phd in agricultural economics

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UC Davis Agricultural and Resource Economics

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis offers one of the world's top graduate programs in agricultural economics, development economics, and environmental and resource economics. Students in our program complete a rigorous plan of study in microeconomic theory, econometrics, and field courses, and benefit from close collaboration and hands-on advising with faculty. We welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds and places, and value the diversity they bring to our program.

In these pages you will find key information about our program, including the program philosophy, application procedure, financial aid, and course offerings. Our graduate handbook provides you with all the relevant information about expectations, procedures, and requirements to be met as you make your way toward your degree objective.

If you have any questions after reading these pages, please send an e-mail to [email protected] .

We also offer a post-graduate certificate program, for students currently enrolled in a graduate program abroad who seek to enhance their training in applied economics at UC Davis.

Main Office: 530-752-1515 Student Advising Services: 530-754-9536 DeLoach Conference Room: 530-752-2916 Main Conference Room: 530-754-1850

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Ph.d. in agricultural economics.

At Nebraska, you can create the future you want. Our STEM-certified Ph.D. program gives you the tools to do more. One-on-one faculty membership helps you grow as a student, a researcher, and a citizen. Our students collaborate with each other, across disciplines, and across the world.

Why Agricultural Economics?

At Nebraska, you'll find a community of students and faculty ready to help you succeed. The three-part mission of a land grant institution means you have access to researcher, teachers and extension specialists. Faculty research is concentrated in five areas:

Agriculture Firm Profitability and Sustainability Behavioral and Experimental Economics Industrial Organization of the Agri-Food System International Trade and Development Natural Resources Rural Innovation and Development

Why Nebraska?

In the Department of Agricultural Economics, you get the best of both worlds. You'll attend a world-class, Big Ten university and have access to the all the academic resources and activities that come with it. At our East Campus location, you get a small-school atmosphere with one-on-one personal advising and a community that cares about you. At Nebraska, we believe in the power of every person. And we don't rest on our strengths — we stretch them.

How to Apply What You Will Learn Funding and Cost About the Ph. D. in Ag Econ

Students come from across the world to participate in our STEM designated doctoral program. The program is enriched by the diverse experiences and backgrounds of our students. We encourage collaboration and value the contributions of our PhD students to our department.

Diya Ganguly Ph. D. Student

"There is a wonderful sense of being truly welcomed and made to feel at home by everyone I have met on campus and everyone in my department."

Simanti Banerjee Associate Professor

"I was drawn to UNL’s strong agricultural focus, its membership in the prestigious Big 10 Conference, UNL’s location in the State Capital where it is close to various stakeholder agencies."

Badri Khanal PhD Alumnus

"UNL feels like a home away from home. Lincoln has a very welcoming community for international students."

Kofi Britwum PhD Alumnus

"I appreciate having advisers/professors who saw in me what I didn't see in myself, and nurtured me to become an independent researcher and an academic."

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How to Apply

Requirements.

• A master's degree with a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Students without a master’s degree will also be considered but they must have completed core requirements for the master's degree in agricultural economics.
• See all Graduate Studies admission policies .

Prerequisites

• Master's level microeconomics
• Master's level macroeconomics
• Master's level econometrics
• Calculus I, II, and III

Field courses in areas of interest are recommended but not required.

Other Information

• The GRE is not required but is recommended for students seeking an assistantship.
• If your native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required. Graduate Studies determines exemptions from this requirement.
• You do not need to contact a faculty member to be considered for admission or an assistantship.

Application

In addition to Graduate Studies' requirements . We require:

• A one-page to three-page statement of purpose. It should explain why you want to pursue a graduate degree and describe your interests.
• Three letters of recommendation. We recommend at least two of these letters are from faculty members who can describe your academic abilities.
• Resume or curriculum vitae

What You Will Learn

All doctoral students take:

• ECON 912A and 912B - Advanced Microeconomics I & II
• ECON 912A and 912B - Advanced Macroeconomics I & II
• ECON 917, 918, and 919 - Econometrics I, II & III
• STAT 882 - Mathematical Statics I-Distribution Theory
• Two courses from the AECN 901 block (6 credit hours)
• Two courses from the AECN 902 block (6 credit hours)

In addition to the core requirements, Ph.D. students are expected to:

• Prepare a department or a conference presentation (or paper) before the fourth year begins
• Have a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal before graduating

Credit Hour Requirements

• At least 90 credit hours, including 12 to 55 hours of dissertation research
• At least half of the graduate work, including the dissertation, will be completed in the department

Funding and Cost

Graduate tuition and fees.

