College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Horticulture

MSU offers a number of minors that may be used to complement academic majors or to accommodate studies that are not available as a major. Minors typically require 15-17 credit hours of specified course work. Minors are included on a student's transcript upon graduation.

Some minors require a student to complete unique courses, which are not used as required courses in the major. These require the use of elective credits.

For a student pursuing a degree in Horticulture beginning in the freshman year, there are sufficient elective credits in the program to complete a minor with unique credits and still remain within the four years and 120 credit minimum for graduation.

For a transfer student with extensive elective credit from the previous institution, certain minors may require additional credit beyond the minimum for graduation as courses can not be used to fulfill requirement for the primary degree. Other minors may not specify that courses be separate from a student's major field of study. Please check the Academic Programs Catalog or speak to an advisor for details.

Minors which may be of particular interest to Horticulture students are listed below. Students are encouraged to discuss an academic plan for their minor with the contact person(s) listed below, and the Horticulture advisor. See a comprehensive list of Minors offered at MSU.

CANR Minor Options for Horticulture Students

Full list of minors offered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources are listed here.

Minor in Agribusiness Management

Offered through the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, this specialization combines broad training in business with specialized training in the unique problems of managing agribusiness firms.

Minor in Agronomy

This minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor's degree programs at Michigan State University and is designed to serve students with majors in fields other than Crop and Soil Sciences who are interested in agronomy and who plan to pursue careers in agriculture for which a basic familiarity with the science of cropping systems is important. This minor is offered through the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences. It will provide an opportunity for students to gain a fundamental understanding of the science of food production, including crop management, soil management, and plant breeding and biotechnology.

Minor in Beverage Science and Technology

This minor is an excellent choice for Horticulture majors interested in viticulture and Enology. The Minor in Beverage Science and Technology is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge of the production of fermented beverages. Certain courses in this minor are only offered at off-campus wineries or breweries. The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University. The minor is administered by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

Minor in Entomology

The Minor in Entomology, which is administered by the Department of Entomology, is designed to serve students in other fields who desire additional training in the insect sciences. It provides an introduction to a range of entomological knowledge, including insect identification, ecology, and management.

Minor in Plant, Animal and Microbial Biotechnology

This minor, administered by the Department of Horticulture, is open to all students.  This program provides the opportunity for students to become familiar with the concepts, techniques, and issues related to modern biotechnology. Students planning to pursue graduate study in biotechnology-related fields, or who may be interested in careers with corporations or agencies for which a basic familiarity with biotechnology is important, should consider this minor.

Interdisciplinary Programs & Minors

Minor in Environmental Studies and Sustainability (RISE Program)

This minor in Environmental Studies and Sustainability is designed to increase undergraduate students understanding of the physical environment that is inhabited and influenced by humans, and the ways in which direct and indirect policy-making by social, economic and political institutions affect environmental issues. The curriculum includes opportunities to study topics ranging from wetlands remediation to global information systems mapping (GIS). In addition, students may elect to study alongside world-class faculty engaged in environmental research.

Incoming freshman may elect to pursue this program and participate in RISE: Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment. RISE participants live together in Bailey Hall, where they share access to many unique resources. Beyond their first year, many RISE participants are engaged in undergraduate research, hands-on projects and co-curricular initiatives in which they can explore their interests within a supportive community of students, faculty and staff with shared values.

Minor in Leadership in Integrated Learning (Bailey Scholars Program)

This Bailey Scholars Program helps students learn through community and develop leadership skills that employers are seeking. is available to all students in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and MSU. Much of the program is tailored to fit the specific interests of the student. Students earn a minor in Leadership in Integrated Learning.

Minor in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

The objective of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) minor is to provide an active learning exploration of sustainable agriculture and food systems that encompasses the biological, ecological, sociological, economic and political aspects of food production. This minor is through the Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences.

This minor fosters active learning about the ecological, social and economic aspects of food production through exploring diverse perspectives and experiential learning. The design of the SAFS minor reflects the desire to provide broad and substantial scientific context to the concept of sustainability in agriculture and food systems issues. Students from more than 20 majors across MSU participate in the Sustainable Agriculture and Food System minor, ranging from future farmers, food business industry management, environmental engineering, plant biology, policy, nutrition and social work.