International Agriculture

Types of Degrees International Agriculture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many international agriculture graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	69
Master’s Degree	59
Basic Certificate	10
Graduate Certificate	3

What International Agriculture Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to international ag were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for International Ag Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in international ag should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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

A major in international ag prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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

As a international ag major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• 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?

People with a international ag degree often go into the following careers:

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 69 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international agriculture in 2019, making it rank #287 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 80% 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	1
Black or African American	5
Hispanic or Latino	7
White	42
International Students	1
Other Races/Ethnicities	13

Geographic Diversity

International Ag appeals to people across the globe. About 1.4% 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

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

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a international ag degree.

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 degrees associated with international ag may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. 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 2018-2019, 13 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)	2	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	1
Post-Baccalaureate	2	0
Master’s Degree	5	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	8,910
Animal Science	7,814
Horticulture	4,451
General Agriculture	3,551
Agricultural Production	3,536
Plant Sciences	3,278
Food Science Technology	2,222
Agricultural Mechanization	1,537
Animal Services	1,070
Agricultural Public Services	774
Other Agriculture	551
Soil Sciences	434
Food Processing	244

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.