University Catalog 2024-2025

Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (BS): Community Food Systems Concentration

The Bachelor of Science in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems is offered jointly through the Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences and Horticultural Science.  This multidisciplinary major offers students diverse courses, hands-on learning, community engagement opportunities, internships, and research experiences to address the grand challenges of agriculture and food systems. Students can choose from three career path concentrations – Agroecology Research and Production, Community Food Systems, and Urban Horticulture. 

The Agroecology Research and Production concentration is for students interested in the deeper science of sustainable agriculture production practices, research, and graduate school opportunities in agriculture, entomology, horticulture, soil sciences and related sciences. Students will have the opportunity to learn from a wide diversity of faculty leading cutting edge sustainable agriculture research, many at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), a national recognized sustainable agriculture research, education and extension facility. 

Community Food Systems is a broad concentration for students interested in connecting production with issues in the greater food system, such as food security, policy, community education or extension. Students can also participate in social science, agricultural economics, agriculture education research and others with food system with researchers at CEFS and NC State that support this concentration. 

The Urban Horticulture concentration integrates horticulture production and agriculture business education for students interested in starting or managing their own sustainable horticultural farm, working with community gardens, and more.  There are many focused horticulture classes, research and internship opportunities as well for this concentration.  

Program Highlights:

  • Students in our program gain valuable hands-on experience in sustainable and organic production in our hands-on Agroecology Education Farm, a student farm near campus where all the food produced goes back into NC State Dining cafeterias and the food pantry on campus.  
  • Students interested in Agroecology can also join the Agroecology Student Club at NC State who organize various sustainable agriculture and food system activities each semester. 
  • As a required part of the curriculum, students will complete either an internship program or research experience to gain practical and professional development experience. Students will have no problems finding an opportunity with the numerous sustainable agriculture researchers and community stakeholders that collaborate with NC State focused in sustainable agriculture and food systems. 
  • Seniors will complete a Senior Capstone Project through which they draw on both their major courses and their concentration to address a problem or issue that they identify.  
  • Agroecology and Sustainable Food System students have the opportunity to student abroad with the various global food and sustainable agriculture focused study abroad programs in Ireland, Scotland, England, Mexico and others. 

Contact Person

Undergraduate Programs Office
Crop & Soil Sciences Department
2234 Williams Hall
Campus Box 7620
919-515-5820
cropsoil-undergraduate-office@ncsu.edu

For more information about our program, visit our website.

Plan Requirements

Orientation
ALS 103Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences1
or ALS 303 Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences
CSSC 290Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences1
Mathematics & Natural Sciences
Select one of the following:3
Elements of Calculus
Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A
Calculus I
ST 311Introduction to Statistics3
BIO 181Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity4
BIO 183Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology4
or PB 200 Plant Life
CH 101
CH 102
Chemistry - A Molecular Science
and General Chemistry Laboratory
4
AEC 360Ecology4
or PB 360 Ecology
PY 131Conceptual Physics4
Communication/Advanced Writing
COM 110Public Speaking3
or COM 112 Interpersonal Communication
Select one of the following:3
Communication Methods and Media
Communication for Engineering and Technology
Communication for Business and Management
Communication for Science and Research
Major Requirements
ARE 201Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics3
CS 230Introduction to Agroecology 13
CS/HS 410Community Food Systems3
CS 415Integrated Pest Management3
CS 430Advanced Agroecology4
CS/HS 480Sustainable Food Production (capstone)1
FS/NTR 301Introduction to Human Nutrition3
SOC 202Principles of Sociology3
SOC 350Food and Society3
SSC 200Soil Science 13
SSC 201Soil Science Laboratory1
SSC 427Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems3
SSC 428Soil Management Principles for Sustainable Agriculture1
Experiential Learning3
Select one of the following:
Professional Internship Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences
Research Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences
International Learning Experience in Agriculture and Life Sciences
Teaching Experience in Horticultural Science
Concentration Electives
Foundational Elective3
Agricultural Sciences Electives9
Economics, Education and Policy Electives 9
Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Electives 9
GEP Courses
ENG 101Academic Writing and Research 14
GEP Humanities6
GEP Health and Exercise Studies2
GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion3
GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement)
Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement)
Free Electives
Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt)4
Total Hours120
1

A grade of C- or higher is required.

2

Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.

