Undergraduate Program

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics provides an opportunity for you to develop academic skills that complement your interests and aptitudes. Whether you wish to pursue a career in business or government, you will find training in economic reasoning, management and policy to be a good foundation.

As an agricultural and resource economics major, you will take classes in business management, environmental and resource policy, international agriculture, farm production, food production, government and politics, and economic theory and method. You may decide to design your own field in a foreign language, in the biological and environmental sciences, or in a particular area of agricultural production. The major offers you an opportunity to tailor your college program to your plans, abilities, and interests.

Our objective is to let you balance breadth and depth, and to develop a good intellectual foundation for the career you will choose after college. Potential employers will be reassured that you have a solid foundation in applied economics, since you will have taken six prerequisite and seven core courses. You will also have completed at least six courses in each field you claim.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES  for graduates from the agricultural and resource economics program depend upon program design. For example, a program emphasizing...

resource and environmental economics will prepare you for a policy-related role with conservation and environmental organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation; or for a policy evaluation and implementation position in such government agencies as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, the National Marine Fisheries Service, or the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

agribusiness will prepare you for employment with major food processors and retailers such as Giant Foods and Perdue Farms, or with agricultural input supply manufacturing and marketing organizations such as Agway and Southern States. Students also find employment with agricultural lending institutions such as commercial banks and the Federal Farm Credit System, and with government agencies such as the U.S. and Maryland Departments of Agriculture. This is a good background if you ultimately want to own your own nursery, farm or landscaping business.

international agriculture will prepare you for a career with such international agencies as the World Bank, the Agency for International Development, the Central Intelligence Agency, or the Foreign Agricultural Service. When combined with business management or a foreign language, the international emphasis can lead to a career in a multi-national agribusiness firm such as Ciba-Geigy or Kellogg.

PROGRAM OPTIONS
Agricultural and Resource Economics majors complete a set of prerequisite courses, a core of classes offered by the Agricultural and Resource Economics Department, and one or more fields comprised of selected courses from outside the department.  The core includes courses in economic reasoning, agribusiness management, environmental and resource policy, agricultural policy, economic development, and analytical methods.  The program permits students flexibility in choosing fields to fit their career interests.  Majors must complete one and should complete two fields.  The curriculum balances breadth and depth, and lets students develop academic skills in two or more areas.  The program provides a good foundation for careers in economics, resource or environmental policy, agribusiness, and international agriculture.

Students add an individual dimension to the core by selecting one or two of the following fields of course work from other departments:

Business Management includes courses taken in the College of Business and Management. In addition to two semesters in accounting, this field will expose you to upper-level courses in business finance, marketing, management and law.

Farm production provides a survey of crop and animal production and then lets you pursue some aspect of farm production in more depth. This field complements the business management field if you plan a career in an agribusiness firm. If you wish to manage a farm, you will need to add a self-designed field containing additional biological science and farm production courses in agronomy, animal sciences, or horticulture.

Food Production prepares you for management positions in food processing firms. This field supplements your foundation in economics and business management with courses in the principles of mechanics of food processing.

Environmental and Resource Policy includes the natural resource and environmental economics courses offered in the Department of Economics. You then choose four courses from biology, geography, agronomy, chemistry and government. When combined with a field in political process, students are prepared to work with a public interest or environmental agency.

International Agriculture recognizes the multi-national nature of major agricultural firms and markets. Students learn the economics of development, the geography of population, differences in economic systems, and the international aspects of markets and trade. This field can be combined with business management or a self-designed field in a foreign language to prepare you for employment in an international firm or organization.

Political Process features training in political science as well as agriculture, natural resources and environmental economics. Students selecting this field are well-prepared for law school or graduate programs in public affairs or international relations. You may also pursue careers in government agencies or governmental affairs positions in private industry.

Advanced Degree Preparation is for students interested in careers as professional agricultural, environmental, general, or natural resource economists. These professions require a Masters or Ph.D. degree and a strong background in economic theory and mathematics as an undergraduate.

Student-Designed Field allows you to personalize your interest in agricultural and resource economics by studying a foreign language, completing a double major, taking a set of biological science courses, selecting additional classes in a farm production area, or developing computer expertise. This field is for students who have a particular career or educational objective not met by another field.

ADVISING
Because the program is flexible, advising is mandatory.  Appointments may be made in Room 2200 Symons Hall, or by calling 301-405-1291.

AWARDS
Scholarships honoring Arthur and Pauline Seidenspinner and Ray Murray are available.  Contact a faculty adviser for more information (301-405-1291).

SPECIAL OPTIONS
The department features a double major with Spanish for students interested in careers in multinational agribusiness firms or international agencies.  The double major with the Department of Government and Politics is a good choice if you plan to attend law school or want to enter public service. If you plan to pursue a graduate degree in economics, agricultural economics, environmental economics or resource economics, you may pursue the advanced degree preparation field. Our department offers the Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees.