Academics
The Ranch Management Program is uniquely designed to train students to meet the challenges of agricultural resource management. In the rapidly expanding job market for agricultural resource managers there are opportunities in many areas including commodity investment, agricultural marketing, international trade, as well as ranch management. Our goal at the Ranch Management Program is to prepare individuals to help shape the future of agricultural asset management.
The faculty at the Ranch Management Program is dedicated to teaching the principles of managing soils, water, plants, animals, marketing, finance, and people as they relate to the agricultural resources. The curriculum is designed to teach agricultural resource management by combining academics and practical experience. Our faculty strives daily to prepare individuals for a lifetime of productive and rewarding work. The Ranch Management Program is challenging and requires dedication, hard work, careful study, and pride in one’s profession. We invite you to take a moment to explore our website and see what opportunities await you at the TCU Ranch Management Program.
Program Highlights
The Ranch Management Program continues the principles the original founders developed while adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of the industry today.
The Ranch Management professors began teaching a course which is open to all TCU students. Taught each fall semester, the Challenges of Global Food Production course challenges TCU students to think about the growing world population and explore options for food production and distribution on a global level.
The evening program graduated its last group of students and ceased to exist.
Kerry Cornelius became the fourth director of the program after a nationwide search.
TCU began offering a Bachelor of Science in Ranch Management with a Minor in Business, as well as a Ranch Management Minor, in addition to the certificate program.
Mr. Merrill stepped down as director and Jim Link was named the third director of the program. Mr. Link led the program until resigning in 2005 to take a position with the USDA.
An evening course was added for individuals who were not able to attend full-time classes. Ranch Management professors continued the basic principles of the program while adding new practices and technology to fit the changes in the beef cattle industry.
The program flourished and students came from all over the world to attend the respected program.
The Ranch Training Program name was officially changed to what it is today, Ranch Management Program.
John Merrill became the second director of the Program. Mr. Merrill expanded the curriculum and added the requirement of prior ranching experience for admittance to the program.
TCU Ranch Training Program began in the fall semester. The first director of the program, Arthur Courtade, along with a group of ranchers combined their educational backgrounds and knowledge of ranching to establish a curriculum that would meet the needs of the modern day ranching business with a concentration on beef cattle production.
Charles Pettit, Roy Parks, and Milton Daniel, along with support of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, presented a proposal to establish an educational program to address the needs of the ranching business to TCU Chancellor Sadler. Chancellor Sadler challenged the group to develop the curriculum and establish funding for the program.
For more details, take a look at the History of TCU Ranch Management.