International Agriculture

Types of Degrees International Agriculture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international agriculture graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	70
Master’s Degree	54
Basic Certificate	5
Graduate Certificate	2

What International Agriculture Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to international ag and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for International Ag Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Biology - Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Food Production - Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Chemistry - Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for International Ag Majors

When studying international ag, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for International Ag Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a international ag student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a International Agriculture Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with international ag:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Agricultural Sciences Professors	7.9%	$84,640
Food Scientists and Technologists	5.9%	$65,300

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in International Agriculture?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 70 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international agriculture in 2018, making it rank #283 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 73% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of international ag majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	4
Black or African American	3
Hispanic or Latino	7
White	46
International Students	4
Other Races/Ethnicities	6

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in International Ag, too. About 5.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• Mexico
• Japan
• South Korea
• Chile

How Much Do International Agriculture Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree in international ag was $28,400 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $28,400 (25th percentile) and $28,400 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to international ag.

Salaries According to BLS

International Ag majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $72,570 to $90,890 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to International Agriculture

Some careers associated with international ag require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to international ag have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.1%
Master’s Degree	17.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.4%
Doctoral Degree	30.5%
Post-Doctoral Training	12.9%

Online International Agriculture Programs

In 2017-2018, 12 schools offered a international ag program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	1	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	1	0
Master’s Degree	6	1
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in International Agriculture Worth It?

The median salary for a international ag grad is $72,570 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 82% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $653,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to International Agriculture

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to international ag.

Major	Number of Grads
Agricultural Economics & Business	8,521
Animal Science	7,549
Horticulture	4,175
General Agriculture	3,457
Plant Sciences	3,327
Agricultural Production	3,279
Food Science Technology	2,262
Agricultural Mechanization	1,449
Animal Services	1,166
Agricultural Public Services	725
Other Agriculture	530
Soil Sciences	434
Food Processing	226

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By {} under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.