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Academics Banner

Programs/Degrees Offered
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Agribusiness Certificate Program
With advances in science and technology grabbing most of the limelight, few people know that agricultural business management is the second most popular specialization for undergraduate programs in land-grant universities across the nation. Graduates of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and other UH programs can gain an advantage in the agribusiness job market by understanding the factors that differentiate agriculture and related products and services from other businesses and learning to apply business, management, and economic principles to agribusinesses. To meet this need, CTAHR offers a AgriBusiness Certificate program.

EMPLOYERS SAY...

“Business skills are a definite requirement for today’s agriculture.” —Herbert “Monty” Richards, President, Kahua Ranch

“You have to know accounting because you have to have a plan in business, and accounting is a disciplined way of organizing, controlling, and running a business.” —Harold Tanouye, President, Green Point Nursery

“The focus on agribusiness is critical for Hawaii right now.” —Susan Matsushima, President, Alluvion, Inc.

“Agribusiness (training) will give you tools for your business to prosper and open doors to new opportunities.” —Derek Kurisu, Executive Vice-President, KTA Super Stores
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CERTIFICATE PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The Agribusiness Certificate Program strives to provide you with the skills needed in agribusiness management and entrepreneurship. The agribusiness management certificate program objectives are:

  • To improve your economic decision-making ability.
  • To provide you with entrepreneurial skills essential for starting and managing a successful, sustainable agricultural business.
  • To give you opportunities to gain hands-on experience with modern management science techniques that help agribusiness managers and industry analysts make sound business decisions.
  • To increase your proficiency in formulating problems and implementing solutions using a computer model, with emphasis on spreadsheets
  • To offer you real-world opportunities to evaluate information from a variety of sources in making crucial business decisions.
  • To contribute to your understanding of marketing, management, finance, and how the traditional business-school approach is modified for perishable plant and animal products raised on land or in the water.

The program, based in CTAHR's Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, is composed of four 300-level agribusinesses core courses. The program has a one-course prerequisite of either NREM 220, Agricultural and Resource Economics, or ECON 130, Principles of Economics (or an equivalent). A passing grade in all four program courses is required in order to complete the certificate.

Interested students with the necessary prerequisite can enter the program by enrolling in a course. Each course is offered once a year, with two courses scheduled in the fall semester and two in the spring. The four courses can be taken in any sequence.
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THE COURSES

TPSS/FSHN 322 Marketing of Perishable Products

The course deals with marketing and markets; the differences between agriculture and other businesses; market structure, conduct, and performance; adding value; the functional/utility approach; niche marketing; product positioning and market segmentation; product pricing; futures and hedging; the role of market information; market and consumer research; strategic marketing; and marketing plans. (Spring Semester)

TPSS/NREM 341 Agribusiness Accounting

The course addresses the application of analytical managerial decision-making techniques to identifying and solving common agribusiness problems. Familiarizes students with the principles and methods of agricultural accounting and develops their skills in preparing and interpreting financial statements. Acquaints students with the sources and costs of credit, tax management, and estate planning. Provides students with opportunities to evaluate capital budget projects. (Fall Semester)

TPSS/MBBE 342 Agribusiness Decision-Making Tools

The course offers a one-semester introductory survey of modern management science techniques that can help agribusiness managers and industry analysts make sound business decisions; develop practical knowledge and hands-on experience in solving common problems faced by agribusiness firms; gain proficiency in formulating problems and implementing solutions using computer simulations, with emphasis on spreadsheet models; generate information for decision making from computer models; and evaluate the information provided to improve decision making. (Spring Semester)

TPSS 351 Enterprise Management

The course provides an overview of financial tools essential for developing new enterprises, analyzing business performance, obtaining bank-financing, improving profitability, and. reducing risk. Emphasis is placed on identifying financial and economic problems, their causes, and possible solutions and on evaluating and selecting possible solutions through financial and economic analyses. Other topics include personnel management, taxation, and business plans. (Fall Semester)
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FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information on this program, please contact:

Susan Takahshi, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, UH-Manoa, St. John 102, 956-7256, stakahas@hawaii.edu
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Last updated on 5/31/2005