Agricultural & Food Studies

Program Overview.

Morningside’s location in Sioux City and the tri-state region places us in the heart of one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world.

Both our Siouxland location and the number of businesses in the area with ties to agriculture have made the Morningside University Regina Roth Agricultural and Food Studies department a critical regional resource. This provides you with an enormous opportunity to earn your undergraduate degree and find success as an agricultural professional.

About Agriculture and Food Studies at Morningside:

Develop a broad understanding of the agriculture industry with access to unique opportunities in Sioux City, the state of Iowa, and beyond.
Tailor your studies to prepare for a wide range of career opportunities.
Gain real world experiences through interaction with business and industry professionals, clubs and organizations, travel opportunities, externships, and more.
Develop leadership skills through co-curricular activities and research opportunities.
Enjoy the opportunities and advantages of being a student at a small private college that allow you to immerse yourself in your education and get involved in unique experiences more quickly.

Make It Your Own

Rigorous coursework and the paid externship prepare you to earn a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. You can also focus on a minor to deepen a particular area of interest.

Majors

Minors

Meet The Faculty

Keren Brooks

Annie Kinwa-Muzinga

Deanne McKenna

Melissa Nelson

Thomas Paulsen

Daniel Witten

Experience
Learning By Doing

Morningside University has made a commitment to extend education beyond the confines of the classroom by providing a variety of experiential learning opportunities to students.

SEE ACADEMICS

EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Participate in a paid, semester-long externship in Sioux City, greater Iowa or beyond and work side-by-side with management and production teams doing real agriculture in the real world.

Experiential Learning

Brand new, state-of-the-art greenhouse

Morningside has built a 3,300 square-foot greenhouse on the 2.5-acre site of the current Longfellow Elementary school located on campus. The greenhouse provides laboratory and teaching space for students in several curricular areas of the AAFS program. The location is an experiential learning showpiece while at the same time beautifying the southwest corner of campus.

Students involved with the greenhouse projects are supplying people with fresh produce in the Morningside cafeteria.

The 110’ x 30’ greenhouse includes

a headhouse (preparation and storage area)
aquaponics room (fish and other aquatic production)
grow tower/leafy greens room (production of food quality greens)
production rooms capable of producing crops with separate climate requirements

Rosen Ag Center & Lags Greenhouse Brochure PDF

STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Ag Club
Delta Tau Alpha
Garden to Table Experience
National Agri Marketing Association (NAMA)

TRAVEL

You will have the opportunity to travel regionally, nationally, and even internationally for professional conferences, industry field trips, or May Term courses. Travel grants and special scholarship eligibility may be available.

research

Conduct research alongside faculty members, giving you an advantage for graduate school or immediate entry into the agriculture industry. You may also have the opportunity to present findings at the Morningside University Palmer Research Symposium, the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), or at regional and national industry events.

Network

You may frequently interact with professionals throughout the industry developing relationships and building skills. Opportunities include:

Industry-leading speakers
Club meetings and college-wide seminars
Interviews
Internships
Travel to conferences

Learn By Doing

Agricultural and food studies graduates learn how different agricultural production and business systems affect crop yield, farm profitability, soil health, and models of long-term sustainability. Experiential learning opportunities in animal science, agronomy, environmental law, food safety, agricultural communications, and agricultural teacher education provide students with a well-rounded core that is applied through the externship experience. Alumni have gone on to careers at Tyson Foods, Palmer Candy Company, the United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Credit Administration, regional banks, cooperatives, and more.

Discover

13:1

student:faculty ratio, so you're assured a quality education focused directly on you.

65+

majors & pre-professional
programs available.

Job Outlook

Job prospects are strong in the agriculture industry. According to the USDA, there are nearly 60,000 high-skill ag job openings expected annually in the U.S., but only 35,000 graduates available to fill them. This includes jobs in Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, and throughout the Midwest.

Potential Job Titles

Agricultural food scientist
Agronomist
Agricultural education teacher/ FFA advisor
4-H and youth education specialist
Precision agriculture technician
Biochemist
Environmental engineer
Food quality assurance manager
Food distribution manager
Agricultural loan officer
Agricultural communications specialist
Farm and land appraiser
Agricultural policy analyst
Agricultural lender
Golf course superintendent
Agricultural sales specialist

Learn how students are set up for success

Meet A Mustang

Coltin Schachtner Kramer '21

Applied Agriculture and Food Studies
Fonda, IA

Why Morningside

"Morningside felt like home when I visited, and it offered me the ability to earn my UAV certification and get industry experience."

Feed not found.

All Undergraduates
Receive Financial Aid

100% of Morningside undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

LEARN ABOUT AID

Simple Application
Process

Apply for Morningside’s undergrad programs.

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Helpful Counselors Are Here

Morningside’s counselors are here to assist you with any academic or career needs.

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