Ag P 440-444 – Agrifood Technology & Policy