What is Agricultural Communications?

Agricultural communications encompass the vast areas of agriculture publicity and promotion, including agricultural production, agricultural processing and distribution, agricultural mechanics and engineering, communications, agricultural research, marketing and sales, horticulture, forestry, social services, and resource management.

Course Requirements
Agricultural Communications is a flexible 4-year science-based program that falls under one of three Bachelor of Science degree areas offerd by the University's Department of Biological Systems Engineering. It is in partnership with the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication.

A minimum of 131 total credits are required for graduation, 11 more than the 120 credits required for a general WSU degree. These include courses in chemistry, biology/botany, communication, and math.

There are six AgCom option areas to select from. They are:

• Journalism
• Advertising
• Broadcast Production
• Public Relations
• Communication Studies
• Broadcast News

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Bachelor of Science in Agriculture --with an emphasis in Agricultural Communications

REQUIREMENTS FOR JOINING THE PROGRAM
Certification is a two-step process:
• Step 1: After taking 30 credit hours and earning at least a 2.0 GPA, students should pre-certify in agricultural communications.
• Step 2: After taking the appropriate prerequisite courses, students certify as a major in agricultural communications and select at least two focus areas of concentration. One focus area must include 15 hours and the second must include 9 hours. Agricultural communications majors should be taking courses in the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication as well as agriculture.

Additionally, 46 hours of technical agriculture classes and 30-33 hours of communication courses are required. The required communications courses depend on which of the six options are selected (public relations, journalism, advertising, broadcast news, broadcast production, or communications studies).

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Classes
See breakdowns for classes that must be taken in each of the option areas.

AgCom Classes

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Career Possibilities

Agricultural Communications is a field that has developed out of agriculture's need to communicate with its consumers and partners. Employers are looking for individuals who have solid communication skills and strong agricultural knowledge. Jobs are available throughout the world in an array of atmospheres and arenas of agriculture.

• Agricultural Publications Journalist (tobacco to equipment, lentils to beef)
• Farm Broadcasting (television and radio)
• Commodity Groups (twenty-three in Washington alone)
• Associations (wheat to cattle to timber from the local to the national level)
• Lobbying Firms (both state and national)
• Public Relations Firms
• Advertising Agencies
• Government Agencies (USDA to EPA, Fish and Wildlife to FSA)
• Land Grant Universities (teaching positions)
• Extension Services
• Insurance Agencies (Farm Bureau and State Farm)
• Food Service
• Food Production Companies (OceanSpray to IBP)
• Health Organizations
• Environmental Organizations
• Policy Specialists
• Agricultural Publication Editor
• Sales Training Specialists

As agriculture continues to realize its need to communicate with the consumer, this field will only grow. This is truly a career that will blossom in the 21st century as opportunities continue to develop.

Starting salaries range from about $20,000 - $29,000.

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Former WSU AgCom Graduates

Andrea Young, a 2004 graduate, is working as a specialist for the Farm Service Agency.

Jodi Frederick, a 2004 graduate, is a public relations intern for the international IMPACT Center.

Meaghan Williams, a 2001 graduate, is a Communications Specialist with the Public Utility District No.1 of Douglas County.

Andrea Howell, a 1995 graduate, is Manager of Washington State Government Affairs for the Weyerhaeuser Company.

KayDee Catlin, a 1990 graduate, is Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Northwest Farm Credit Services in Spokane.

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Scholarships

Currently, there are two scholarships available to agricultural communications majors, the George A. and Joyce N. Bowman Endowed Scholarship and the Washington Wheat Foundation Agricultural Communications Scholarship. To apply for these two scholarships, a student must fill-out the general University scholarship application. Click on the CAHNRS Scholarship Application link below to get the application.

In addition, agricultural communications students are eligible to compete for general scholarships available through both the College of Agicultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences and the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. Scholarship funds are available to entering freshman, as well as continuing students. A student only needs to fill-out the general University scholarship application once to be eligible for both the AgCom scholarships, as well as the other CAHNRS and general WSU scholarships.

CAHNRS Scholarship Application

Murrow Scholarship Application

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