Agriculture

Are you interested in providing support through agricultural banking, pest control, or natural resources management? Do you want to improve your skills and knowledge to increase farm and ranch sustainability and productivity? The Allan Hancock College’s agriculture program will provide you with the training and experience you need to achieve your goals.  

Local agriculture employment opportunities are plentiful, with a high demand for skilled workers in positions that provide living wages and rewarding work experiences. Completion of the Hancock agriculture program will provide students with the skills necessary for success in the dynamic agriculture industry. The program emphasizes workforce and transfer readiness, provides a hands-on learning environment, and offers guidance toward career and college pathways. Program options include agricultural science, agribusiness, agricultural plant science, crop protection, and pest control advising.

A certificate of achievement is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to go directly into agriculture-related employment and to support those needing additional training to advance in their current agriculture job.  

For students looking to continue their education, the associate in science degrees will prepare students to transfer to a university, such as Cal Poly State University and other CSU campuses. The agriculture department works closely with transfer students to ensure transferability and articulation of courses.  

The AHC Agriculture program is designed with input from our Santa Maria valley agriculture industry partners, ensuring that students are adequately prepared for local career opportunities in fields such as: agribusiness, agricultural inspection, crop advising, crop protection, horticulture, and much more. 

This program will help you to:

• apply plant scientific principles to plant breeding, crop production, genetics, and crop protection
• solve and address natural resource management concerns
• gain competency in current agriculture issues, laws, and regulations affecting local crop and livestock producers
• learn techniques employed in vegetable, fruit, and animal production
• acquire knowledge in crop protection, pest identification, and pest management
• apply economic principles, sales, and marketing techniques to agricultural business, exemplified through the on-campus student farm stand
• master principles of soil health, plant nutrition, fertilizer, and amendment use for balancing soil nutrients and improving plant health
• utilize modern precision agriculture equipment and techniques to improve agricultural efficiency and natural resource conservation

To view the program requirements and suggested course sequences for the degrees and/or certificates available for this program, please visit the course catalog.

Programs you may also be interested in exploring:

• Biology 
• Veterinary Technology 
• Viticulture and Enology

Helpful Resources 

• Agriculture Events and Clubs
• Tutoring