For students who are considering starting their own business, currently working in a family-owned business or who intend to return to a family-owned business when they graduate, the agribusiness entrepreneurship minor could be a valuable addition to their degree plan. Innovation and entrepreneurship are not limited to one field or one degree area!
This minor is open to all students at Texas A&M University, regardless of major.
We provide students with hands-on relevant experiences and coursework that provide them a working knowledge of business development practices and strategies. Our students graduate prepared to build and manage their own enterprise, work with other entrepreneurs or pursue careers in business, banking or finance. Students pursuing this minor can participate in the Dianne and M. Edward Rister ’74 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program.
What can students in the minor expect?
A critical component of the agribusiness entrepreneurship minor is learning to establish and develop a large network with successful entrepreneurs and other professionals. This minor offers ample opportunities for students to learn how to develop networking strategies in the classroom and in social settings.
Students will choose to develop a business plan for their own professional career pursuits, or to evaluate a business from an investor’s or consultant’s perspective. The course instructor and student will mutually agree on the business venture and business settings selected. The options for students’ businesses are wide and varied, and represent businesses located in either a rural or metropolitan setting.
Coursework
For a full list of required coursework, visit the minor listing in the undergraduate course catalog. The prerequisites that must be completed before enrolling in the agribusiness entrepreneurship minor are listed below. View the sample schedules and recommended course sequencing for students interested in completing the capstone, required for the minor.
ACCT 209 or equivalent
If students have not taken ACCT 209, the following courses also meet prerequisite requirements and can be used as a substitute for admission into the minor: ACCT 229, ACCT 230, ACCT 210, AGEC 330, FINC 341, FINC 409
AGEC 105 or ECON 202
Either course is a satisfactory prerequisite for admission into the minor.
Transfer Students
If students are transferring from a community college, like one of our transfer partners, some courses might be accepted as meeting the prerequisite requirements for certain courses.
- ACCT 2301 or ACCT 2401 equivalent to ACCT 229
- ACCT 2302 or ACCT 2401 equivalent to ACCT 230
- AGRI 2317 equivalent to AGEC 150
- ECON 2302 equivalent to ECON 202
Student Business Ventures
2023-2024 AGEC 424-AGEC 425 Student Business Ventures
· Clothing boutique, Katy, TX
· Vegetable processing and retail marketing, Austin, TX (followed a case-study venture)
· Aggie Shacks, College Station, TX
· Farm-to-table beef business, The Woodlands, TX
· Golf simulator business, Granbury, TX
· Bonsai nursery, College Station, TX
· Construction machine rentals, College Station, TX
· Photography (wedding), Cuero, TX
· Veterinary clinic, Rosby, TX
· Boat storage, Navasota, TX
· Floral shop, Shiner, TX
· Rural special event venue, Tyler, TX
· AI equestrian judging app, Ft. Worth, TX
· Startup feed store, Friendswood, TX
· Luxury equestrian facility, Dallas, TX
· Custom home building and renovations, Fort Worth, TX
· Grain elevator, La Grange, TX
· Technology solution for purchasing high-quality beef, Highland Park, TX
· Used tractor dealership and service center, Hallettsville, TX
· Online women’s boutique, College Station, TX
· Rice production, El Campo, TX
· Dry-land farming enterprise, Robstown, TX
· Airplane chartering and brokerage, Fort Worth, TX
· Underground utility construction company, Industry, TX
· Agricultural fencing supply and construction company, San Antonio, TX
· Automotive repair shop, San Antonio, TX
· Hemp feed (low-cost, cost-effective feed source) for cattle, Rochester, TX
· Tire shop, Fairchilds, TX
· Fertilizer import business, Santarem, Para, Brazil
· Industrial-grade floor coatings, Houston, TX
· Commercial and residential power washing, Van Alstyne, TX
· Floral designs, The Woodlands, TX
