Courses and Programs of Study

Applications to the Masters of Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management degree program are reviewed by the program faculty to determine suitability for study in management at the graduate level. In general, successful applicants will have completed an undergraduate degree program with a grade point average greater than or equal to 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. While an undergraduate background in agricultural or food sciences is encouraged, it is not required. Degrees in natural sciences, environmental sciences, engineering, computer science, as well as business and social sciences are welcome to apply. Applicants to the program are not required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). However, exam scores may be submitted and a high score on this exam can help a student lacking in some areas to document the strengths necessary to gain acceptance in the program and will be considered in scholarship decisions. However, the admissions process evaluates each prospective student based on the totality of their application packet. If admitted, please notify us of your intention to enroll in the semester of admission, or to defer to the subsequent year, as soon as that decision has been made.

Within five identified outcome areas, graduates of this program will exhibit:
Professional Development

1. An understanding of the value-added system of agriculture and food, its issues, and their implications in a larger societal context.
2. A network of personal and professional connections within the agribusiness/food and investor communities with Colorado, nationally, and globally.
3. An understanding of and acculturation to the high professional expectations and standards of conduct within the agribusiness/food industry and the startup community.
4. Practical experience assembling and working within teams, including assessment of personal traits .and talents, recruitment of team members, formulation of team strategy, and collective decision making.
5. The capability to work as a team in partnership with an external researcher or innovator, who has an idea with commercial potential, to create value with that partner based upon their idea. Engagement will be such that students have a sense of ownership in the outcome. In addition, the student will be able to repeat the team-based value creation process and thereby successfully launch other business ventures in the future.

Technical Competence

6. Competence in selecting and utilizing appropriate methods, evidence, and resources to solve real-world challenges beyond the context of the classroom.
7. Familiarity and fluency with the concepts and terminology of the lifecycle of a new business startup company, from inception of the initial idea, through the stages of validation, funding, founding, product launch, growth, and exit.
8. An applied understanding of financial concepts and tools necessary to generate and evaluate financial performance of an business.
9. An ability to develop a successful marketing plan for a new product, service, or technology, including the ability to do market research, identify key market niches, and position it, so that it is presented in its best light to potential customers and investors.
10. An ability to identify and pursue all potential sources of investment capital needed to carry a business idea from concept to commercial launch.
11. Competence in the legal dimensions of business startups and be able to take steps to design the legal, contractual, and intellectual property structures that form a successful venture and help to protect it from various risks.

Problem-solving and Opportunity-seizing Skills

12. An ability to identify a problem—or, conversely, an opportunity—to ascertain its scope, to evaluate resources available to address it, to formulate alternative solutions, to select a best path of action, and to pursue it.
13. An ability to critically evaluate the viability of a business idea and to engage design principles to iterate the idea and improve upon its viability.

Communication skills

14. Proficiency in oral and written communications in terms of substance, organization, mechanics, documentation, synthesis, and persuasion, particularly as it relates to proposing and advocating for a new business.
15. An ability to put together an effective pitch (written and verbal) to frame and communicate a new business idea to a range of stakeholders.
16. An ability to write a detailed, coherent business plan to map out the growth potential and thus the investment opportunity of anew business idea.

Leadership

17. A personal identity as an entrepreneur, innovator, and agent of change within the business community and the world at large.
18. Leadership qualities that can be used in professional, personal, and community contexts, including vision, initiative, personal responsibility, team building, and motivating collaborative or collective action.

After admission to the Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management program, the Program Director will serve as temporary advisor during the first one/two semesters. After forming a practicum team, student teams will select a faculty advisor, who will then serve, together with the Program Director, as academic advisor to the members of that team.

Total credits required for the Masters of Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management are 35 credit hours.
• 26 credits earned as required courses
• 9 credits earned in practicum courses.
For more information, see sections below on Timing and Milestones to Master’s Degree Completion and Practicum Requirements.

Total credits required for the Certificate of Innovation and Entrepreneurship are 9 credit hours.
• 4 credits selected from the list of core required courses.
• 5 credits selected from the list of other approved courses.
For more information, see section below on Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Agribusiness and Food pathway

View the CSU Course Catalog 
Course requirements for the Masters in Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management are standardized, with 14 required courses, plus three practicum credit courses organized thematically as follows. (For more detailed course descriptions see List of Program Courses below.)
Conceptual foundations:

• BUS 646. Building Value Thru Creativity and Innovation

Core business skills:

• AREC 514. Entrepreneurial Accounting and Finance
• AREC 516. Business Economics for the Entrepreneur
• AREC 519A. Communicating with Partners
• AREC 519B. Communicating with Investors
• BUS 620. Leadership and Teams
• BUS 660. Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Issues

Sector specific business skills:

• AREC 515. Assessing Agricultural and Food Markets
• AREC 518. Raising Capital in the Agricultural Sector
• AREC 520. Intellectual Property in Food and Agriculture
• AREC 521. New Food Product Development

Practicum preparation clinical courses:

• AREC 511. Opportunities in the Agricultural Value Chain
• AREC 513. Idea Evaluation in the Agricultural Value Chain
• AREC 517. Entrepreneurial Identity and Team Formation

Practicum credits:

• AREC 586A. New Venture Launch Practicum: Explore and Validate Value Proposition
• AREC 586B. New Venture Launch Practicum: Communicate, Design & Iterate
• AREC 586C. New Venture Launch Practicum: Final Evaluation, Presentation and Launch

The following are suggested guidelines intended to result in expeditious completion of a student’s degree requirements. Typical timing for the M.S. degree is as follows:

Full-time Schedule of Study

For a student engaging in full time study, the masters program can be completed in four semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall) over 16 months or roughly 1½ years:

Part-time Schedule of Study

For students who engage in the program on a part-time basis, the full program can be completed in seven semesters or 28 months, or roughly 2½ years:

The practicum project enables this Plan C master’s program to offer a degree-level final project experience entirely via enrolled coursework rather than as a separate standalone requirement such as a thesis or technical paper.*  From the beginning of the program, a series of three courses prepare students for their practicum project:

• AREC 511 Opportunities in the Agriculture Value Chain (2 credits)
• AREC 513 Idea Evaluation in Agriculture Value Chains (2 credits)
• AREC 517 Entrepreneurial Identity and Team Formation (2 credits)

In their final year, students enroll in a sequence of practicum courses in which they will execute on a series of exercises and milestones to potentially launch a new business and to earn the final 9 credits required for the degree:

• AREC 586A. New Venture Launch Practicum: Explore and Validate Value Proposition (2 credits)
• AREC 586B. New Venture Launch Practicum: Communicate, Design & Iterate (2 credits)
• AREC 586C. New Venture Launch Practicum: Final Evaluation, Presentation and Launch (5 credits)

For more information, please visit the Practicum Projects page.

(*The Graduate School of Colorado State University separates master’s degrees into three types based upon degree requirements:

• Plan A—requires a research-based thesis, evaluated by a masters committee and filed with the Graduate School
• Plan B—requires a professional or technical paper, evaluated by a masters committee
• Plan C—coursework only)

The Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Agribusiness and Food pathway is designed primarily for the professional who wishes to obtain basic training in core entrepreneurial skills in one or two semesters. It is also well suited for graduate students in technical M.S. or Ph.D. programs who wish to add a business dimension to their training.

Proposed requirements for a Certificate in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with an Agribusiness and Food track, offered in partnership with CSU’s College of Business MBA program are as follows:

Choose 4 credits from:

• BUS 634 Sustainable Venturing and New Energy Economy – 2 credits
• BUS 646 Building Value Through Creativity and Innovation – 2 credits
• AREC 513 Idea Evaluation in Agriculture Value Chains – 2 credits
• BUS 665 MBA Capstone – 2 credits

Choose 5 credits from:

College of Business courses:

• BUS 602 – Dynamic Decision Making – 2 credits
• BUS 620 Leadership & Teams – 2 credits
• BUS 623 – Building and Leading Exceptional Teams – 1 credit
• CIS 600A Project Management: Information Technology – 3 credits
• MKT 662 Strategic Selling for Business Customers – 1 credit
• MKT 667 Services Marketing Management – 1 credit

Agricultural and Resource Economics courses:

• AREC 511 Opportunities in the Agriculture Value Chain – 2 credits
• AREC 514 Entrepreneurial Accounting and Finance – 2 credits
• AREC 516 Business Economics for the Entrepreneur – 2 credits
• AREC 518 Raising Capital in the Agriculture Sector – 2 credits
• AREC 520 Intellectual Property in Food & Agriculture – 2 credits
• AREC 521 New Food Product Development – 2 credits
• AREC 572 Social Benefit Cost Analysis

Other courses:

• BIOM 750 Grant Proposal Writing and Reviewing – 3 credits
• CIVE 574 Civil Engineering Project Management – 3 credits
• ENGR 525 Intellectual Property and Invention Systems – 3 credits
• FTEC 570 Food Product Development – 1 credit
• IDEA 510 Processes of Human-Centered Design Thinking – 1 credit
• JTC 660 Communication and Innovation – 3 credits
• LEAP 500 Leadership in the Arts – 3 credits
• MECH 516 Life Cycle and Techno-Economic Assessment – 3 credits
• SYSE 710 Leadership/Innovation in Systems Engineering – 3 credits

The full set of courses offered by the faculty at CSU Spur (or online) as part of the Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management program are the following:

Agricultural and Resource Economics Courses

AREC 511  Opportunities in the Agricultural Value Chain  Credits: 2

Course Description: Explores the economics and business structure of operations within the food and agribusiness system, using readings, field trips and guest speakers.
Prerequisite: None.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 513  Idea Evaluation in Agricultural Value Chains  Credits: 2

Course Description: Processes of identifying and evaluating a new idea, applying strategic and design-thinking principles and tools to explore pathways by which it could grow into a viable business.
Prerequisite: None.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 514  Entrepreneurial Accounting and Finance  Credits: 2

Course Description: Foundational background in accounting and financial concepts and mastery of financial tools needed to start a new business.
Prerequisite: None.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 515  Assessing Agricultural and Food Markets  Credits: 2

Course Description: Foundational background regarding marketing concepts needed to evaluate the potential market for an agricultural or food product or service, using an economics framework.
Registration Information: Graduate standing. Sections may be offered: Online.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 516  Business Economics for the Entrepreneur  Credits: 2

Course Description: Microeconomic framework that a potential entrepreneur can use to analyze business opportunities. Topics include components of cost and revenue and their relevance for new business ventures, determinants and measurement of consumer demand, and alternate forms of business organization and interaction.
Prerequisite: AREC 202 or ECON 202.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 517  Entrepreneurial Identity and Team Formation  Credits: 2

Course Description: Students explore their emergent identity as “entrepreneur”, including their necessary interdependence on other members of a team when engaged in creative endeavors such as innovation or new business development in the agricultural space.
Prerequisite: AREC 513.
Term Offered: Spring.

AREC 518  Raising Capital in the Agricultural Sector  Credits: 2

Course Description: Methods to value a startup business and approaches to identifying sources of capital needed to launch and sustain the startup. Emphasis on unique challenges in and sources of raising capital in the agricultural sector.
Prerequisite: AREC 512 and AREC 514.
Term Offered: Spring.

AREC 519A  New Venture Communication: Interpersonal Interactions  Credit: 1

Course Description: Communicating in the workplace, both orally and in written form. Development of a succinct business proposal.
Prerequisite: AREC 517, may be taken concurrently.
Term Offered: Spring.

AREC 519B  New Venture Communication: Making the Pitch  Credit: 1

Course Description: Emphasis on oral communication when trying to sell a business idea to potential investors. Development of tailored presentations to target audience within moments of opportunity.
Prerequisite: AREC 519A.
Term Offered: Fall.

AREC 520  Intellectual Property in Food and Agriculture  Credits: 2

Course Description: Explores the critical role that intellectual property plays in commercial activities within the knowledge economy. Emphasis on strategic management of technology through patents and other control mechanisms, thereby allowing startups to survive and thrive in the knowledge economy with special attention to property developed in the agricultural and food systems.
Prerequisite: AREC 518 and BUS 660.
Term Offered: Summer.

AREC 521  New Food Product Development  Credits: 2

Course Description: An overview of the food product development process. Topics include strategies, marketing perspectives, quality controls and supply chains in the food system.
Prerequisite: AREC 515.
Term Offered: Summer.

College of Business Courses

BUS 620  Leadership and Teams  Credits: 2

Course Description: Ethical leadership and team dynamics; basic models of motivation utilized by leaders.
Registration Information: This is a partial semester course. Sections may be offered: Online.
Term Offered: Fall.

BUS 646  Building Value Thru Creativity and Innovation  Credits: 2

Course Description: Creativity and innovation help organizations survive and thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Individuals who can support organizations’ creative and innovative efforts can likewise thrive. Enhances skills and abilities relating to the creation of new value in new and existing organizations. Provides an understanding of how to develop capabilities related to creativity and innovation and how to apply these capabilities to build and create value.
Registration Information: This is a partial semester course. Sections may be offered as Mixed Face-to-Face or Online.
Term Offered: Fall.

BUS 660  Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Issues  Credits: 2

Course Description: Legal, regulatory, societal and ethical issues encountered by business professionals; analytical skills for making judgments.
Registration Information: This is a partial semester course. Sections may be offered: Online.
Term Offered: Spring.