Foundational Electives

CS 224Seeds, Biotechnology and Societies3
ES 200Climate Change and Sustainability3
FW 221Conservation of Natural Resources3
IDS 203Humans and the Environment3
SSC 185Land and Life3
STS 323World Population and Food Prospects3

Agricultural Sciences Electives

AEC 203An Introduction to the Honey Bee and Beekeeping3
AEC 400Applied Ecology3
CS 213Crop Science3
CS 214Crop Science Laboratory 1
CS 216Southern Row Crop Production - Cotton, Peanuts, and Tobacco3
CS 218Southern Row Crop Production - Corn, Small Grains and Soybeans3
CS 251Production of Forage Crops3
CS 411Crop Ecology3
CS 424Seed Physiology3
ENT 401Honey Bee Biology and Management3
ENT 425General Entomology3
ENT 526Organic Agriculture: Principles and Practices3
HS 205Home Food Production3
HS 431Vegetable Production4
HS 432Introduction to Permaculture3
HS 451Plant Nutrition3
HS 462Postharvest Physiology3
HS 476Crop Physiology and Production in Controlled Environments 3
PB 215Medicinal Plants3
PB 250Plant Biology4
PB 321Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology3
PB 345Economic Botany3
PB 346Economic Botany Lab1
PP 315Principles of Plant Pathology4
PB 450Plant Ecology3
SSC 332Environmental Soil Microbiology3
SSC 455Soils, Environmental Quality and Global Challenges3

Economics, Education and Policy Elective

AEE 206Introduction to Teaching Agriculture3
AEE 230Introduction to Cooperative Extension3
AEE 311Communication Methods and Media3
AEE 323Leadership Development in Agriculture and Life Sciences3
AEE 325Planning and Delivering Non-Formal Education3
AEE 326Teaching Diverse Learners in AED3
ARE 215Small Business Accounting3
ARE 306Agricultural Law3
ARE 309Environmental Law & Economic Policy3
ARE 311Agricultural Markets3
ARE 336Introduction to Resource and Environmental Economics3
COM 289Science Communication and Public Engagement3
GPH 201Fundamentals of Global Public Health3
NPS 340Fundamentals of Grant Development for Nonprofits3
IDS 201Environmental Ethics3
IDS 211Eating through American History3
NTR 210Introduction to Community Food Security3
NTR 310Food Insecurity and Federal Nutrition Programs3
NTR 330Public Health Nutrition3
IDS 203Humans and the Environment3

Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective

AEE 433Leadership and Management of Volunteers in Agricultural and Extension Education3
AEE 435Professional Presentations in Agricultural Organizations3
AEE 460Organizational Leadership Development in Agriculture and Life Sciences3
AEE 450Transformative Leadership in Agricultural and Life Sciences3
AEE 478Advanced Issues in Extension Education3
ARE 433U.S. Agricultural Policy3
ARE 448International Agricultural Trade3
NPS 340Fundamentals of Grant Development for Nonprofits3
PS 320U.S. Environmental Law and Politics3
SOC 311Community Relationships3
SOC 342International Development3

Semester Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
ALS 103
Freshman Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences
or Transfer Transitions and Diversity in Agriculture & Life Sciences
1
CSSC 290 Professional Development in Crop & Soil Sciences 1
BIO 181 Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 4
ENG 101 Academic Writing and Research 4
Select one of the following: 3
Elements of Calculus
Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A
Calculus I
Foundation Elective 3
 Hours16
Spring Semester
BIO 183
Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology
or Plant Life
4
COM 110
Public Speaking
or Interpersonal Communication
3
GEP Humanities 3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
Agricultural Sciences Elective 3
 Hours14
Second Year
Fall Semester
CH 101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science 3
CH 102 General Chemistry Laboratory 1
CS 230 Introduction to Agroecology 3
AEC 360
Ecology
or Ecology
4
GEP Humanities 3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
 Hours15
Spring Semester
ARE 201 Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics 3
SSC 200 Soil Science 3
SSC 201 Soil Science Laboratory 1
NTR/FS 301 Introduction to Human Nutrition 3
Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
Agricultural Sciences Elective 3
 Hours16
Third Year
Fall Semester
SOC 202 Principles of Sociology 3
SSC 427 Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems 3
SSC 428 Soil Management Principles for Sustainable Agriculture 1
CS/HS 410 Community Food Systems 3
Select one of the following: 3
Communication Methods and Media
Communication for Engineering and Technology
Communication for Business and Management
Communication for Science and Research
Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
 Hours16
Spring Semester
CS 430 Advanced Agroecology 4
SOC 350 Food and Society 3
ST 311 Introduction to Statistics 3
Agricultural Sciences Elective 3
Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
 Hours16
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
CS/HS 480 Sustainable Food Production (capstone) 1
PY 131 Conceptual Physics 4
Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
Select one of the following: 3
Professional Internship Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences
Research Experience in Crop and Soil Sciences
International Learning Experience in Agriculture and Life Sciences
 Hours14
Spring Semester
CS 415 Integrated Pest Management 3
GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 3
Advanced Economics, Education and Policy Elective 3
Free Electives 4
 Hours13
 Total Hours120

Career Opportunities

Interested in food policy and education, nutrition, food security, community impacts, and graduate school opportunities in sociology, economics, education and other disciplines related to food? Then Community Food Systems is for you.

Career Titles

  • Agricultural Educator 
  • Agriculture Extension Agent
  • Community Education Specialist
  • Community Garden Manager
  • Farmer
  • Farm Nursery Manager
  • Food Educator
  • Food Policy Specialist
  • Food Security Professional
  • Local Food Procurement Professional
  • Organic Farmer
  • Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

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