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College of Science & Engineering

Ranch Management

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Undergraduate

students at a ranch

Students who wish to earn a Bachelor’s of Science in Ranch Management must complete all undergraduate core requirements of TCU prior to making a formal application to the Ranch Management program. Qualified students will be given conditional acceptance into the program. They must then successfully complete the requirements for a General Business minor for non-business majors and any other requirements identified in the Undergraduate Catalog. 

Courses & Requirements

Students may apply through the Office of Admissions and will be required to complete the University Core Requirements prior to making a formal application to the Ranch Management Program. 

The Ranch Management Program requires an academic year (nine months) to complete.  The course of study is intense, challenging, and time-consuming.  Classroom instruction and discussion coupled with fieldwork observation culminate in the student implementing this knowledge in real-world projects reflecting agricultural asset management.  Attendance is mandatory for all classes and fieldwork. 

Areas of Study 

  • Livestock production 
  • Breeding programs
  • Animal health 
  • Feeding 
  • Crop production
  •  Harvesting 
  • Grazing systems 
  • Livestock handling 
  • Natural resource conservation 
  • Forage production 
  • Climate and geographical information 
  • Accounting principles 
  • Marketing 
  • Personnel management 
  • General management principles 
  • Field work 

Field Trips

Field trips are an important part of ranch management education and include numerous short excursions to local agricultural operations, as well as five week-long trips to operations in different geographic locations. The visits are chosen to give the best possible cross section of different kinds of country, livestock, and operations that are representative of the ranching industry in each particular area. 
 
view field trip photos
 
Each student is responsible for room and meal expenses incurred on field trips. Room accommodations for weeklong trips are arranged at group rates.