Practicum Courses

AREC 586A  New Venture Launch Practicum: Explore and Validate Value Proposition  Credits: 2

Course Description: Team-based development of a new venture or innovation focusing on co-creation of value. Four main areas of competency–(1) entrepreneurial mindset and teamwork; (2) technology and product development; (3) communication and substantiation of value; and (4) business strategy and execution–are developed and demonstrated in the process of preparing to launch a new venture or innovation in the agricultural, food, or related industries.
Prerequisite: AREC 517, may be taken concurrently.
Term Offered: Spring.
Grade Mode: S/U Sat/Unsat Only.

AREC 586B  New Venture Launch Practicum: Communicate, Design, and Iterate  Credits: 2

Course Description: Team-based development of a new venture or innovation focusing on co-creation of value. Four main areas of competency–(1) entrepreneurial mindset and teamwork; (2) technology and product development; (3) communication and substantiation of value; and (4) business strategy and execution–are developed and demonstrated in the process of preparing to launch a new venture or innovation in the agricultural, food, or related industries.
Prerequisite: AREC 586A, may be taken concurrently.
Term Offered: Summer.
Grade Mode: S/U Sat/Unsat Only.

AREC 586C  New Venture Launch Practicum: Final Evaluation, Presentation, and Launch  Credits: Var[1-6]

Course Description: Team-based development of a new venture or innovation focusing on co-creation of value. Four main areas of competency–(1) entrepreneurial mindset and teamwork; (2) technology and product development; (3) communication and substantiation of value; and (4) business strategy and execution–are developed and demonstrated in the process of preparing to launch a new venture or innovation in the agricultural, food, or related industries.
Prerequisite: AREC 586B, may be taken concurrently.
Registration Information: Course may be taken multiple times for maximum of 12 credits total.
Term Offered: Fall.
Grade Mode: S/U Sat/Unsat Only.

To meet the requirements for graduation and to remain in good academic standing, a student must demonstrate acceptable performance in course work after being admitted to a graduate program. This requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in all regular course work. Regular course work is defined as courses other than independent or group studies, research courses, open seminars, independent study credits, study abroad, U.S. travel, practicum, internship, field placement, unique title courses offered through continuing education, and any courses graded pass/fail.

Grade requirements:

• An overall 3.00 grade point average must be maintained in regular and non-regular courses graded traditionally – A through F.
• The grade point average in required courses included on the approved program of study, GS-6, must also equal at least 3.00.
• Grades of C or higher must be earned in all required courses on a program of study.

D grades may be accepted in background courses, but such courses must be included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average.

Standards and requirements for off-campus graduate study are the same as those standards and requirements on campus. The academic Department Head has the basic responsibility for the implementation of this policy.

Academic probation: failure to maintain good academic standing results in the student being placed on academic probation and a loss of eligibility for departmental funding. New regularly admitted students will not be placed on probation until they have completed 12 regular credits or two semesters of graduate work, whichever comes first. The probationary period extends for one semester beyond the one in which this status is acquired and during which the student registers for courses that affect the grade point average, i.e., traditionally graded regular and non-regular courses. The period allowed between being placed on probation and registering for courses that affect the grade point average shall be limited by the student’s advisory committee within their criteria for determining satisfactory progress. Students on probation are subject to dismissal by the academic department or the Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs at the end of the probationary semester unless good academic standing has been regained. This requires adequate improvement in cumulative grade point averages, 3.00 and/or satisfactory progress as determined by the student’s graduate advisory committee.

In addition to minimum GPA requirements, good academic standing requires satisfactory progress in the overall program of study. Students’ individual advisors may render judgments as to whether satisfactory progress is being made toward the degree, taking into account all aspects of academic performance and promise, not necessarily course work alone. A positive judgment is required to remain in good academic standing.

When a student’s advisors or the program faculty find that a student is making unsatisfactory progress toward the degree due to factors other than grade point average and that satisfactory progress cannot be anticipated, a plan should be created and the following steps should be taken.

1. Inform the student of the concerns, create a progress plan with the student, develop a timeline and inform the student of the potential consequences (dismissal) if the progress is not satisfactory.
2. The advisors and faculty should keep in contact with the student to give feedback during the progress plan timeline and document such contacts and their outcomes.
3. At the end of the timeline, if progress is not adequate, the faculty may recommend dismissal from the program. The recommendation goes to the Department Head and the Dean of the Graduate School and should include documentation on the steps taken with justification for this action.

The recommendation must be referred to the Department Head for approval and the Dean of the Graduate School for final action.