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Agricultural Business and Food Systems Major (ABFS)

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ABFS has a 3-credit requirement for experiential learning (EL). EL is an opportunity for students to take skills and knowledge they have learned in traditional classes, and either to apply these in real-world situations outside Rutgers, or else to develop them in greater depth by working independently with an ABFS instructor.  
There are three main ways to satisfy your EL requirement:

1. Experiential Learning Classes

These classes, which are offered through Rutgers academic programs, include a substantial component of work with an organization or business outside of Rutgers. Many departments have courses of this kind. Good options for ABFS include EBL courses offered through DAFRE and Human Ecology, such as:

  • 11:373:403 Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • 11:373:465 Applied Market Research
  • 11:374:399 Practicum in Sustainability
  • 11:374:482 Internships in Climate Action

2. Independent Study with ABFS Faculty

Independent study enables students to pursue in-depth examination of a topic of special interest, under the guidance of an ABFS professor. Course activities can include reading foundational or cutting-edge texts in the field, joining an existing research effort, or conducting original research initiated by the student.

How to Find a Faculty Member to Work With

When a professor and student agree to work together on independent study, a learning contract (43k Word file) will be completed and retained by the advisor. The appropriate vehicle for conferring credit is:

  • 11:019:495/496 Practicum and Research in Agricultural Business and Food Systems
  • Independent study courses from other academic programs may also be used for this purpose, with approval of the program director, Dr. Ethan Schoolman.

3. Internships for Credit

Students may earn course credit for internships through an ABFS course or through the SPIN program. Students who would like to pursue this option first find an internship that makes sense given their career interests. Then, seek out an ABFS professor to advise you on your internship, or contact the SPIN program. Students earning course credit through ABFS (11:019:490) will complete the internship contract, keep a log of hours worked, and meet with their professor/advisor regularly over the course of the semester. Academic assessment will be based on work connected to the internship, such as written reports on policy, marketing, and issues in agriculture and food systems, or visual and mixed-media projects.

When a student wishes to earn credit for an internship outside of Rutgers, the appropriate vehicle for conferring credit is:

  • 11:019:490 Internships in Agricultural Business and Food Systems
  • Internship courses from other academic programs may also be used for this purpose, with approval of the program director, Dr. Ethan Schoolman.

4. Other Ways to Fulfill the Experiential Learning Requirement

Numerous other ways exist to fulfill the EL requirement for ABFS. These include: