Trustees back three new agriculture degrees at SC State, positioning students for modern workforce needs

 

The $15M overhaul of SC State’s Nance Hall will provide lab space for two new undergraduate programs and a new master’s degree.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The South Carolina State University Board of Trustees on Thursday approved three new agriculture degree programs designed to strengthen the university’s academic offerings in the state’s largest industry.

President Alexander Conyers said the new programs are directly tied to a $15 million state-funded renovation of Nance Hall.

“The renovation of Nance Hall is critical as we launch our new agriculture degree programs in agricultural and natural resource management, animal and veterinary science, and natural resource management,” he said. “The $15 million provided by the state will allow us to create modern laboratories and teaching spaces that bring these programs to life.

“This investment ensures our students will have access to the advanced facilities they need to develop the skills that agriculture and related industries demand,” Conyers said.

The new programs include two undergraduate degrees and a graduate degree:

• A Bachelor of Science in animal and veterinary science.
• A Bachelor of Science in natural resource management.
• A Master of Science in agricultural and natural resource management. The graduate program will have two options: one in animal science and one in natural resource management.

Dr. Ralph Noble, dean of SC State’s College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, said the programs are part of the return of agricultural studies to the university after more than 50 years.

“As you may know, agriculture was one of the initial academic programs at the school when it began back in 1896,” Noble said. “But unfortunately, after 75 years in 1971, the program closed.

“Then in 2021, some 50 years later, we were fortunate enough to have the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences come back and be visible in a state where agriculture is the No. 1 industry,” he said.

Noble told trustees the new programs would prepare graduates for careers in food production, animal science, resource management and related industries that face a shortage of trained professionals.

The new programs will complement SC State’s bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, which blends core business training with agricultural-sector coursework. Students gain hands-on and experiential learning opportunities, including internships and applied projects in farm, processing, or agribusiness settings.

"The approval of these new academic programs marks an exciting step forward for SC State University,” said Dr. Frederick Evans, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “The B.S. in natural resource management, M.S. in agricultural and natural resource management, and B.S. in animal and veterinary sciences will provide our students with the knowledge and skills to tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges in agriculture, sustainability, and animal health.

“These programs also strengthen our commitment to preparing graduates who are ready to lead in industries critical to South Carolina’s economy and to the global community,” Evans said.

Noble said graduates will be prepared for positions with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, agribusiness companies, public health organizations and graduate schools across the country.

National demand for animal science

Noble said the Bachelor of Science in Animal and Veterinary Science will align SC State with one of the fastest-growing agricultural fields nationwide.

“The animal and veterinary science degree program is one of the most popular ones in the country at all of the 100 or so land-grant universities,” Noble said. “It is the most popular major in agriculture across the country, both at the 1890 institutions as well as majority schools.”

He noted that the new program will also complement the creation of South Carolina’s first veterinary school at Clemson University.

“Because we’re trying to piggyback off this opportunity to join efforts with Clemson University’s new veterinary school, we have met with them. We’re starting some recruitment activities jointly with students who are currently here that may be residing in biology or in other areas on campus to help the profession,” Noble said.

Noble explained that the animal and veterinary science program would include both a pre-veterinary option with rigorous science coursework and an animal industry option focused on agribusiness careers.

A modern approach to natural resource management

The dean explained that natural resource management encompasses traditional agricultural disciplines.

“This degree program is a summation to some extent of soil science, plant science, water culture and agronomy, but it will include such things as controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming,” Noble said. “Some of the new practices that we see taking place in urban areas -- we think about things like food deserts -- we have practices that will help address that.”

He added that natural resource management also involves sustainable methods tied to food and environmental security, including the quality of water, air and soils – “the basis of what we grow for both food and animals ourselves.

Research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students

The programs will involve new faculty members with dual appointments in Academic Affairs and SC State Public Service and Agriculture’s 1890 Research and Extension. Faculty members will be involved in agricultural technology – drones, robots and sensors – and sustainable, regenerative and agricultural practices that focus on soil health skills required by various industries.

Students also will have access to research opportunities and practical experiences at SC State Public Service and Agriculture’s Research and Demonstration Farm in Olar, South Carolina.

Noble emphasized that the new degrees would help connect SC State’s students directly with faculty research, advancing the university’s Carnegie R2 status as a high research activity institution.

“The graduate program is designed to support the R2 status and also to take advantage of 1890 Research and Extension for cutting-edge research currently being done,” Noble said.

SC State Public Service and Agriculture’s grant-funded programs in the developing West African nation of The Gambia provide a natural bridge to its new animal science degrees. Through partnerships focused on improving goat breeds and advancing livestock management, SC State faculty and students are helping address global nutrition and food security challenges.

These international projects give students hands-on experiences that complement their classroom studies, while reinforcing the global relevance of the new animal and veterinary science programs.

Trustees unanimously approved the new degrees. The programs are expected to begin enrolling students for Fall Semester 2026, pending approval by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

“This is, I think, an exciting time to be at South Carolina State – an exciting time to be a part of the College of Agriculture, Family and Consumer Sciences, and I am looking forward to getting the programs started,” Noble said.