Program Description

The Agri-Business Associate Degree program is designed for learners interested in a career in agriculture but for various reasons are not interested in production agriculture. Studies in agriculture are combined with business courses to provide a foundation for a wide variety of employment opportunities. Classroom and hands-on instruction will prepare the learner for occupations within the agri-business sector. The agriculture courses are taught at the Agriculture Center of Excellence, which houses a production dairy farm operation. Learners will complete an internship work experience during the program. Jobs in this field are generally physical and require the strength to lift and carry 50 pounds. Additionally, learners interested in this career should have above average computer skills. Learners looking to be successful in this occupation should have the aptitude to work with animals and possess good oral, reading and writing skills.

Approximate Program Cost

$11,077
Tuition & Fees: $10,315
Books & Supplies: $762

Starting Salary

$20,800–$42,185
Average, based on the NTC Graduate Outcomes Report

Financial Aid

Available
Total financial aid offered may not exceed the estimated Cost of Attendance (COA).
An aerial view of NTC's Wausau Campus main entrance on a sunny summer day. Trees and greenery frame the spacious side walks that lead up to the light-brown brick building.

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Availability

Courses for this program may be available at a variety of campus locations through multiple modes of delivery if you meet the admission requirements and prerequisites.

100%
at Wausau
30-40%
at Antigo
30-40%
at Medford
30-40%
at Phillips
30-40%
at Spencer
30-40%
at Wittenberg
30-40%
at Online

* Campus and online availability of courses and programs may be subject to change.

Outcomes

Graduates will be able to…

  • Incorporate information from written documents, legal documents, and professional literature and reports
  • Demonstrate understanding of the major functional areas of agri-business
  • Apply concepts of agriculture finance and business management
  • Apply economic and marketing strategies to the agri-business industry
  • Develop a business plan for an agriculture business

Careers

Some of the potential careers graduates can pursue are:

  • Agriculture Administrative Assistant
  • Agriculture Journalist
  • Breed Association Representative
  • Agriculture Laboratory Specialist
  • Agriculture Inspector
  • Agriculture Office Worker
  • Livestock Buyer/Seller/Owner
  • Agriculture Tourism
  • Agriculture Promotion
  • Agriculture Finance
  • Agriculture Product Sales and Marketing

Courses

The Agri-Business Associate Degree is a 62 Credit program. The following is a typical semester breakdown of the courses within the program.

First Term

College 101 1.00
Introduction To Agricultural Studies 1.00
Intro To Animal Science 3.00
Employer/Employee Relations 2.00
Agriculture Service Management 2.00
College Mathematics 3.00
Cents & Sensibility 1.00
Agriculture Equipment Safety 2.00

Second Term

Milk Quality & Production 3.00
Agriculture Sales & Promotion 2.00
Powerpoint Level 1 1.00
Excel Level 1 1.00
Word Level 1 1.00
Agriculture Insurance 1.00
Agricultural Computer Applications 2.00
Written Communication 3.00
English Composition 1 3.00

Third Term

Agricultural Internship 1.00
Principles Of Crop Production 3.00

Fourth Term

Farm Tax Essentials 2.00
Agricultural Accounting 2.00
Dairy Nutrition 2.00
Microeconomics 3.00
Psychology Of Human Relations 3.00
Intro To Psychology 3.00
Introduction To Diversity Studies 3.00
Intro To Sociology 3.00

Fifth Term

Farm Business Management 3.00
Bovine Reproduction 1 1.00
Bovine Reproduction 2 1.00
Oral/interpersonal Communication 3.00
Agriculture Commodities & Marketing 3.00
Automated Dairy Technologies 3.00
Building Design For The Cow 3.00

Credit for Prior Learning Available

View All Detailed Course Information

Pathways

Pathways are a series of connected programs that enable you to advance over time to better jobs and higher levels of education and training. By earning one degree, you could also be completing several courses of a related program in a pathway, bringing you one step closer to an advanced degree.

If you begin with one of the following programs, you will earn significant credit towards this Agri-Business Associate Degree:

Transfer Information

You can continue your education to earn a four-year degree in a variety of ways.

Program Transfer

The following transfer guides, executed in partnership with post-secondary institutions, are based on agreements that allow you to continue your program at another college.

School Name Degree Name
Milwaukee School of Engineering Bachelor of Technical and Business Management
UW Platteville Bachelor of Agribusiness

General Transfer

All associate degrees transfer to a variety of programs at other partner colleges to give you the opportunity to continue your education in other areas of study.

View all transfer guides

Cost of Attendance

2024–2025 Estimated Academic Year Budgeted Cost of Attendance

The estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget that includes categories of expenses that a student can expect to incur while attending college. The COA does not reflect actual charges. It is an average based on the estimated living costs typical of our region. In determining the cost of attendance, Northcentral Technical College uses the budget established by the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Financial Aid Budget Work Group. This budget is used to determine financial need for all students who apply for financial aid. A student's cost of attendance is composed of all educational expenses that can be included for financial aid purposes that a student may accrue while pursuing their education for the year (or semester, if enrolled less than a year). A student's financial aid cannot exceed their cost of attendance. Schools are required to provide a fuller picture of what it may cost students to pursue their degree, not just what they will owe in tuition/fees and books/supplies.

Please Note: this COA budget estimate assumes full-time attendance for two semesters — Fall 2024 and Spring 2025.
Expenses Student Living With Parents (Home) Student Living on Own (Other)
Full-time Tuition (based on a total of 30 credits, 15 credits fall and 15 credits spring)
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
In-State Tuition & Fees
$4,844*
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees
$7,127*
Living Expenses (Housing & Food) $3,008 $9,147
Books / Supplies $1,465 $1,465
Transportation $4,017 $4,017
Personal Expenses $3,608 $3,608
Loan Fees $85 $85
Total Estimated Cost Of Attendance
In-State
$17,027
Out-of-State
$19,310
In-State
$23,166
Out-of-State
$25,449

* Tuition listed is based on approved rates for the 2024–2025 academic year. Rates are approved each March by the Wisconsin Technical College System Board and estimated budgets are updated at that time.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, the Wisconsin Resident tuition rate is $149.50 per credit and Out-of-State resident tuition is $224.25 per credit.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, Student Fees include: a minimum $5.00 material fee and a $13.15 per credit activity fee. A $4.00 per semester insurance fee will be assessed to students taking at least one course which has a scheduled session on campus.

Students awarded Federal Direct Loan(s) also have an average of the mandatory loan fees automatically added to their COA.

Students with disability-related expenses may contact the Financial Aid Office to have their additional expenses considered. Disability-related expenses include but are not limited to: personal assistance, equipment, and supplies. The Financial Aid Office may potentially include disability expenses in the COA that are not provided by other assisting agencies.

NTC also offers a Net Price Calculator to help estimate costs.

For more information regarding billed tuition and fees visit https://www.ntc.edu/admissions/tuition-fees

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about how the financial aid process works. Please feel free to reach out for more information.

NTC Financial Aid Office

715.803.1647
financialaid@ntc.edu

Admissions Process

Our application process takes just a few minutes to complete, but we want to make sure you have the things you’ll need on hand to complete the application. We’re here to help if you have any questions while submitting your application.

Before you apply, you should know

The majority of the courses in this program take place at NTC’s Agriculture Center of Excellence, located at 6625 County Road K, Wausau, WI.

Fill out our application

The application can be submitted online and takes just a few minutes to complete. There is no fee to apply.

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What’s Next?

We’ll review your application and let you know if we need anything else. If you’re all set, your acceptance letter will be emailed to you.