Agricultural Economics

College of Agriculture and

Life Sciences

Dr. Vance Watson, Dean

Dr. Steven C. Turner, Head

Dr. Stan Spurlock, Graduate Coordinator

300 Lloyd- Ricks Building

662-325-2750

webmaster@agecon.msstate.edu

The Department of Agricultural Economics offers degree programs leading to the Master of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in Agricultural Economics and the Master of Agribusiness Management (M.A.B.M.).  These programs stress thorough mastery of advanced economic theory, methods of quantitative analysis, and the applications of these methods to the problems of agriculture.  The broad program of economic research conducted by the department affords a wide selection of areas from which the student may choose a specific problem for research.  The Master of Agribusiness Management program is an interdisciplinary program administered by the Agribusiness Institute.  It is described elsewhere in this publication.

 The Master of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in Agricultural Economics program is designed for the student to begin graduate course work in a fall semester; thus, the student must submit application materials prior to July 1.  However, graduate research assistantship decisions are usually made in March, and admission to the program must be obtained before an assistantship may be granted.  Students are encouraged to apply no later than February.  For additional program information, e-mail Dr. Stan Spurlock, Graduate Coordinator, at spurlock@agecon.msstate.edu or telephone at 662-325-7995.

Admission Criteria—To obtain regular admission status to the M.S. program, an applicant must meet all University-wide graduate admission requirements and must achieve acceptable scores on each section of the GRE (verbal, quantitative, and analytical).  A minimum TOEFL score of 575 is required for all international students affected by this policy.

 Program of Study—A minimum of 32 graduate credit hours must be completed for the M.S. degree.  In the thesis option, the student must take at least six hours of research/thesis (up to six of these hours may substitute for course work hours).  In the non-thesis option, the student must take from one to six directed individual study hours toward a research paper (up to six of these hours may substitute for course work hours).  The student must include each of the required courses on the program of study and must make sure that 8000-level courses make up at least 15 of the total course credit hours, not including thesis research hours or directed individual study hours, on the program of study.

The curriculum is designed as a lock-step sequence of 23 hours of core course work.  The remaining hours may be a combination of approved electives, research/thesis, or directed individual study hours used toward a research paper.  Any course used as an approved elective must be included on the program of study.

In addition to the core course requirements (see list below), the student must take at least one of the following courses (unless the student has already received undergraduate credit for the course or its equivalent; re-taking a 4000-level course for 6000-level credit is not allowed):

AEC 6113      Agribusiness Firm Management

AEC 6343      Advanced Farm Management

AEC 6413      Public Problems of Agriculture.

 In addition, each student must take AEC 6133 Agricultural Marketing and Price Analysis (or its equivalent) either prior to or in conjunction with AEC 8163 Consumers, Producers, and Markets.

A comprehensive academic examination over the student’s course work is administered after completion of the course work.  Upon completion of the thesis (or the research paper in the non-thesis option), the student must present and defend his or her work.

Provisional Admission—A student who initially obtains provisional admission status must receive a 3.00 GPA on the following courses that are to be taken in the first fall semester in order to achieve regular admission status:

AEC 6713      Quantitative Economics

AEC 6733      Econometric Analysis in Agricultural Economics

AEC 8163      Consumers, Producers, and Markets

Academic Performance—A student will be dismissed from the M.S. program for any of the following reasons:

1.       Making more than two grades below a B on courses on the student’s program of study.

2.       Comprehensive academic examination:

a)       Failure to sit for this exam within the semester following the completion of course work, unless granted a postponement due to extenuating circumstances.

b)       Failure to sit for a required retake of this exam at the first opportunity.

c)       Failure to obtain a passing grade on this exam.

(A student may appeal a dismissal decision by following normal appeal procedures.)

Prerequisite and Core Courses—A student must have previously completed the following undergraduate courses (or their equivalents) with a grade of C or higher before beginning the required graduate course sequence:

AEC 1223      Computer Applications for Agriculturists and Life Scientists

EC 3113        Intermediate Macroeconomics

EC 3123        Intermediate Microeconomics

MA 1613        Calculus for Business and Life Sciences I

ST 2113         Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences.

 The student admitted to the program enrolls in a rigorous core curriculum composed of courses in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory, quantitative techniques, and research methods.  The student is required to follow a “lock-step” curriculum as specified below:

Fall Semester, First Year

AEC 8611      Research Seminar I. 1 hour

AEC 6713      Quantitative Economics. 3 hours

AEC 6733      Econometric Analysis in Agricultural Economics. 3 hours

AEC 8163      Consumers, Producers, and Markets. 3 hours

Spring Semester, First Year

AEC 8621      Research Seminar II. 1 hour

AEC 6723      Modeling for Agricultural Management. 3 hours

AEC 8143      Agricultural Production Economics. 3 hours

AEC 8123      Market Organization and Structure. 3 hours

Fall Semester, Second Year

EC 8173        Macroeconomics I. 3 hours

Completion Requirements—The thesis (or research paper under the non-thesis option) is completed under the supervision of the student’s graduate committee.  Completion of the degree requires students to present and defend his/her research work to the satisfaction of the Agricultural Economics faculty.