Programs of Study

MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics

In this program you can focus on agribusiness, marketing, management, finance, agricultural policy, trade, consumer demand, or economic development. You will learn how to address the marketing of food and fiber in an uncertain economy, financing capital investments, economic impacts of agricultural policy, and how to stimulate rural economic development. You can also select an emphasis in applied economics concentrating on methods for analyzing current problems and issues. The preparation of a thesis prepares you to address today's serious economic challenges.

Requirements

1. Theory and quantitative requirements (17 hours):
   AAEC 6580-6580L Microeconomics: Theory with Applications I (4 hours)
   AAEC 6590-76590L Microeconomics: Theory with Applications II (3 hours)
   AAEC 6610-6610L Quantitative Techniques in Agricultural Economics (4 hours)
   AAEC 6620-6620L Applied Econometrics (3 hours)
   AAEC 6960 International Agricultural Trade (3 hours)
   
2. AAEC - 9 hours minimum, 6000 or above. These hours cannot include the theory and quantitative requirements, AAEC 7300, or AAEC 7000.
3. AAEC 8010 Seminar Program (1 hour can count toward the 27 hour minimum).
4. Successful completion of the Institutional Review Board online training module related to Social and Behavioral Research before the end of your first academic semester.
5. Preparation of an acceptable thesis.
6. Preparation of a draft article for publication in an academic journal.
7. Presentation of a thesis seminar.
8. Passing of a final oral examination.

See current graduation student handbook for more information.

Masters of Agribusiness (MAB)

In this professional degree you will focus on the food and agribusiness sector with emphasis on integrating economic, quantitative, and business analysis methods for decision making. Case-based instruction and research are emphasized with a capstone course in strategic management and financial analysis. Our agribusiness program will enhance your skills and broaden your business knowledge. You will learn how to address issues in personnel management, investments, firm acquisitions, food and fiber international marketing, and commodity trading. This professional, non-thesis degree will allow you to explore a wide variety of courses and make industry contacts leading to exciting career opportunities.

Requirements

1. Business management and quantitative requirements (24 hours): 
   AAEC 6570 Economic Tools for Business Decisions (3 hours)
   AAEC 6630E Quantitative Tools for Business Decisions (3 hours)
   AAEC 6640 Food, Marketing and Merchandising (3 hours)
   AAEC 6730 Accounting for Agribusiness (3 hours)
   AAEC 6740E Agribusiness Financial Management (3 hours)
   AAEC 6980 Agribusiness Management (3 hours)
   AAEC 7000 Master’s Research (3 hours)
   AAEC 7310 Topics in Agricultural and Applied Economics (comprehensive business plan) (3 hours)
2. Concentration Course Electives (12 hours) -- choose four courses from below or other courses approved by student’s advisory committee:
   AAEC 6870 Futures and Options Markets
   AAEC (ENVM) 6510 Land Economics and Appraisal
   AAEC(ENVM) 6710 Rural Economic Development and Growth
   AAEC 6960 International Agricultural Marketing and Trade
   ALDR 6600E The Global Seminar-Global Issues in Agriculture and the Environment
   ALDR 6700E Introduction to Extension and Engagement
   ENVM 6800 Water Resource Economics and Management
   ENVM 6650 Environmental Economics
   JURI(FANR)(ECOL) 6810 Natural Resources Law
3. A technical paper based on the student’s work in AAEC 7310 (in lieu of a thesis) is required. The subject and structure of the technical paper will be developed in consultation with the student's advisory committee. This paper must be approved by the student's advisory committee and a report of satisfactory achievement must be filed with the Graduate School.
4. Successful completion of the Institutional Review Board online training module related to Social and Behavioral Research before the end of the first academic semester.

See current graduate student handbook for more information.

MS in Environmental Economics

In this program you will explore and understand how economic relationships interact with private and public institutions in the use and management of our natural resources and environment. You will learn how to address issues involving renewable resources including food, forests, water, solar radiation, and wind, and resources in fixed supply including fossil fuels and land. These issues include resource conservation and sustainability, private and public land use planning and management, air and water pollution control, energy production and consumption, and maintaining ecosystems. Preparing a thesis in one of these areas will provide you with the ability and confidence to address complex environmental concerns.

