Agriculture, Honours (AGRS)
Departments of Plant Agriculture and Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College
The Honours Agriculture major combines a core curriculum of agricultural science courses with a wide range of electives focusing on agri-food business, animal and plant production, land stewardship and sustainability. This major allows students to create a curriculum uniquely tailored to their career goals and provides diverse opportunities to explore international agriculture and leading edge agricultural research in animal production, plant biotechnology and pest management. The flexibility provided in semesters 5 and 6 permits students to participate in international exchanges and study abroad program. Students can also incorporate a variety of field trips, experiential learning in the workplace and independent study into their program of studies. The combination of a solid understanding of life science and current agricultural practice with specialized skills and experience provided by this program is greatly valued by prospective employers in this essential sector of Canada’s economy.
The Co-op program in Honours Agriculture facilitates the transition of students from academic studies to a professional career by enhancing the integration of theory and practice.
Major Requirements (Honours)
This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| AGR*1110 | Introduction to the Agri-Food Systems | 1.00 |
| BIOL*1050 | Biology of Plants & Animals in Managed Ecosystems | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1040 | General Chemistry I | 0.50 |
| MATH*1080 | Elements of Calculus I | 0.50 |
| Semester 2 | ||
| AGR*1350 | Animal Production Systems and Industry: Dairy, Poultry and Egg | 0.50 |
| BIOL*1090 | Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1050 | General Chemistry II | 0.50 |
| FARE*1400 | Economics of the Agri-Food System | 1.00 |
| Semester 3 | ||
| AGR*2320 | Soils in Agroecosystems | 0.50 |
| AGR*2470 | Introduction to Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| FARE*2700 | Survey of Natural Resource Economics | 0.50 |
| MBG*2400 | Fundamentals of Plant and Animal Genetics | 0.50 |
| 0.50 electives or restricted electives | 0.50 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| AGR*2050 | Agroecology | 0.50 |
| ANSC*2340 | Structure of Farm Animals | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| ENVS*2040 | Plant Health and the Environment | 0.50 |
| STAT*2040 | Statistics I | 0.50 |
| Semester 5 to 8 | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 10.00 | |
| Option A - Production and Management | ||
| Option B - Research | ||
Option A - Production and Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 | ||
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 2.00 electives or restricted electives | 2.00 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| AGR*4600 | Agriculture and Food Issues Problem Solving | 1.00 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
Restricted Electives - Option A
Students should note that some restricted electives require other courses not included among the required courses for the major as prerequisites. Students should consult the most recent undergraduate calendar for specific requirements.
- A minimum of 1.00 credits from the list of restricted electives below:
Course List Code Title Credits AGR*2350 Animal Production Systems and Industry: Beef, Swine and Others 0.50 AGR*2500 Field Course in International Agriculture 0.50 AGR*3010 Special Studies in Agricultural Science I 0.50 AGR*3450 Research Methods in Agricultural Science 0.50 ANSC*4010 Animal Welfare Judging and Evaluation 0.50 ANSC*4230 Challenges and Opportunities in Dairy Cattle Production 0.50 ANSC*4610 Critical Analysis in Animal Science 0.50 CROP*4260 Crop Science Field Trip 0.50 EDRD*3140 Organizational Communication 0.50 FARE*3310 Operations Management 0.50 FARE*4220 Advanced Agribusiness Management 0.50 FARE*4310 Resource Economics 0.50 FARE*4360 Marketing Research 0.50 FARE*4550 Independent Studies I 0.50 IAEF*3500 Experiential Education 0.50 IAEF*3510 Interdisciplinary Flexible Internship 0.50 - A minimum of 2.00 credits from the following lists:
Course List Code Title Credits Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*3300 Grain Crops 0.50 CROP*3310 Protein and Oilseed Crops 0.50 CROP*3340 Managed Grasslands 0.50 ENVS*4090 Soil Management 0.50 ENVS*4160 Soil and Nutrient Management 0.50 HORT*2450 Introduction to Turfgrass Science 0.50 HORT*3150 Principles and Applications of Plant Propagation 0.50 HORT*4380 Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops 0.50 PBIO*3110 Crop Physiology 0.50 PBIO*3750 Plant Tissue Culture 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*4240 Weed Science 0.50 ENVS*3020 Pesticides and the Environment 0.50 ENVS*3210 Plant Pathology 0.50 ENVS*3230 Agroforestry Systems 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: ACCT*1220 Introductory Financial Accounting 0.50 ECON*1050 Introductory Microeconomics 0.50 ECON*1100 Introductory Macroeconomics 0.50 ECON*2310 Intermediate Microeconomics 0.50 FARE*2410 Agri-food Markets and Policy 0.50 FARE*3170 Cost-Benefit Analysis 0.50 Students may also take any of the following courses as restricted electives: BOT*2100 Life Strategies of Plants 0.50 MBG*2040 Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics 0.50 MBG*3060 Quantitative Genetics 0.50 OAGR*2070 Introduction to Organic Agriculture 1.00 - A minimum of 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or higher, of which 5.00 credits must be in agricultural science and of which 3.50 credits must be at the 4000 level. Refer to Program Counsellor for list of agricultural science courses.