For current graduate tuition and fee structure and rates, visit studentaccounts.unl.edu/graduate-tuition.

Assistantships

Graduate research assistantships are the most common form of financial assistance. A GRA consists of a stipend and benefits. Tuition is waived for students on assistantships, but fees of approximately $1,200/year must be paid by all students. A major portion of the fee for student health insurance is included in GRAs. Each year, we receive funding from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Agricultural Research Division for GRAs. These are not tied to a specific research project but support the research needs of the department and institute. There is no separate application for assistantships and applicants do not need to contact a faculty member to be considered.

Faculty often have grants or other funding to support graduate students. More information .

READY TO APPLY?

Texas A&M University Catalogs

Doctor of philosophy in agricultural economics.

A PhD in Agricultural Economics provides a degree tailored to produce a highly skilled applied economist focused on quantitatively-based economic research and analyses of managerial and policy questions as well as natural resource and environmental issues.

Students (regardless of their primary interests) are encouraged to take not only advanced courses covering various fields within the department but also essential supporting courses in other departments. Students are expected to acquire knowledge of economic theory, its application to contemporary agricultural production, agribusiness and resource problems, and the ability to employ analytical techniques in making policy and business decisions.

The teaching and research activities are grouped broadly as follows:  Agribusiness, Applied Market Analysis, and Resources and Environmental Economics.  The present and expanding program of research in the department affords the student diverse options and capable guidance in dissertation research.

Information regarding the program and  application process  may be obtained from the AGEC graduate website  or by contacting the Department at [email protected] .

Steps to Fulfill a Doctoral Program

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee

Degree Plan

Transfer of credit, research proposal.

• Preliminary Examination

Preliminary Examination Format

Preliminary examination scheduling, report of preliminary examination, failure of the preliminary examination, retake of failed preliminary examination.

• Final Examination

Report of Final Examination

Dissertation, student’s advisory committee.

After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty) concerning appointment of the chair of the advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee will consist of  no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty  representative of the student’s several fields of study and research, where the chair or co-chair must be from the student’s department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), and  at least one or more of the members must have an appointment to a department other than the student’s major department . The outside member for a student in an interdisciplinary degree program must be from a department different from the chair of the student’s committee.

The chair, in consultation with the student, will select the remainder of the advisory committee. Only graduate faculty members located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other Texas A&M University graduate faculty members located off-campus may serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair), with a member as the chair.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head or Chair of Intercollegiate faculty may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for up to one year. The students should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

The committee members’ signatures on the degree plan indicate their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Although individual committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, a committee cannot resign  en masse . The chair of the committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student’s research and dissertation or record of study, has the responsibility for calling all meetings of the committee. The duties of the committee include responsibility for the proposed degree plan, the research proposal, the preliminary examination, the dissertation or record of study and the final examination. In addition, the committee, as a group and as individual members, is responsible for counseling the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

The student’s advisory committee will evaluate the student’s previous education and degree objectives. The committee, in consultation with the student, will develop a proposed degree plan and outline a research problem which, when completed, as indicated by the dissertation (or its equivalent for the degree of Doctor of Education or the degree of Doctor of Engineering), will constitute the basic requirements for the degree. The degree plan must be filed with the Graduate and Professional School prior to the deadline imposed by the student’s college and no later than 90 days prior to the preliminary examination.

This proposed degree plan should be submitted through the online Document Processing Submission System located on the website  http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu . A minimum of 64 hours is required on the degree plan for the Doctor of Philosophy for a student who has completed a master’s degree. A student who has completed a DDS/DMD, DVM or a MD at a U.S. institution is also required to complete a minimum of 64 hours. A student who has completed a baccalaureate degree but not a master’s degree will be required to complete a 96-hour degree plan. Completion of a DDS/DMD, DVM or MD degree at a foreign institution requires completion of a minimum of 96 hours for the Doctor of Philosophy. A field of study may be primarily in one department or in a combination of departments. A degree plan must carry a reasonable amount of 691 (research). A maximum of 9 hours of 400-level undergraduate courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy.

