��ֱ����

A South ��ֱ���� State University program designed to train the next generation of agricultural innovators and leaders was approved during the recent South ��ֱ���� Board of Regents meetings in Brookings. 

The global agricultural leadership master’s degree program is a condensed, 14-month professional curriculum that will provide students with the background and skills they need to contribute to the vitality of agriculture and to the economic growth of rural communities in South ��ֱ���� while enhancing the lives of people worldwide. 
 
“Today’s complex global agricultural environment requires leaders with not only technical competence but also advanced skills in leadership, communication, global awareness, ethics and agribusiness,” Joe Cassady, South ��ֱ���� Corn Endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, said. “The agriculture industry in South ��ֱ���� continues to grow, and with that comes a growth in demand for well-trained agricultural professionals who can serve in leadership positions in agribusiness and associated industry boards throughout the state.”
 
The data supports Cassady’s statements. From 2017 to 2022, agriculture saw the largest annualized growth rate of all major economic sectors in South ��ֱ����. Combined with a projected 5.5% growth in agricultural leadership positions nationwide in the next four years, the global agricultural leadership program is primed to help South ��ֱ����, and the agriculture industry as a whole, continue to grow in the future. 
 
The interest in the program is not just numbers. The university has received letters from regional and national companies expressing their support for the program and interest in hiring its graduates. A number of organizations, companies and individuals have taken that support a step further and pledged funds to build the program, highlighting the importance of these skills to industry.  
 
“Part of the South ��ֱ���� Corn Utilization Council’s mission is to benefit corn, corn products and markets through education, and that includes our sector’s future agricultural workforce,” Danita Murray, executive director of the council, said. “This master’s program institutionalizes an important pipeline of highly trained employees and will benefit our state’s corn farmers as it develops.”
 
Two critical components of the program will be applied learning and critical thinking. Students will experience both domestic and international travel to explore varied agricultural practices and markets, allowing them to deepen their understanding of agriculture on global and national scales. Each student will also be required to complete an “enhanced internship,” where they will not just work for a program partner, but will be brought into leadership meetings and work with industry leaders to connect what they learn in the classroom with real-world experiences.
 
Much like the multifaceted nature of agriculture, the coursework for the global agricultural leadership program comes from three different SDSU colleges, creating a unique curriculum designed to address the complexities of the agriculture industry. In addition to courses in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, students will learn from faculty in the Ness School of Management and Economics within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering. Learning from experts across the university will broaden the students’ perspective and make them evaluate different ways of thinking.
 
“Improved critical thinking and analysis are very important outcomes for our students,” Rosie Nold, the inaugural director of the Institute for Global Agricultural Leadership, said. “Being able to analyze current events and emerging issues not only within agriculture, but the things that influence agriculture: technology, economics, society, cultural changes. Thinking about all of these factors, plus being able to have a broad background across multiple areas of agriculture, will really set our students apart.”
 
With approval from the South ��ֱ���� Board of Regents, the program will now be submitted to the Higher Learning Commission before its first cohort can begin in May 2026. Twenty students from a wide range of undergraduate programs will be accepted into the master’s degree program annually. Previously, the Board of Regents approved an undergraduate certificate of the same name that is currently available for student enrollment. Those interested in learning more about either the master’s program or the undergraduate certificate are encouraged to email for more information.
 
Industry support was crucial in the development of this program. Financial commitments have been pledged to support startup costs, travel expenses and student scholarships. Generous contributors include the South ��ֱ���� Corn Utilization Council, South ��ֱ���� Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Millborn Seeds Inc., Farm Credit Services of America, Agtegra Cooperative, the South ��ֱ���� Agricultural and Rural Leadership Foundation, First Bank & Trust and the South ��ֱ���� Association of Cooperatives, among other businesses and individuals.