- A humanities or social science courses (0.50 credits) at the 1000-level or above. See Program Counsellor for acceptable list of courses.
Option B - Research
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 | ||
| AGR*3450 | Research Methods in Agricultural Science | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
| Semester 7 | ||
| AGR*4450 | Research Project I | 0.50 |
| 2.00 electives or restricted electives | 2.00 | |
| Semester 8 | ||
| AGR*4460 | Research Project II | 1.00 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
Restricted Electives - Option B
Students should note that some restricted electives require other courses not included among the required courses for the major as prerequisites. Students should consult the most recent undergraduate calendar for specific requirements.
- A minimum of 2.00 credits from the list of restricted electives below:
Course List Code Title Credits Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*3300 Grain Crops 0.50 CROP*3310 Protein and Oilseed Crops 0.50 CROP*3340 Managed Grasslands 0.50 ENVS*4090 Soil Management 0.50 ENVS*4160 Soil and Nutrient Management 0.50 HORT*2450 Introduction to Turfgrass Science 0.50 HORT*3150 Principles and Applications of Plant Propagation 0.50 HORT*4380 Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops 0.50 PBIO*3110 Crop Physiology 0.50 PBIO*3750 Plant Tissue Culture 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*4240 Weed Science 0.50 ENVS*3020 Pesticides and the Environment 0.50 ENVS*3210 Plant Pathology 0.50 ENVS*3230 Agroforestry Systems 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: ACCT*1220 Introductory Financial Accounting 0.50 ECON*1050 Introductory Microeconomics 0.50 ECON*1100 Introductory Macroeconomics 0.50 ECON*2310 Intermediate Microeconomics 0.50 FARE*2410 Agri-food Markets and Policy 0.50 FARE*3170 Cost-Benefit Analysis 0.50 Students may also take any of the following courses as restricted electives: BOT*2100 Life Strategies of Plants 0.50 MBG*2040 Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics 0.50 MBG*3060 Quantitative Genetics 0.50 OAGR*2070 Introduction to Organic Agriculture 1.00 - A minimum of 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or higher, of which 5.00 credits must be in agricultural science and of which 3.50 credits must be at the 4000 level. Refer to Program Counsellor for list of agricultural science courses.
- A humanities or social science courses (0.50 credits) at the 1000-level or above. See Program Counsellor for acceptable list of courses.
Co-op Requirements (Honours)
This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Academic and Co-op Work Term Schedule
| Year | Fall | Winter | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Academic Semester 1 | Academic Semester 2 | Off |
| 2 | Academic Semester 3 COOP*1100 | Academic Semester 4 | COOP*1000 Work Term I |
| 3 | Academic Semester 5 | Academic Semester 6 | Off |
| 4 | Academic Semester 7 | COOP*2000 Work Term II | COOP*3000 Work Term III |
| 5 | COOP*4000 Work Term IV | Academic Semester 8 | N/A |
Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements.