Prerequisite/Co-requisite

Requirements

1. Theory and quantitative requirements (23 hours): 
   AAEC 6580-6580L Microeconomics: Theory with Applications I (4 hours)
   AAEC 6590-6590L Microeconomics: Theory with Applications II (3 hours)
   AAEC 6610-6610L Quantitative Techniques in Agricultural Economics (4 hours)
   AAEC 6620-6620L Applied Econometrics (3 hours)
   FANR/AAEC 7860 Natural Resource Economics I (3 hours)
2. Concentration Course Electives (6 hours) -- choose at least 2 course from below:
   AAEC(ENVM) 6510 Land Economics and Appraisal (3 hours)
   ENVM 6800 Water Resource Economics and Management (3 hours)
   AAEC 8100 Nonmarket Economic Valuation Techniques and Applications (3 hours)
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design (3 hours)
   AAEC 8210 Macroeconomic Issues in Agricultural and Natural Resources (3 hours)
   AAEC (ECOL) 8700 Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis (3 hours)
   AAEC 8750 Natural Resource and Environmental Economics II (3 hours)
3. AAEC 8010 Seminar Program (1 hour can count toward the 27 hour minimum).
4. Successful completion of the Institutional Review Board online training module related to Social and Behavioral Research before the end of your first academic semester.
5. Preparation of an acceptable thesis.
6. Preparation of a draft article for publication in an academic journal.
7. Presentation of a thesis seminar.
8. Passing of a final oral examination.

See current graduate student handbook for more information.

Ph.D. in Agricultural and Applied Economics

As a foundation for this program, you will learn economic theory from the department of economics together with applied economic skills taught within our department. You will learn economic theory related to strategic agent interactions, risky decision making, market power, missing markets, public goods, and welfare. Your economic foundation will be supported with quantitative methods covering econometrics, dynamic optimization, stochastic efficiency, and time series analysis. You will have the option of selecting either applied or environmental economics as a field of study. Applied economics will emphasize issues in consumer and production economics along with market structure. This will include organic markets, financial management, and investment under uncertainty. Environmental economics will address issues of sustainability, energy, nonmarket valuation, and global climate change.

Requirements

1. Course requirements (31 hours): 
   ECON 8000 Mathematical Analysis for Economists (3 hours)
   AAEC 8010 Seminar in Agricultural and Applied Economics (1 hour)
   ECON 8010 Microeconomic Theory I (3 hours)
   ECON 8020 Microeconomic Theory II (3 hours)
   ECON 8040 Macroeconomic Theory I (3 hours)
   ECON 8070 Statistics for Econometrics or STAT 6510 Mathematical Statistics I (3 hours)
   ECON 8080 Introduction to Econometrics (3 hours)
   ECON 8110 Econometrics I or AAEC 8610 Advanced Econometric Applications (3 hours)
   AAEC 8990 Second Year Paper I (1 hour)
   AAEC 8991 Directed Summer Reading (1 hour)
   AAEC 8992 Second Year Paper II (1 hour)
   Select three of the following seven courses beyond the above required courses:
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design (3 hours)
   AAEC 8260 Food Policy (3 hours)
   AAEC 8610 Econometric Applications (3 hours)
   ECON 8110 Econometrics I (3 hours)
   ECON 8120 Econometrics II or AAEC 8610 (3 hours)
   ECON 8130 Time Series Econometrics or STAT 8280 Time Series Analysis (3 hours)
2. Three AAEC concentration course electives (9 hours):
   AAEC 8080 Production Economics (3 hours)
   AAEC 8100 Economic Valuation (3 hours)
   AAEC 8140 Consumer Demand Theory (3 hours)
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design (3 hours)
   AAEC 8210 Macroeconomics Issues in Agricultural and Natural Resources (3 hours)
   AAEC 8260 Food Policy (3 hours)
   AAEC 8300 Agricultural Economics Research (3 hours)
   AAEC 8400 Agricultural Market Structure and Analysis (3 hours)
   AAEC 8500 Price Analysis (3 hours)
   AAEC 8610 Advanced Econometric Applications (3 hours)
   AAEC 8700 Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis Growth (3 hours)
   AAEC 8710 Agricultural Development and Growth (3 hours)
   AAEC 8750 Natural Resource Economics II (3 hours)
   Suggested areas of concentration
   Agricultural economics: 
   AAEC 8140 Consumer Demand Theory
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design
   AAEC 8800 Dynamic Optimization in Agricultural and Resource Economics
   AAEC 8400 Agricultural Market Structure and Analysis
   AAEC 8500 Price Analysis
   Development economics:
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design
   AAEC 8210 Macroeconomics Issues in Agricultural and Natural Resources
   AAEC 8710 Advanced Agricultural Development and Growth
   Environmental and natural resource economics: 
   AAEC 8100 Economic Valuation
   AAEC 8150 Experiment and Survey Design
   AAEC 8800 Dynamic Optimization in Agricultural and Resource Economics
   AAEC 8700 Advanced Environmental Economics and Policy Analysis
   AAEC 8750 Natural Resource Economics II
3. Successful completion of written and oral comprehensive qualifying examinations.
4. Successful completion of Avoiding Plagiarism Workshop.
5. Successful completion of written and oral comprehensive qualifying examinations.
   

See current graduate student handbook for more information.