Oklahoma ranks fourth in the number of horses nationally and first in the number of horses per capita, according to an announcement from Oklahoma State University, which cited a 2012 study by The Innovation Group showing that the equine industry has an economic impact of $3.6 billion in Oklahoma while providing more than 25,000 full-time equivalent jobs.

“There is a high demand in this state and others across the country for people with advanced training and knowledge in the equine area, and employers are specifically looking for students that have degrees where equine was their primary area of focus,” said Steven Cooper, associate professor in the Oklahoma State University department of animal and food sciences.

With such a large number of horses and high demand for knowledgeable equine industry professionals, Oklahoma State’s College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CANSR) will help fill that void and offer a first-of-its-kind Equine Enterprise Management certificate program to any undergraduate student at the university, the announcement said.

“The program will get students career ready with an applicable skill set to allow them to integrate into the horse industry,” CANSR associate dean Cynda Clary said. “The Equine Enterprise Management program will be of great value to our students and the equine industry as a whole.”

Students in the program must complete a required number of hours in equine courses while meeting specific core requirements. These courses will provide both scientific training as well as practical experience within the equine concentration, regardless of the student’s major, the university said.

“This program also incorporates some business-related courses, which could prove to be beneficial to students wishing to own and operate their own equine enterprise,” Cooper said. “This certificate program will help us provide students with documentation that they have received this type of training while requiring a primary focus in the equine courses.”

Upon completion, students will receive a certificate in Equine Enterprise Management that will be registered officially on their transcript.