2022-2023 AGEC 424-AGEC 425 Student Business Ventures
· Alpaca fiber mill and textile business, Fairfield, TX
· Tequila production and sales, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Houston, TX
· Grass-fed, Angus beef production ranch, Hallettsville, TX
· Coffeehouse, New Braunfels, TX
· Car wash and vehicle detailing, Tyler, TX
· Car wash and oil change enterprise, Memorial, TX
· Floral design studio, Victoria, TX
· Driving school, College Station, TX
· Aggie Shacks, Bryan/College Station, TX
· Management and promotion company for Texas Country musicians, College Station, TX
· Beef slaughterhouse, butchery, and retail enterprise, Weatherford, TX
· Plumbing services, Humble, TX
· Corn and wheat production, Hillsboro, TX
· Trophy horn sheep breeding operation, Kennard, TX
· Mobile office/guard shacks, San Antonio, TX
· Government contractor/brokerage for electric motors, Alexandria, VA, and Munich, Germany
· Commercial dirt construction, Sealy, TX
· Residential irrigation well drilling service, San Antonio, TX
· Financial planning business, College Station, TX
· Residential generator installation service, Bryan, TX
· Food truck, College Station, TX (follows a case-study model)
2021-2022 AGEC 424-AGEC 425 Student Business Ventures
· Building products wholesale company, Houston, TX
· Dog boarding, training, and grooming facility, College Station, TX
· Direct-to-consumer beef sales retail store, Victoria, TX
· Boutique and small event venue, Georgetown, TX
· Coffee shop and roastery, Boulder, CO
· Full-service airport FBO and hangar rentals, Cleveland, TX
· Drone consulting for commercial construction companies, San Antonio, TX
· Fire alarm installation company, Tyler, TX
· Custom spray application business, Castroville, TX
· Archery course/tournaments/pro shop, Taylor, TX
· Private airplane charter, Sacramento, CA
· Backyard grill cleaning service, Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
· Corn and corn seed grower, Taylor, TX
· Aggie Shack real estate venture, College Station, TX
· Internet service provider (by fiber for residential homes), College Station, TX
· Remote car repair service, Dallas, TX
· Medium-sized church (nonprofit), Oklahoma City, OK
· Equine breeding facility, Weatherford, TX
2020-2021 AGEC 424-AGEC 425 Student Business Ventures
· Show pig breeding and production, Magnolia, TX
· Archery sales and service, San Antonio, TX
· Hydroponic herb farm, Philadelphia, PA
· Hair salon, Bryan, TX
· Multi-family housing rentals, College Station, TX
· Grocery Store, Dale, TX
· Convenience store, Big Spring, TX
· Rural property development, Laredo, TX
· Pistachio orchard, Brownfield, TX
· Athletic apparel, Dallas, TX
· Land development services, Tyler, TX
· Warehouse development and management, Dripping Springs, TX
· Farm equipment sales and service, Caldwell, TX
· Commercial HVAC construction and installation service, Houston, TX
· Erosion control services, College Station, TX
· Gun store and firing range, Rosharon, TX
· Commercial fireproofing service, College Station, TX
· Truck storage lot, San Antonio, TX
· Specialty bakery (brownies), Fort Worth, TX
· Equine stable facility and equine riding lessons, Conifer, CO
· Seasonal events attraction, New Braunfels, TX
· Agricultural equipment manufacturing, Brenham, TX
· Rice farm, El Campo, TX
· Classic car restoration, Tomball, TX
· Volleyball team, Georgetown, TX
· Chocolate candy shop, College Station, TX
· Residential housing rentals, College Station, TX
· Residential housing rentals, College Station, TX
· Angling guide service, Mexico
· Kayak rental services, Rockwall, TX
· Manufactured home community, Kerrville, TX
· Luxury dog daycare services, College Station, TX
· Trucking services to the oil and natural gas industry, Seguin, TX
· Nonprofit focusing on providing school supplies to children in Honduras, The Woodlands, TX
· Marketing and business consulting services, Caldwell, TX
Ed Rister
Professor and holder of the Dianne and M. Edward Rister ’74 Endowed Chair in Agribusiness Entrepreneurship; Director of the Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program
Merritt Weeks
Assistant Director of the Dianne and M. Edward Rister ’74 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program