Senior Seminar in International Agriculture

Catalog description

Seminar discussions on contemporary topics in global agriculture; capstone course for INTAG minor. INTAG 490 Senior Seminar in International Agriculture (3) This course is designed to meet the need for a capstone course within the International Agriculture (INTAG) minor. The course provides a range of experiential learning techniques including intensive reading and in-class discussion, practical experience through a group trip to the nation's capital, and application of the international experiences encountered through the INTAG program. Included is course content designed to provide a holistic integration of the four main INTAG study areas (Socioeconomic and Communication Systems, Animal and Plant Sciences, Natural Resources and the Environment, and Food, Health, and Nutrition). Students will learn about the current state of international agriculture through recent articles and analyses and respond in-class discussions and through written response papers. The second half of the course involves site visits to major international development organizations in Washington, D.C. (US government, international agricultural research organizations, and various NGOs) and participation in the form of an INTAG senior seminar series open to the public. This seminar series allows students to present and discuss their past (or intended) international agriculture experiences while a student at Penn State, and share with both those in the class and those outside of the class options, opinions about and critical issues in international agriculture. This seminar series will be an important tool in promoting the INTAG minor. The students will then synthesize the knowledge they have obtained both from the course and their international agriculture experiences to complete final reports which outline their understanding of the current state of international agriculture. This course is ultimately designed to facilitate the development of students to be global citizens in the agricultural arena.The course is geared towards students in their junior or senior years. Evaluation consists of class participation (20%), student-led presentation of materials (15%), response papers to readings and D.C. trip (30%); presentation at INTAG seminar series (15%) and the completion of a final paper on their understanding of the current state of international agriculture (20%). The course is offered once every academic year in the Spring semester.The course is a core requirement for the International Agriculture minor. INTAG 100 is a prerequisite.