Additional coursework may be added by petition to the approved degree plan by the student’s advisory committee if it is deemed necessary to correct deficiencies in the student’s academic preparation. No changes can be made to the degree plan once the student’s Request for Final Examination is approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Approval to enroll in any professional course (900-level) should be obtained from the head of the department (or Chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable) in which the course will be offered before including such a course on a degree plan.

No credit may be obtained by correspondence study, by extension or for any course of fewer than three weeks duration.

For non-distance degree programs, no more than four courses may be taken by distance education without approval of the Graduate and Professional School and no more than 50 percent of the non-research credit hours required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.

To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs. 

Courses for which transfer credits are sought must have been completed with a grade of B or greater and must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate and Professional School. These courses must not have been used previously for another degree. Except for officially approved cooperative doctoral programs, credit for thesis or dissertation research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for “internship” coursework in any form is not transferable. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for a student in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Credit for coursework taken by extension is not transferable. Coursework  in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A or B) are earned (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit . Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours, or equated to semester credit hours.

Courses used toward a degree at another institution may not be applied for graduate credit. If the course to be transferred was taken prior to the conferral of a degree at the transfer institution, a letter from the registrar at that institution stating that the course was not applied for credit toward the degree must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA. An official transcript from the university at which transfer courses are taken must be sent directly to the Office of Admissions.

The general field of research to be used for the dissertation should be agreed on by the student and the advisory committee at their first meeting, as a basis for selecting the proper courses to support the proposed research.

As soon thereafter as the research project can be outlined in reasonable detail, the dissertation research proposal should be completed. The research proposal should be approved at a meeting of the student’s advisory committee, at which time the feasibility of the proposed research and the adequacy of available facilities should be reviewed. The approved proposal, signed by all members of the student’s advisory committee, the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School at least 20 working days prior to the submission of the Request for the Final Examination.

Compliance issues must be addressed if a graduate student is performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. A student involved in these types of research should check with the Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety at (979) 458-1467 to address questions about all research compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the website  http:// rcb.tamu.edu .

Examinations

Preliminary examination for doctoral students.

The student’s major department (or chair of the interdisciplinary degree program faculty, if applicable) and his or her advisory committee may require qualifying, cumulative or other types of examinations at any time deemed desirable. These examinations are entirely at the discretion of the department and the student’s advisory committee.

The preliminary examination is required. The preliminary examination for a doctoral student shall be given no earlier than a date at which the student is within 6 credit hours of completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan (i.e., all coursework on the degree plan except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The student should complete the Preliminary Examination no later than the end of the semester following the completion of the formal coursework on the degree plan.

The objective of preliminary examination is to evaluate whether the student has demonstrated the following qualifications:

a.     a mastery of the subject matter of all fields in the program;

b.     an adequate knowledge of the literature in these fields and an ability to carry out bibliographical research;

c.     an understanding of the research problem and the appropriate methodological approaches.

The format of the preliminary examination shall be determined by the student’s department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) and advisory committee, and communicated to the student in advance of the examination. The exam may consist of a written component, oral component, or combination of written and oral components.

The preliminary exam may be administered by the advisory committee or a departmental committee; herein referred to as the examination committee.

Regardless of exam format, a student will receive an overall preliminary exam result of pass or fail. The department (or interdisciplinary degree program, if applicable) will determine how the overall pass or fail result is determined based on the exam structure and internal department procedures. If the exam is administered by the advisory committee, each advisory committee member will provide a pass or fail evaluation decision.

Only one advisory committee substitution is allowed to provide an evaluation decision for a student’s preliminary exam, and it cannot be the committee chair.

If a student is required to take, as a part of the preliminary examination, a written component administered by a department or interdisciplinary degree program, the department or interdisciplinary degree program faculty must:

a.     offer the examination at least once every six months. The departmental or interdisciplinary degree program examination should be announced at least 30 days prior to the scheduled examination date.

b.     assume the responsibility for marking the examination satisfactory or unsatisfactory, or otherwise graded, and in the case of unsatisfactory, stating specifically the reasons for such a mark.

c.     forward the marked examination to the chair of the student’s advisory committee within one week after the examination.

