K-State’s flexible new degree programs prepare students to be agricultural leaders in the places that need them most
MANHATTAN — Kansas agriculture is rich with opportunity — between workforce shortages and declining populations of young adults in rural communities, there’s a clear path forward for next-generation agriculture specialists —and realizing its full potential will require more people prepared to lead, innovate and work across the industry.
Kansas State University’s College of Agriculture is dedicated to helping the state’s agricultural system reach that full potential by finding better ways to protect natural resources, feed billions, build agribusinesses and improve lives through thoughtful teaching, cutting-edge research, and real-time collaboration with producers and industry professionals.
The future of the world’s breadbasket rests in the hands of today’s learners, and K-State is creating new opportunities to prepare them to be tomorrow’s agricultural leaders.
Kansas agriculture faces challenges; K-State is ready to help
Cassie Jones, professor of animal sciences and industry and Presidential Engagement Fellow at K-State, points to research indicating that 60% of Kansas agricultural businesses are experiencing workforce shortages. Addressing those gaps could support an estimated 39,000 jobs and generate billions of dollars in additional economic output for the state.
“That is not just an individual business issue,” Jones said. “It is a state issue that we need to be addressing through statewide systems.”
At the same time, the number of traditional college-age students in Kansas is expected to decline. Rural communities are losing young adults even as agriculture’s need for skilled employees continues to grow.
“We need those Kansas students to stay in Kansas, go to school in Kansas and become part of the Kansas agricultural workforce,” Jones said. “But that alone is not enough.”
K-State is responding by creating more flexible ways for students to earn agriculture degrees, whether they begin in Manhattan, online, at a community college or closer to home. Through a new degree program and a new K-State office in southwest Kansas, the university is meeting students where they are and offering valuable programming for the state’s future leaders.
New diversified agriculture program gives future ag leaders flexible degree options
Students can pursue K-State’s new bachelor’s degree in diversified agriculture in three ways: on the Manhattan campus, fully online or through the K-State Southwest office in Garden City.
The flexible degree allows students to combine agricultural coursework with business, communication and other areas aligned with their career goals.
“Not every student can or should have to leave their community to earn a K-State degree,” said Dan Moser, Eldon Gideon dean of the College of Agriculture. “By offering the diversified agriculture degree in Manhattan, online and in Garden City, we can give students more ways to access a K-State education while preparing them for careers in the places that need them.”
Expanded opportunities for online agriculture programs
The college has also expanded online agriculture degree options, including an online bachelor’s degree in agricultural education and an associate of applied science in food and feed manufacturing, creating additional pathways for working professionals, transfer students and place-bound learners.
“The traditional learner still exists, and they exist in record numbers,” Jones said. “But we also have this emerging workforce learner. These are working professionals who may have some college but no credential, or they may have a credential but need greater specialization and technical skills.”
Today’s students arrive with a wider range of experiences. Some enter directly from high school with significant college credit already completed. Others begin at a community college, enter the workforce and return later for additional education. Some may start with a certificate or specialized coursework that can eventually build toward a degree.
K-State has also expanded the number of credits students may transfer from two-year institutions. Students can now bring as many as 75 of the 120 credits required for many bachelor’s degrees, reducing both the time and cost of completion.
“That is a game changer,” Jones said. “It allows students to bring more hours with them and makes the path to a bachelor’s degree more direct, transparent and affordable.”
Investing in southwest Kansas
Offering the diversified agriculture degree through K-State Southwest in Garden City represents a significant investment in the students, industries and communities of southwest Kansas.
The program brings a four-year K-State degree directly to the region, allowing students to remain near their families, employers and communities while benefiting from K-State faculty expertise, hands-on learning and industry connections.
K-State Southwest will serve students entering directly from high school, transferring with college credit or returning to education while working. Students will be able to combine in-person learning in Garden City with online coursework.
Sydney Flax, regional director of academic programs and partnerships in the College of Agriculture, is helping lead the new office’s work. Based in Garden City, Flax is building relationships with prospective students, schools, community colleges, employers and agricultural partners across western Kansas.
“Students in southwest Kansas should not have to choose between earning a K-State degree and staying connected to the families, communities and industries that have shaped them,” Flax said. “K-State Southwest gives us an opportunity to bring high-quality academic programs closer to students while building pathways that respond directly to the needs of the region.”
Renovations at the Southwest Research-Extension Center in Garden City will create space for K-State Southwest students and support the delivery of academic programs. The investment will connect students with K-State faculty and research, K-State Extension expertise, and hands-on learning opportunities in the region.
More opportunities to come for future Wildcats in southwest Kansas
The College of Agriculture will be the first to offer four-year degree opportunities through K-State Southwest, but it is only one part of the university’s broader commitment. K-State leaders are also exploring future programs in education, health and human sciences, and other fields aligned with southwest Kansas workforce needs.
“There’s a lot of interest in secondary education, particularly around STEM education,” Moser said. “That area of the state has had a hard time finding physics, biology and chemistry teachers.”
Programs in health and human sciences could also support careers in food, nutrition, dietetics, hospitality management, financial planning, aging and other fields important to the region.
As K-State expands its presence in Garden City, additional degree pathways will help close workforce gaps and allow more students to build their futures in the southwest Kansas communities that need their talent.
“To be able to have students in southwest Kansas with family roots in those communities attain these degrees and go to work for these industries, I think that’s going to be good for everybody,” Moser said. “We have heard clearly from communities and industries across southwest Kansas that they need more ways for local students to earn a degree, build careers and remain connected to home.
“Our programs are an important first step in K-State’s broader commitment to the region.”