Concentration in Permaculture  
The concentration in Permaculture is an emphasis available to students in the Agricultural Studies major. Permaculture is a design approach for agro-ecosystems. With a focus on long-term sustainability, it  emphasizes  ecological principles and diversity of plant and animal combinations suited to the characteristics of places and cultures. As such, it is appropriate for students who are concerned with resource issues, agriculture, community development, and land use planning. 

Professors:  Wayne Pierce, Biology  and Ida Bowers, Geography. REQUIREMENTS:  Category 1 - Physical  Environment.  Choose one course from the following (3 units):   BIOL 4000 Biogeography (3 units)  GEOG 3100 Climatology (3 units)  GEOL 3900 Soil Geology:  Application to Agriculture and Hydrogeology (3 units)

Category 2 - Ecology.  Choose one course from the following  (3-4 units):

    GEOG 3020  Human Ecology (3 units)

    BIOL 4680  Ecology (4 units)

    BIOL 4650  Aquatic Biology (4 units)

    BOTY 4600    Plant Ecology (4 units)

    PHIL 4800  Nature Revisited:  Environmental Issues in Philosophical  Perspective (3 units)

Category 3 -  Techniques.   (Choose three courses from the following (9-10 units):

ANTH 4250  Ethnoecology of Southeast Asia (4 units)  PSCI 3810  Multicultural Community Building and                     Conflict Resolution (3 units)  BOTY 3500  Introductory Plant Pathology  (4 units)  ENTO 3000  Principles of Entomology  (4 units)  Category 4 - Capstone Courses  (3 units):   GEOG 4301   Permaculture Applications in Diverse Environments (3 units) (formerly Geography and Environmental Planning)

Category 5 -  Internship in an ag-related setting  (3 units):   It is required that students take an internship with the campus BioAg Center or with a local agricultural entity (including community gardens, Heifer International, etc).  See appropriate discipline for your interests.  

Learning and Program Objectives

There are two sets of objectives associated with the degree program in Agricultural Studies.  

The first of these can be described as substantive and learning process objectives: 

The substantive purposes of the agricultural studies program are to provide students in the Agricultural Studies major with an understanding of:

•   basic economic principles with respect to the production and distribution of agricultural resources;

•   agricultural and environmental resource management;

•   pre- and post-production business and marketing practices;

•   physical, chemical, and biological principles of agroeco systems;

•   global perspectives on food issues;

•   restorative and sustainable agricultural practices;

•   spatial and other quantitative techniques;

•   the social context of agricultural production;

•   public policy, regulatory and land use issues. 

In pursuing these objectives, the program will:

•   encourage students to critically assess agricultural issues and trends;

•   provide students with opportunities to systematically develop their communicative, analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking skills;

•   expose students to diverse teaching and learning strategies in a number of academic disciplines;

•   offer students applied experience through internships and service learning;

•   deliver a high quality academic program that prepares students for changing and emerging professional opportunities in the region;

•   provide students with an educational experience that helps prepare them for graduate studies and teaching.  

Other objectives are programmatic and institutional.

These are designed to:

•   offer an academic program not replicated elsewhere that meets educational needs in the northern San Joaquin Valley and Central Sierra Foothills;

•   provide academic departments at California State University, Stanislaus with the opportunity and incentives to collaborate through the delivery of a multidisciplinary major;

•   foster the development of sustainable relationships with area community colleges through the implementation of a 2+2 program design;

•   enable California State University to pursue a program that is consistent with its liberal arts learning mission;

•   strengthen ties between the University and the region’s agricultural and educational communities; increase student access to an academic program in the area in which they reside.

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