As consumer, industry, and society engagement with organic agriculture expands, the Certificate in Organic Agriculture provides undergraduate students excellent opportunities for learning on a variety of levels, including hands-on experiences. While the certificate focuses on the production and processing approaches that define organic agriculture, students can also explore other dimensions including economic, environmental, health, food systems, and policy. This interdisciplinary certificate can help UW students from various majors to develop employment opportunities in organic agriculture businesses (farm to fork), policy, public and non-governmental agency work, individual wellness and health initiatives, and sustainable development efforts.
How to Get in
Students may declare the certificate after completing one of these courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGROECOL/C&E SOC/ENTOM/ENVIR ST 103 | Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture | 3 |
| PL PATH/BOTANY 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 110 | Introduction to Plant Science and Technology | 4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
Students who meet the eligibility criteria must contact the certificate advisor listed in the contact information box to declare the certificate and be assigned an advisor. Students are encouraged to meet with the certificate advisor at any stage of their interest in the certificate.
Students cannot declare the Certificate in Food Systems along with Certificate in Organic Agriculture.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 3-4 | |
| Core | 6 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 15-16 | |
- Minimum of 15 credits and successful completion of all course requirements
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in certificate coursework is required
- Courses in which a student elects the pass/fail option will not count toward completion of requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | ||
| Complete one of the following courses: | ||
| AGROECOL/C&E SOC/ENTOM/ENVIR ST 103 | Agroecology: An Introduction to the Ecology of Food and Agriculture | 3 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 222 | Food, Culture, and Society | 3 |
| PL PATH/BOTANY 123 | Plants, Parasites, and People | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 110 | Introduction to Plant Science and Technology | 4 |
| Core | ||
| Complete all of the following courses: | ||
| PLANTSCI/A A E/PL PATH 367 | Introduction to Organic Agriculture: Production, Markets, and Policy | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 372 | Seminar in Organic Agriculture | 1 |
| PL PATH 499 | Independent Study in Organic Agriculture | 2 |
| Electives | ||
| Complete 6 credits from the following list - courses can be chosen from any topic area: | ||
| Public Policy Administration | ||
| A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | 4 |
| A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | 3 |
| FOOD SCI/AN SCI 321 | Food Laws and Regulations | 1 |
| PLANTSCI 360 | Genetically Modified Crops: Science, Regulation & Controversy | 2 |
| LSC 251 | Science, Media and Society | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 240 | Evidence-Based Policy Making | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 380 | Analytic Tools for Public Policy | 3 |
| Business/Entrepreneurship | ||
| A A E 101 | Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | 4 |
| A A E 320 | Agricultural Systems Management | 3 |
| A A E 323 | Cooperatives and Alternative Forms of Enterprise Ownership | 3 |
| GEN BUS 310 | Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance for Non-Business Majors | 3 |
| or GEN BUS 311 | Fundamentals of Management and Marketing for Non-Business Majors | |
| OTM/MARKETNG 421 | Fundamentals of Supply Chain Management | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/A A E/ECON 343 | Environmental Economics | 3-4 |
| M H R 310 | Challenges & Solutions in Business Sustainability | 3 |
| FOOD SCI 437 | Food Service Operations | 4 |
| M H R 322 | Introduction to Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| M H R 434 | Venture Creation | 3 |
| Organic Production Processing | ||
| AGROECOL 377 | Global Food Production and Health | 3 |
| AN SCI 245 | Animal Welfare | 3 |
| BOTANY/AMER IND/ANTHRO 474 | Ethnobotany | 3-4 |
| BSE 349 | Quantitative Techniques for Biological Systems | 3 |
| DY SCI 471 | Food Production Systems and Sustainability | 3 |
| DY SCI/AN SCI/FOOD SCI/SOIL SCI 472 | Animal Agriculture and Global Sustainable Development | 1 |
| ENTOM 351 | Principles of Economic Entomology | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 | Introduction to Plant Pathology | 4 |
| PL PATH 315 | Plant Microbiomes | 4 |
| PL PATH 517 | Plant Disease Resistance | 2-3 |
| PLANTSCI 300 | Cropping Systems | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 302 | Forage Management and Utilization | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 333 | Survey of Controlled Environment Food Production | 2 |
| PLANTSCI 334 | Greenhouse Cultivation | 2 |
| PLANTSCI 335 | Greenhouse Cultivation Lab | 1 |
| PLANTSCI 338 | Plant Breeding and Biotechnology | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 376 | Tropical Horticultural Systems | 2 |
| SOIL SCI 323 | Soil Biology | 3 |
| SOIL SCI 326 | Plant Nutrition Management | 3 |
| Social Dimension | ||
| C&E SOC/A A E/SOC 340 | Issues in Food Systems | 3-4 |
| C&E SOC/SOC 341 | Labor in Global Food Systems | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/ENTOM 205 | Our Planet, Our Health | 3 |
| ENVIR ST/GEOG 339 | Environmental Conservation | 4 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 139 | Global Environmental Issues | 3 |
| GEOG/ENVIR ST 309 | People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | 3 |
| PL PATH 311 | Global Food Security | 3 |
| PLANTSCI 380 | Indigenous Foodways: Food and Seed Sovereignty | 2 |
Certificate Completion Requirement
This undergraduate certificate must be completed concurrently with the student’s undergraduate degree. Students cannot delay degree completion to complete the certificate.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe the history of current organic systems and how it influences the way that organic farms and industries work.
- Explore the biological, ecological, and agricultural underpinnings of organic production systems
- Examine how organic systems, social initiatives, and regulations are developed and how they shape business activities, community development efforts, and human and environmental health outcomes.
- Evaluate the benefits and limitations of organic systems, social initiatives, and regulations from environmental, social, economic, and racial justice perspectives
- Apply knowledge of organic production through experiential opportunities within local, national and/or international communities.
Advising and Careers
Advising
Advising is an essential resource for students in the Certificate for Organic Agriculture and helps students shape their unique Wisconsin Experience and career path by making the most of their time at UW–Madison. Advisors can help students make well-informed decisions about coursework and academics, share strategies for success, support them as they encounter challenges, connect them to resources, and provide information about campus policies and procedures. Students are encouraged to regularly meet with their advisor to help ensure that they are aware of opportunities and are progressing in their academic and career goals.
Advising is typically done through individual in-person appointments, but advisors are also able to meet with students over the phone or through video conferencing if needed. Quick questions can be answered via email, but an appointment should be scheduled if a conversation is needed.
Careers
The knowledge and skills developed through the Certificate in Organic Agriculture equip students for success in a range of career paths. Some certificate graduates may use this background to go into organic production, while others may choose a career path in relation to economics, policy, environmental stewardship, health, food systems, and beyond. This certificate has the potential to positively impact the employability of UW students across a variety of disciplines that intersect with organic agricultural production, policy, marketing, business, management, wellness, and community development.
Because an interest in organic agriculture can lead to many different careers, students are encouraged to begin the career exploration process early in their UW–Madison journey by working with advisors, faculty, and career resources on campus. These resources can help students reflect on their values and goals, identify career paths, and outline strategies for pursuing their goals.
Wisconsin Experience
Students who are engaged in the Certificate in Organic Agriculture can be involved in an array of opportunities across campus. In addition to the hands-on experiences in the certificate program, students are highly encouraged to complement their coursework with out-of-classroom experiences such as research, volunteering, and study abroad.
The following opportunities can help students connect with other students interested in organic agriculture, build relationships with faculty and staff, and contribute to out-of-classroom learning:
- Association of Women in Agriculture
- GreenHouse Learning Community
- Women in Science and Engineering Learning Community
- The People's Farm
- Slow Food UW
- Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences - MANRRS
- CALS Study Abroad
- Badger Volunteers
- UW Student Organic Farm
- UW Organic Collaborative
- Badger Crops Club