School of Agricultural Sciences & Forestry

Mission

The mission of the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry is to:

Provide basic knowledge and experiential learning opportunities that will prepare students for challenging careers in renewable natural resources, food and fiber systems, geographic information, and the agribusiness industry.
Provide students with a comprehensive education related to the production, processing, marketing, and management of plants, animals, forests, and spatial data.
Enhance the economic viability and sustainability of agriculture and forestry in the region, state, and nation by disseminating relevant information through research and outreach programs.

The School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry offers Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in Agricultural Business, Animal Science, Forestry and Geographic Information Science. A concentration in Agriculture Education can be earned while fulfilling the requirements for teacher certification in the College of Education.

The Agricultural Business program offers the choice of two concentrations: Business, or Plant Science.

The Animal Science curriculum has three areas of concentration: Equine, Livestock Production, and Pre-Veterinary Medicine.

The Forestry curriculum has a choice of two concentrations: Forest Management and Wildlife Habitat Management.

The Bachelor of Science in Geographic Information Science (BS) includes 40 hours of electives, which allows the program to be tailored to the students’ interests.

Agricultural Business

The Agricultural Business Curriculum provides a base of knowledge and training which supports career opportunities that require a fundamental knowledge of both business and agriculture. Two concentrations are offered to give the student maximum flexibility in pursuing educational and career goals: Business, and Plant Science.

The Business Concentration focuses on applied agricultural production, processing, financing, and marketing functions, as well as corporate business principles. The concentration features a built-in minor in Business Administration from the College of Business plus 14 hours of directed electives that allow the student to specialize in areas of agriculture, business, or other disciplines that are consistent with career goals.

The Plant Science Concentration includes a built-in minor in Plant Science and is designed for students who are interested in careers in such fields as Golf Course or Public Garden Maintenance, Landscape Contracting, Nursery and Greenhouse Operations, Plant Production, Sports Turf Management, Irrigation Technology, Agricultural Extension, or Research Technology. Practical applications, combined with up-to-date course materials, provide students with excellent preparation for either professional or graduate school opportunities.

Animal Science

Animal Science includes the fields of poultry, swine, dairy, beef, equine, and veterinary science.

Animal Science provides instruction and practical experience in judging, breeding, feeding, and managing livestock. Through course selection the student may prepare for livestock farming, management, business, or graduate study in animal science or veterinary medicine. Selection of directed electives permits special training for work with animal feed companies; milk, egg or poultry operations; food processing industries; managerial or marketing groups; supply and equipment cooperatives; agricultural extension services; public relations; and other organizations associated with animal production or management.

Opportunities are afforded students in Animal Science to obtain practical experiences in beef, sheep, swine, and equine operation and management through the University herds of registered livestock. A meat science laboratory for the study of meat cutting, preservation, storage and utilization, provides students opportunities for acquiring scientific and practical experiences in different aspects of processing meat. Breaking, training, and foaling are an integral part of Tech’s popular equine program within the school of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry. A nationally affiliated chapter of the Block and Bridle Club and the Pre-Vet Club provide social and educational activities for students pursuing animal science as a profession.

Forestry

Program Information

Forestry is an incorporative profession that draws from the biological, physical, social and managerial sciences. The degree offers a strong background in sciences. The degree offers a strong background in the understanding of the complexities of forest resources and the interactions between biological, economic, and social demands placed on them.

The Forest Management concentration is designed for students who desire scientific knowledge of conservation of forests, such as timber inventory, site productivity, resource protection, and many other activities carried out in the management of forest resources.

The Wildlife Habitat Management concentration is designed for students who desire scientific knowledge about the management of wildlife and emphasizes the life history, habitat relationships, and habitat management of wildlife species and communities.

Students are encouraged to complete at least one internship (on-the-job experience) during their course of study. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade of “C” on all individual professional courses and a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on all courses taken. Professional courses in Forestry include those with Forestry, Wildlife Habitat Management, Biology, and Geographic Information Science prefixes.

The Bachelor of Science in Forestry is a professional program that emphasizes the biological and managerial skills needed to ensure the sustainability of the many renewable forest and wildlife resources on which society depends. Successful completion of the curriculum will provide competency in the areas of basic science; forest biology, ecosystem processes, structure and function; timber inventory and growth; soil formation, properties and classification; site productivity; silvicultural principles of stand structure and composition; regeneration and intermediate operations; resource protection; decision making and problem solving; communications and many other activities carried out in the production and management of forest and wildlife resources.

