OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: None.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: None.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: PSE 430
Contact Information: Susan Sullivan, Associate Director, 205 Rogers Hall, (207) 581-3029, susan.sullivan@umit.maine.edu
The Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Agriculture, which is offered through the School of Food and Agriculture, is an interdisciplinary program offered cooperatively by the faculties of the Schools of Food and Agriculture, Biology and Ecology and Economics. The program is designed for students interested in working in the growing field of ecologically-based agriculture in areas of production, research and consumer education. The BS degree in Sustainable Agriculture can also be used as preparation for postgraduate study in a variety of disciplines.
The Sustainable Agriculture program emphasizes: how to increase farm profits by decreasing the costs of crop and livestock production: how to build soil tilth and fertility through rotations, multiple cropping and nutrient recycling; how to protect water quality and human health by decreasing the need to use synthetic agrochemicals; how to manage crop pests and livestock diseases with integrated, ecologically sound strategies; how to create a strong, diversified agriculture that is stable through market and weather fluctuations.
Black Bear Food Guild:
The Guild is a student-run organization that manages a three-acre certified organic vegetable operation within the University of Maine’s Rogers’ Experimental Farm, located approximately three miles from campus. The Guild markets their produce through a community share-holder plan, at the local Farmers Market, and through a farm stand at the field site. BBFG members make use of Sustainable Agriculture faculty and staff as resources for planning and managing the operation, but the emphasis is on student cooperative decision-making. Students often fulfill their degree requirement for the Field Experience through a summer with the BBFG.