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College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

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Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Production Economics Certificate

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Advance your career at the intersection of business, sustainability, and food production in just two semesters of online coursework.

Credential Type

Graduate Certificate - Coursera Based

Cost (2024)

$4,164

Delivery Format

Online

Program Length

12 Credit Hours

Enrollment

Fall or Spring

Eligibility Criteria

Bachelor's degree required

Course Details Icon

Benefit 1

Master economic principles in agribusiness and sustainability.

Benefit 2

Integrate sustainability into business models for innovation.

Benefit 3

Boost career prospects with expertise in food production economics.

Overview

This online graduate certificate is for early- to mid-career professionals aiming to enhance their expertise in agribusiness management, food production economics, and sustainability. 

The program offers comprehensive courses that cover global food production and the distribution of agricultural commodities and food products. 

You will dive into financing and risk management in agricultural production and explore various contemporary challenges in the food and agriculture sector.

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Skills You Will Learn

Upon completing this certificate, you will:

  • Gain a comprehensive understanding of global agricultural supply chains, from initial inputs to consumer markets. 
  • Assess the factors driving food product demand in diverse economic environments. 
  • Navigate the complexities of trade policies and their impact on food supply and demand. 
  • Make strategic, informed decisions in agricultural risk management. 
  • Analyze agriculture as a viable and dynamic investment class. 
  • Evaluate the influence of environmental and agricultural policies on sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices.
Skills 13

Build Skills that Matter

Gain the knowledge and practical experience needed to excel in your field and create meaningful impact.

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Meet your instructors

Immerse yourself in expert-led learning, where each course is delivered by industry veterans who bring a wealth of real-world experience to their instruction. Our instructors not only share their extensive knowledge but also offer personalized insights tailored to your unique goals. Engage with cutting-edge technologies and interactive tools that make learning both dynamic and practical. By leveraging their expertise, you'll gain actionable skills and insights directly applicable to your career advancement.

instructor
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Gary Schnitkey, Ph.D.

Professor

Dr. Gary D. Schnitkey is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics (ACE) and Soybean Industry Chair in Agricultural Strategy at the University of Illinois. Dr. Schnitkey uses Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) data on revenue and costs to analyze major field crops' profitability and assess the impacts of farm programs and risk management strategies. His research informs farmers of the most profitable rotations and encourages long-term change to impact yield. Along with his numerous journal article publications, Dr. Schnitkey regularly publishes his research findings on farmdocDAILY.

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Nick Paulson, Ph.D.

Gardner Hinderliter Professor of Farm Management

Nick Paulson is the Gardner Hinderliter Professor in Farm Management and Associate Head in the Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics (ACE) at the University of Illinois. Paulson teaches undergraduate courses in small business finance, business planning, and international agribusiness. His research and extension programs focus on finance, risk management, and policy related to commercial agriculture. He earned his MS and PhD in economics from Iowa State University and is originally from southeastern Minnesota, where he grew up on his family’s grain farm.

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Bruce Sherrick, Ph.D.

Fruin Professor in Land Economics and Director of TIAA Center for Farmland Research

Dr. Bruce Sherrick is a Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics (ACE) Professor, Director of the TIAA Center for Farmland Research, and Fruin Professor in Land Economics at the University of Illinois. Dr. Sherrick helps improve crop insurance programs for crop producers across the United States. Through Farmer Mac, he helps create and implement loan-funding programs that increase farmers' access to capital. As a Farmland Technical Advisory Board member, he coordinates the required calculations supporting Illinois's use-value farmland assessment system. Dr. Sherrick helps build information systems for agricultural asset markets that utilize big data and novel computational strategies to understand farmland values better.

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Joana Colussi, Ph.D.

Instructor

Dr. Joana Colussi is an instructor and postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics (ACE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She joined the academic work following a 10-year career as an agricultural journalist in Brazil. Afterward, she graduated with a master's in Agribusiness and a Ph.D. in Management from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Joana is also a member of the farmdoc team, an Extension group from the University of Illinois.