Prior to commencing any component of the preliminary examination, a departmental representative or the advisory committee chair will review the eligibility criteria with the student, using the Preliminary Examination Checklist to ensure the student is eligible for the preliminary examination. The following list of eligibility requirements applies.

Student is registered at Texas A&M University for a minimum of one semester credit hour in the long semester or summer term during which any component of the preliminary examination is held. If the entire examination is held between semesters, then the student must be registered for the term immediately preceding the examination.

An approved degree plan is on file with the Graduate and Professional School prior to commencing the first component of the examination.

Student’s cumulative GPA is at least 3.000.

Student’s degree plan GPA is at least 3.000.

At the end of the semester in which at least the first component of the exam is given, there are no more than 6 hours of coursework remaining on the degree plan (except 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 693, 695, 697, 791, or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog). The head of the student’s department (or Chair of the Interdisciplinary Degree Program, if applicable) has the authority to approve a waiver of this criterion.

Credit for the preliminary examination is not transferable in cases where a student changes degree programs after passing a preliminary exam.

If a written component precedes an oral component of the preliminary exam, the chair of the student’s examination committee is responsible for making all written examinations available to all members of the committee.  A positive evaluation of the preliminary exam by all members of a student’s examination committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her preliminary exam.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Preliminary Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Preliminary Examination form. The Preliminary Examination checklist form must also be submitted. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the preliminary examination.

The Report of the Preliminary Examination form must be submitted with original signatures of the approved examination committee members. If an approved examination committee member substitution (one only) has been made, that signature must also be included, in place of the committee member, on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. The original signature of the department head is also required on the form.

After passing the required preliminary oral and written examinations for a doctoral degree, the student must complete the final examination within four years of the semester in which the preliminary exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a preliminary exam taken and passed during the fall 2019 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A preliminary exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2019 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester.

First Failure

Upon approval of the student’s examination committee, with no more than one member dissenting, and approval of the Graduate and Professional School, a student who has failed the preliminary examination may be given one re-examination. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5, the student’s department head or designee, intercollegiate faculty, or graduate advisory committee should make a recommendation to the student regarding their scholastic deficiency.

Second Failure

Upon failing the preliminary exam twice in a doctoral program, a student is no longer eligible to continue to pursue the PhD in that program/major. In accordance with Student Rule 12.5.3 and/or 12.5.4, the student will be notified of the action being taken by the department as a result of the second failure of the preliminary examination.

Adequate time must be given to permit the student to address the inadequacies emerging from the first preliminary examination. The examination committee must agree upon and communicate in writing to the student, an adequate time-frame from the first examination (normally six months) to retest, as well as a detailed explanation of the inadequacies emerging from the examination. The student and the committee should jointly negotiate a mutually acceptable date for this retest. When providing feedback on inadequacies, the committee should clearly document expected improvements that the student must be able to exhibit in order to retake the exam. The examination committee will document and communicate the time-frame and feedback within 10 working days of the exam that was not passed.

Final Examination for Doctoral Students

The candidate for the doctoral degree must pass a final examination by deadline dates announced in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” each semester. The doctoral student is allowed only one opportunity to take the final examination.

No unabsolved grades of D, F, or U for any course can be listed on the degree plan. The student must be registered for any remaining hours of 681, 684, 690, 691, 692, 791 or other graduate courses specifically designated as S/U in the course catalog during the semester of the final exam. No student may be given a final examination until they have been admitted to candidacy and their current official cumulative and degree plan GPAs are 3.00 or better.

To be admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, a student must have:

1.       completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, 692 (Professional Study), or 791 hours,

2.       a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,

3.       passed the preliminary examination,

4.       submitted an approved dissertation proposal,

5.       met the residence requirements.

The request to hold and announce the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date. Any changes to the degree plan must be approved by the Graduate and Professional School prior to the submission of the request for final examination.

The student’s advisory committee will conduct this examination. The final examination is not to be administered until the dissertation or record of study is available in substantially final form to the student’s advisory committee, and all concerned have had adequate time to review the document. Whereas the final examination may cover the broad field of the candidate’s training, it is presumed that the major portion of the time will be devoted to the dissertation and closely allied topics. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the chair of the advisory committee, be invited to attend a final examination for an advanced degree. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department can have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings.

