Ranching Systems

https://animalrange.montana.edu/danscott/

The Ranching Systems degree is housed within the Department of Animal and Range Sciences. Ranching Systems is designed to equip graduates to successfully enter the complex field of ranch management. The curriculum includes courses in livestock production, natural resource management, finances and business. To produce exceptional graduates, students in the Ranching Systems Degree must apply for admission to the program during their sophomore year to be eligible to continue to graduation. Application criteria include a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a minimum of 24 credits earned in Ranching Systems. Each fall, ten students are admitted to the advanced segment of the program where they are paired with a partner ranch for 2 consecutive, summer-long internships. These summer internships on premier working ranches provide hands-on learning to effectively bridge the gap between classroom principles and real-world applications.

Freshman YearCredits
FallSpringSummer
AGED 140US - Leadership Development for Agriculture
or COMX 111US - Introduction to Public Speaking
3    
BIOB 170IN - Principles of Biological Diversity4    
CHMY 121IN - Introduction to General Chemistry
& CHMY 122IN - Introduction to General Chemistry Lab
4    
NRSM 101 - Natural Resource Conservation3    
NRSM 102 - Montana Range Plants1    
ANSC 100 - Introduction to Animal Science  3  
BIOB 160 - Principles of Living Systems  4  
ECNS 101IS - Economic Way of Thinking  3  
WRIT 101W - College Writing I  3  
Year Total: 15 13  
Sophomore YearCredits
FallSpringSummer
ACTG 201 - Principles of Financial Acct3    
ANSC 202 - Livestock Feeding & Nutrition3    
NRSM 240 - Natural Resource Ecology3    
CHMY 123 - Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
& CHMY 124 - Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry Lab
4    
STAT 216Q - Introduction to Statistics3    
ACTG 202 - Principles of Managerial Accounting  3  
ANSC 234 - Livestock Management - Beef I  1  
ANSC 265 - Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals - Lecture  3  
ANSC 266 - Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals - Lab  1  
BGEN 242D - Introduction to International Business  3  
BMIS 211 - Data Analytics I  3  
RS 398 - Ranching Systems Livestock & Forage Internship    1
Year Total: 16 14 1
Junior YearCredits
FallSpringSummer
ANSC 320 - Animal Nutrition3    
ANSC 321 - Physiology of Animal Reproduction4    
RS 306 - Livestock Management & Human Resources in Ranching Systems1    
ENSC 245IN - Soils3    
IA or IH coreUniversity required core course3    
RS 316 - Forage Management and Natural Resource Stewardship in Ranching Systems  1  
BIOO 230 - Identification of Seed Plants  4  
ANSC 322 - Principles of Animal Breeding and Genetics  3  
ANSC 337 - Disease of Domestic Livestock  3  
AGBE 210IS - Economics of Ag Business  3  
BMGT 335 - Management and Organization  3  
RS 498 - Ranching Systems Finances and Planning Internship    1
Year Total: 14 17 1
Senior YearCredits
FallSpringSummer
ANSC 434R - Beef Cattle Management4    
BMGT 406 - Negotiation/Dispute Resolution
or BMGT 366 - Leading and Managing People
3    
AGSC 342 - Forages3    
RS 406 - Finances and Decision Making in Ranching Systems1    
IA/IH CoreUniversity required core course3    
NRSM 353 - Grazing Ecology and Management  3  
NRSM 455 - Riparian Ecology & Management
or ENSC 272CS - Water Resources
  3  
WILD 426 - Wildlife Habitat Management
or WILD 355 - Wildlife and Livestock Habitat Restoration
or WILD 438 - Wildlife Habitat Ecology
  3  
WILD 420 - Range & Wildlife Policy and Planning
or NRSM 430 - Natural Resource Law
  3  
RS 416 - Systems Thinking for Ranches  2  
Year Total: 14 14  
Total Program Credits: 119