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Ailie Elmore

Instructor

Ailie Elmore is an academic instructor in the Department of Agricultural & Consumer Economics (ACE) at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. She teaches courses in farm management, investment planning, personal finance, small business finance, and sales. Ailie grew up on a grain farming operation in Montgomery County, Illinois and continues to work alongside her father and brother. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Consumer Economics and her Master of Science degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the Department of ACE, where she specialized in finance. Ailie is passionate about commercial agriculture and its intersection with finance, as well as educating the next generation of professionals in this space.

Paul Stoddard
Paul B Stoddard

Senior Lecturer

Paul Stoddard challenges students to think about new things in different ways and old things in new ways to open up new areas of study and exploration in agricultural economics. Every day, he strives to reduce knowledge to “that simple compound of the obvious and the wonderful,” as H. L. Mencken put it, to help students become passionate ambassadors for agriculture, for the business of food, and for the department and college.

Course Details

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The Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Production Economics Certificate is a 12-credit hour program consisting of four credit-bearing graduate courses and six Coursera components. 

To earn this certificate, you'll complete the following:

ACE 544 – Global Agriculture and Supply Chains 

Coursera components:  

ACE 545 – Risk and Decision-Making in Agriculture 

Coursera components: ​​​​ 

ACE 546 – Agriculture as an Asset Class 

Coursera component:  

ACE 547 – Modern Issues in Food & Agriculture 

Coursera component:  

  • Modern Issues in Food & Agriculture 

How to Enroll

Applying for this Certificate

To apply for a graduate certificate program, you'll need to start an online application through the University of Illinois Graduate College. 

The following items are required for your application:

  • Bachelor’s degree: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable GPA for an international applicant, for the last two years of undergraduate study is a minimum requirement for admission.
  • Professional resume: This should include personal information (name, address, telephone number, and email address), academic background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and a brief description of responsibilities), educational training, professional associations, and leadership experiences. Please limit your resume to two pages. 
  • English proficiency scores (international students only): If you are a non-native English speaker, you must upload your TOEFL or IELTS scores directly to your application. Review the Graduate College’s English proficiency requirements for more details on possible exemptions.

Steps to apply as a certificate student

  1. Navigate to choose.illinois.edu/apply. 
  2. Create an account or Log in (as a returning users). 
  3. Click Start New Application.
  4. Read the Instructions. Click the Continue button (bottom of page).
  5. Enter your Personal Information. Click the Continue button.
  6. Complete the Residency Information. Click the Continue button.
  7. In the left menu (on a desktop) or from the dropdown list (mobile), click the Program link.
  8. In the “Proposed Program of Study” section, select the following Program and Degree from the dropdown options.
    1. Program: Agricultural and Consumer Economics
    2. Degree: Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Economics (Online)- GCRT
  9. Complete the remaining applicable areas of the application and submit.
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Applying as a non-degree student 

If you're only interested in a specific course or unsure if you want to pursue a certificate right now, you can enroll as a non-degree student. Being a non-degree student allows you to enroll in a for-credit course, complete it, and apply those graduate credits towards a certificate or degree at a later time. 

This route offers flexibility as you choose which courses interest you and customize your education to fit your schedule. Please note: the rate per credit hour ($755/credit hour for 2024) for non-degree students is higher than the per credit hour cost for students who are enrolled in the certificate or Gies Online Programs.

Steps to apply as a non-degree student

  1. Navigate to choose.illinois.edu/apply. 
  2. Create an account or Log in (as a returning users). 
  3. Click Start New Application.
  4. Read the Instructions. Click the Continue button (bottom of page).
  5. Enter your Personal Information. Click the Continue button.
  6. Complete the Residency Information. Click the Continue button.
  7. In the left menu (on a desktop) or from the dropdown list (mobile), click the Program link.
  8. In the “Proposed Program of Study” section, select the following Program and Degree from the dropdown options.
    1. Program: Agricultural and Consumer Economics
    2. Degree: Agribusiness and Sustainable Food Economics (Online)-GCRT
  9. Complete the remaining applicable areas of the application and submit.

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