Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business

at Northwest Missouri State University USA

Animal Science is the study of the production with livestock. Coursework focuses on three core areas: science, research and experiential learning. Science refers to students learning the anatomy, physiology, hormones and appropriate nutrition for livestock; research teaches students how to conduct research; and experiential learning provides student with opportunities for experience at the R.T. Wright Farm including annual procedures such as pregnancy tests on cows, castration and vaccination.

If students are interested in becoming a veterinarian, the Animal Science (Pre-Vet) program is an option. This is a rigorous program that emphasizes in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and histology.

A major in International Business prepares students for a profession involving international politics, economics, knowledge about information processing and computer systems, and analytical and critical thinking skills. At Northwest, this interdisciplinary program provides knowledge of successfully operating a business in the global marketplace.

International business is more globalized than ever, and is the future of business. The information students learn affects nearly every business in the country. Students receive one-on-one advising from professors who specialize in the major, have doctorates in international business, travelled to most of the locations visited, and have personal experience and contacts internationally. Additionally, Northwest links to national and international area computer networks, offering students an unparalleled chance to explore the international arena.

Earning a Political Science degree at Northwest prepares students for multiple employment opportunities in public service and private sectors including federal, state and local government, law, criminal justice system, municipal planning, city management, urban affairs, education, non-profit administration, campaigns and elections, public policy analysis and internal development and relations.

The major has three areas of emphasis: the american institutions (formerly criminal justice) emphasis provides an understanding of legislatures, police prosecutors, public offenders and courts and corrections; the public administration emphasis focuses on the decision making process and job opportunities in public organizations and local, state, federal and international agencies; and the global affairs emphasis studies the global trends and events, and enhances intercultural understanding.

Comprehensive communication majors emphasizing in public relations learn methods to understanding targeted audiences, and explaining products, services and missions to a specific audience. Faculty focus on oral, written and verbal communication skills as well as problem-solving skills to effectively meet the needs of management and the targeted audience.

All faculty members teaching public relations classes have professional experience, providing practical knowledge as well as professional contacts in the field.

Biology Education majors at Northwest study the curricular content as well as methods to apply it into a classroom. This major prepares students to teach all biology courses at the secondary education level (grades 9-12).

Students take courses in the biology curriculum that focus on botany, zoology, physiology, cell (molecular) biology or bio-chemistry, evolution and diversity, genetics and ecology. Faculty incorporate practical teaching knowledge where students learn to implement a curriculum in the classroom, create a positive classroom environment, methods of effective communication, and techniques of assessing learner’s progress in the classroom.

Marketing is the process of understanding and satisfying customer needs. Advertising, personal selling, determining customer groups to target, making products available in stores, and maintaining inventories are just a few activities that help organizations sell their products and services. A major in marketing at Northwest is an interdisciplinary program that provides students an opportunity to interact with surrounding businesses, complete projects that can be utilized in a portfolio, and prepare students for future interviews.

The early childhood education program prepares students to successfully complete the licensure requirements of the program and earn their teaching license with an endorsement in early childhood education. This license enables students to teach children birth through the third grade in multiple settings including public and non-public schools, homes and other community settings.

This program offers a strengths-based approach in working with all children including those with special needs and rights. Along with coursework that is focused on child-centered and culturally sensitive practices, students participate in embedded field experiences in the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center and Horace Mann Laboratory School and partnering community settings. Combined, these learning experiences provide the basis from which theories about development, learning and curriculum come to life for our students.

Individually and as a cohort of learners, students learn an integrated approach to teaching and learning through constructivist curriculum practices and strategies that offer meaningful learning within diverse systems and settings. Opportunities to learn together as critical colleagues who further each other’s reflective thinking skills prepares students for professional collaboration in their future careers.

Across the country, the importance of early childhood education continues to grow as studies indicate the long-term benefits educational opportunities in the early years have on shaping future learning outcomes. Faculty focus on preparing childhood teachers, decision makers and intellectual and ethical leaders to create opportunities for learning that ensures the well-being of children and families in their communities and beyond.

The Organizational Behavior and Human Resources major at Northwest is a multidisciplinary program intended for students interested in behavioral science with a foundation in business. Faculty focus on ensuring students have knowledge in the benefits, recruiting, selection, professional development and compensation of human employment; understanding behaviors behind teamwork and group dynamics; and leadership within a business or organization.

The Bachelor of Art in Theater major combines the knowledge from both theatre performance and technical theater as well as design majors. Faculty focus ensuring students have access to participate in the four mainstage productions as well as four to six student-directed productions per year. Additionally, students have access to professional-level control councils, intelligent lighting fixtures and cutting-edge LED and color changing equipment. Students also learn the fundamentals of modern acting techniques, a range of historical and physical styles to include Greek, Elizabethan, restoration and 20th century “isms”, and writing skills for the stage through scene structure, dramatic tension, theme, action and dialogue.

Students majoring in mass media with an emphasis in applied advertising focus on the tangible media, the visual as well as creative aspects of advertising. At Northwest, students have opportunities to participate in creating and selling advertisements on the award-winning,  student-managed KZLX radio and KNWT television stations, Northwest Missourian newspaper and Tower yearbook as soon as the first semester of their freshman year.

Faculty focus on three core areas: business of advertising, creativity and media sales. In business of advertising, students learn legal and regulatory ethics, operational structure and media planning; the creativity component includes the message strategy, design concepts and knowledge of critical analysis; and media sales provide information about media mix concepts, messaging across sales, understanding media rates and the importance of digital and social media.