History

The Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC) is an exceptional example of a unique partnership in education between Texas A&M University and the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) supported by USDA. ATC, established in 2000, provides agribusiness education to achieve sustainable entrepreneurship in the agribusiness and related sectors in Armenia and in the region. This western-structured school prepares agribusiness specialists armed with broad economic, marketing, and managerial skills, up-to-date communication abilities and excellent knowledge of English. All this makes ATC graduates competitive in the growing Armenian agribusiness, financial institutions, international agencies, NGOs, elsewhere.
ATC adheres to western education values and teaching principles. From the perspective of serving the needs of market economy development, ATC is a unique and successful synthesis reflecting a U.S. style agribusiness education adjusted to the Armenian situation. The duration of the Bachelor’s program at the Agribusiness Teaching Center is 2 years and is based on the completion of two years of undergraduate study at the Faculty of Economics of the ANAU and the 18-month Master of Agribusiness (MAB) program are based on the related Agricultural Economics curriculum of the Texas A&M University, with a privileged opportunity to fill the growing agribusiness and related job markets in Armenia, Georgia, and other countries. The MAB Program, established in 2010, is the only specialized graduate program in the sphere of Agribusiness Economics in the region taught in English. MAB program produces young professionals trained in the latest methods of business and economic analysis who are able to become the vanguard of problem solving in Agribusiness Economics.
The faculty members are professionals who hold academic degrees from leading universities in the United States and Europe and are well-established experts in their respective fields. Graduates receive a State Diploma from ANAU or the respective Georgian universities as well as a Certificate from the Texas A&M University. The core courses include management, marketing and finance. The classrooms, the computer lab, the videoconference room and other high-tech facilities give the students a complete working environment in and outside the classroom. During the 4-month work semester, students are provided with opportunities to gain experience in major agribusiness companies, farming enterprises, banks, and non-governmental organizations in Armenia. Students of the Agribusiness Teaching Center (ATC) have clear competitive advantages when it comes to participating in student exchange programs and studying abroad.
As of June 2025, the number of the BS graduates is 549. Another 146 have graduated from the MAB program. Around 60 graduates are from the Republic of Georgia. Over 90% of ATC graduates get their first employment within a few months after graduation.