For additional program information, students should consult with their Co-op Coordinator and Co-op Faculty Advisor, listed on the Co-operative Education website.
Credit Summary
- In semester 5, students must choose Option A: Production and Management, or Option B: Research.
- Option A: 10.50 credits from required courses, 3.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 of humanities and social sciences, and 6.00 credits of free electives.
- Option B: 11.50 credits from required courses, 2.00 credits of restricted electives, 0.50 of humanities and social sciences and 6.00 credits of free electives.
- A minimum of 7.00 credits must be at the 3000 level or higher, of which 5.00 credits must be in agricultural science and of which 3.50 credits must be at the 4000 level. Refer to Program Counsellor for a list of agricultural science courses.
- A humanities or social sciences (0.50 credits) at the 1000-level or above. See Program Counsellor for acceptable list of courses.
- Co-op Work Terms: 2.00 credits
- Total Credits Required to Graduate: 22.00
Recommended Program Sequence
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 - Fall | ||
| AGR*1110 | Introduction to the Agri-Food Systems | 1.00 |
| BIOL*1050 | Biology of Plants & Animals in Managed Ecosystems | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1040 | General Chemistry I | 0.50 |
| MATH*1080 | Elements of Calculus I | 0.50 |
| Semester 2 - Winter | ||
| AGR*1350 | Animal Production Systems and Industry: Dairy, Poultry and Egg | 0.50 |
| BIOL*1090 | Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1050 | General Chemistry II | 0.50 |
| FARE*1400 | Economics of the Agri-Food System | 1.00 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 3 - Fall | ||
| AGR*2320 | Soils in Agroecosystems | 0.50 |
| AGR*2470 | Introduction to Plant Agriculture | 0.50 |
| COOP*1100 | Introduction to Co-operative Education | 0.00 |
| FARE*2700 | Survey of Natural Resource Economics | 0.50 |
| MBG*2400 | Fundamentals of Plant and Animal Genetics | 0.50 |
| 0.50 electives or restricted electives | 0.50 | |
| Semester 4 - Winter | ||
| AGR*2050 | Agroecology | 0.50 |
| ANSC*2340 | Structure of Farm Animals | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| ENVS*2040 | Plant Health and the Environment | 0.50 |
| STAT*2040 | Statistics I | 0.50 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*1000 | Co-op Work Term I | 0.50 |
Option A - Production and Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 - Fall | ||
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 2.00 electives or restricted electives | 2.00 | |
| Semester 6 - Winter | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 7 - Fall | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
| Winter Semester | ||
| COOP*2000 | Co-op Work Term II | 0.50 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*3000 | Co-op Work Term III | 0.50 |
| Fall Semester | ||
| COOP*4000 | Co-op Work Term IV | 0.50 |
| Semester 8 - Winter | ||
| AGR*4600 | Agriculture and Food Issues Problem Solving | 1.00 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
Restricted Electives - Option A
Students should note that some restricted electives require other courses not included among the required courses for the major as prerequisites. Students should consult the most recent undergraduate calendar for specific requirements.
- A minimum of 1.00 credits from the list of restricted electives below:
Course List Code Title Credits AGR*2350 Animal Production Systems and Industry: Beef, Swine and Others 0.50 AGR*2500 Field Course in International Agriculture 0.50 AGR*3010 Special Studies in Agricultural Science I 0.50 AGR*3450 Research Methods in Agricultural Science 0.50 ANSC*4010 Animal Welfare Judging and Evaluation 0.50 ANSC*4230 Challenges and Opportunities in Dairy Cattle Production 0.50 ANSC*4610 Critical Analysis in Animal Science 0.50 CROP*4260 Crop Science Field Trip 0.50 EDRD*3140 Organizational Communication 0.50 FARE*3310 Operations Management 0.50 FARE*4220 Advanced Agribusiness Management 0.50 FARE*4310 Resource Economics 0.50 FARE*4360 Marketing Research 0.50 FARE*4550 Independent Studies I 0.50 - A minimum of 2.00 credits from the following lists:
Course List Code Title Credits Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*3300 Grain Crops 0.50 CROP*3310 Protein and Oilseed Crops 0.50 CROP*3340 Managed Grasslands 0.50 ENVS*4090 Soil Management 0.50 ENVS*4160 Soil and Nutrient Management 0.50 HORT*2450 Introduction to Turfgrass Science 0.50 HORT*3150 Principles and Applications of Plant Propagation 0.50 HORT*4380 Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops 0.50 PBIO*3110 Crop Physiology 0.50 PBIO*3750 Plant Tissue Culture 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*4240 Weed Science 0.50 ENVS*3020 Pesticides and the Environment 0.50 ENVS*3210 Plant Pathology 0.50 ENVS*3230 Agroforestry Systems 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: ACCT*1220 Introductory Financial Accounting 0.50 ECON*1050 Introductory Microeconomics 0.50 ECON*1100 Introductory Macroeconomics 0.50 ECON*2310 Intermediate Microeconomics 0.50 FARE*2410 Agri-food Markets and Policy 0.50 FARE*3170 Cost-Benefit Analysis 0.50 Students may also take any of the following courses as restricted electives: BOT*2100 Life Strategies of Plants 0.50 MBG*2040 Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics 0.50 MBG*3060 Quantitative Genetics 0.50 OAGR*2070 Introduction to Organic Agriculture 1.00
Option B - Research
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 5 - Fall | ||
| AGR*3450 | Research Methods in Agricultural Science | 0.50 |
| FOOD*3090 | Food Science and Human Nutrition | 0.50 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Semester 6 - Winter | ||
| AGR*4450 | Research Project I | 0.50 |
| 2.00 electives or restricted electives | 2.00 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| No academic semester or work term | ||
| Semester 7 - Fall | ||
| AGR*4460 | Research Project II | 1.00 |
| 1.50 electives or restricted electives | 1.50 | |
| Winter Semester | ||
| COOP*2000 | Co-op Work Term II | 0.50 |
| Summer Semester | ||
| COOP*3000 | Co-op Work Term III | 0.50 |
| Fall Semester | ||
| COOP*4000 | Co-op Work Term IV | 0.50 |
| Semester 8 - Winter | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives | 2.50 | |
Restricted Electives - Option B
Students should note that some restricted electives require other courses not included among the required courses for the major as prerequisites. Students should consult the most recent undergraduate calendar for specific requirements.
- A minimum of 2.00 credits from the list of restricted electives below:
Course List Code Title Credits Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*3300 Grain Crops 0.50 CROP*3310 Protein and Oilseed Crops 0.50 CROP*3340 Managed Grasslands 0.50 ENVS*4090 Soil Management 0.50 ENVS*4160 Soil and Nutrient Management 0.50 HORT*2450 Introduction to Turfgrass Science 0.50 HORT*3150 Principles and Applications of Plant Propagation 0.50 HORT*4380 Tropical and Sub-Tropical Crops 0.50 PBIO*3110 Crop Physiology 0.50 PBIO*3750 Plant Tissue Culture 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: CROP*4240 Weed Science 0.50 ENVS*3020 Pesticides and the Environment 0.50 ENVS*3210 Plant Pathology 0.50 ENVS*3230 Agroforestry Systems 0.50 Select a minimum of 0.50 credits from the following: ACCT*1220 Introductory Financial Accounting 0.50 ECON*1050 Introductory Microeconomics 0.50 ECON*1100 Introductory Macroeconomics 0.50 ECON*2310 Intermediate Microeconomics 0.50 FARE*2410 Agri-food Markets and Policy 0.50 FARE*3170 Cost-Benefit Analysis 0.50 Students may also take any of the following courses as restricted electives: BOT*2100 Life Strategies of Plants 0.50 MBG*2040 Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics 0.50 MBG*3060 Quantitative Genetics 0.50 OAGR*2070 Introduction to Organic Agriculture 1.00