Graduates of the Forestry program will find employment as professional foresters or wildlife managers in private forest industries and organizations; forestry and environmental consulting firms; public agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Natural Resources Conservation Service; state and local government natural resource agencies, and many others. Graduates are also qualified for employment as research technicians in government, university and private laboratories, or may continue their education through specialized degrees at universities across the country.

The educational program in Forestry leading to the professional degree of BSF is accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes SAF as the specialized accrediting body for forestry and natural resources education in the United States and Canada.

Field Session

Successful completion of the Forestry Summer Field Session during the sophomore year is a prerequisite for junior standing for Forestry majors. Students who have completed all prerequisites, including all 100 level courses, FOR 201, 300, 301 (or BISC/ENSC 313), 302, 306, GISC 250, MATH 212, and have at least an overall “C” average are eligible to enroll. Field Session students are also required to meet the conditions as outlined in the Forestry Summer Field Session Academic and Operating Policies document which is available from the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry upon request.

Field Trips

Throughout the Forestry program, field trips are made to forest production areas, wood-using plants, and wildlife management areas. These enable students to observe forestry, wildlife management, research, and wood-using activities of private companies and government agencies. Many of the important forest types and management activities, as well as a wide variety of wood-using industries, are located near campus.

Expenses

Field trips cannot always be arranged within the scheduled laboratory hours. In some cases, students must leave the campus earlier and return later than the published class schedule. The payment for meals and lodging when overnight trips are necessary is the responsibility of the individual student. This includes the field session. In addition to regular expenses, a special fee is charged each student who attends the field sessions.

Each student registering for any Forestry, Geographic Information Science, or Biological Sciences course involving field laboratory work should have, for self-protection, an accident insurance policy. Policies are available during registration to all students for a reasonable cost.

A number of student assistants are employed by the School each year. This enables the students to work part-time to defray expenses while attending school.

Geographic Information Science

The Geographic Information Science (GISc) program in the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry in the College of Applied and Natural Sciences consists of 120 semester credit hours. Students are prepared for rewarding and high-paying careers in the field of spatial data technologies that more specifically engage environmental issues and issues that pertain to the natural sciences. Students are encouraged to complete at least one internship (on-the-job experience) during their course of study. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade of “C” on all individual professional courses and a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on all courses taken. Professional courses in GISc are as follows: Geographic Information Sciences prefixes and any course listed as a Directed Elective or Other Program Requirement. Careful selection of Concentration Electives provides the opportunity to earn a minor in forestry, wildlife habitat management, environmental science, or other fields. Specific requirements for minors are identified in the departmental sections of this Catalog.

The GISc curriculum is designed for students interested in understanding, analyzing, and applying the spatial relationship among human and physical features (e.g., social and economic impact of natural disasters). Students of GISc learn how to use computer software programs that identify the interactions that transpire between humans and the physical environment based on location. They also learn how to analyze those interactions, and to use that information to assist with public and private sector management, administration and planning.

Career opportunities for graduates with GISc training specifically mention a degree in GISc as a favored condition of employment. There is an enormous and growing need for graduates with GISc training. Ample job opportunities exist both in Louisiana and across the country and such opportunities are growing and diversifying as GISc technologies prove their value in even more areas. Excellent opportunities exist for GIS analysts, cartographers, database and system administrators, photogrammetrists, image analysts, GIS coordinators, and programmers. Employment can be found in U.S. Government agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in city and state government for planning environment, resources, and transportation, and in the private sector for a diverse set of disciplines including agriculture, archeology, architecture, business, communications, computer science, defense, ecology, and human services, natural resources, and many others.

Transfer Credit

Students may complete 62 semester hours of the Forestry or Geographic Information Science major at regionally accredited institutions. However, transfer credit will only be accepted for courses completed with a “C” or better grade and must be approved during the student’s first quarter at Tech.

The 300- and 400-level Forestry professional courses must be completed at Louisiana Tech University. Students who are considering transfer to the School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry should contact the Director’s Office, School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry, prior to enrollment at other institutions.

Programs

Bachelor Degree Programs

Minor