The student’s department will promptly report the results of the Final Examination to the Graduate and Professional School via the Report of Doctoral Final Examination form. These forms should be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School within 10 working days of completion of the final examination. The Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing of any cancellations.

A positive evaluation of the final exam by all members of a student’s advisory committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her final exam. The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. If necessary, multiple copies of the form may be submitted with different committee member original signatures. If an approved committee member substitution (1 only) has been made, his/her signature must be included on the form submitted to the Graduate and Professional School.

The ability to perform independent research must be demonstrated by the dissertation,  which must be the original work of the candidate . Whereas acceptance of the dissertation is based primarily on its scholarly merit, it must also exhibit creditable literary workmanship. The format of the dissertation must be acceptable to the Graduate and Professional School. Guidelines for the preparation of the dissertation are available in the  Thesis Manual , which is available online at  https://grad.tamu.edu .

After successful defense and approval by the student’s advisory committee and the head of the student’s major department (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), a student must submit his/her dissertation in electronic format as a single PDF file. The PDF file must be uploaded to the website,  https://grad.tamu.edu . Additionally, a signed paper approval form with original signatures must be received by the Graduate and Professional School. Both the PDF file and the signed approval form are required by the deadline.

Deadline dates for submitting are announced each semester or summer term in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the website  https://grad.tamu.edu .

Each student who submits a document for review is assessed a one-time thesis/dissertation processing fee through Student Business Services. This processing fee is for the thesis/dissertation services provided. After commencement, dissertations are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries.

A dissertation that is deemed unacceptable by the Graduate and Professional School because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student’s department head or chair of the intercollegiate faculty . The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin anew. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process in order to graduate.

Additional Requirements

Continuous registration, admission to candidacy.

• 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degree

Application for Degree

A student who enters the doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree must spend one academic year plus one semester in resident study at Texas A&M University. A student who holds master’s degree when he/she enters doctoral degree program must spend one academic year in resident study. One academic year may include two adjacent regular semesters or one regular semester and one adjacent 10-week summer semester. The third semester is not required to be adjacent to the one year. Enrollment for each semester must be a minimum of 9 credit hours each to satisfy the residence requirement. A minimum of 1 credit hour must be in a non-distance education delivery mode. Semesters in which the student is enrolled in all distance education coursework will not count toward fulfillment of the residence requirement.

To satisfy the residence requirement, the student must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester or 10-week summer semester in resident study at Texas A&M University for the required period. A student who enters a doctoral degree program with a baccalaureate degree may fulfill residence requirements in excess of one academic year (18 credit hours) by registration during summer sessions or by completion of a less-than-full course load (in this context a full course load is considered 9 credit hours per semester).

Students who are employed full-time while completing their degree may fulfill total residence requirements by completion of less-than-full time course loads each semester. In order to be considered for this, the student is required to submit a Petition for Waivers and Exceptions along with verification of his/her employment to the Graduate and Professional School. An employee should submit verification of his/her employment at the time he/she submits the degree plan. See  Registration.

See  Residence Requirements .

All requirements for doctoral degrees must be completed within a period of ten consecutive calendar years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until 10 years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework more than ten calendar years old at the time of the final oral examination may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

A final corrected version of the dissertation or record of study in electronic format as a single PDF file must be cleared by the Graduate and Professional School within one year of the semester in which the final exam is taken. Exams taken in between terms will expire at the end of the term that ended prior to the exam. For example, a final exam taken and passed during the fall 2022 semester will expire at the end of the fall 2023 semester. A final exam taken in the time between the summer and fall 2022 semesters will expire at the end of the summer 2023 semester. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded.

A student in a program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy who has completed all coursework on his/her degree plan other than 691 (research) are required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. See  Continuous Registration Requirements .

• completed all formal coursework on the degree plan with the exception of any remaining 681, 684, 690 and 691, or 791.
• a 3.0 Graduate GPA and a Degree Plan GPA of at least 3.0 with no grade lower than C in any course on the degree plan,
• passed the preliminary examination (written and oral portions),
• submitted an approved dissertation proposal,
• met the residence requirements. The final examination will not be authorized for any doctoral student who has not been admitted to candidacy.

A student is required to possess a competent command of English. For English language proficiency requirements, see the Admissions section of this catalog. The doctoral (PhD) foreign language requirement at Texas A&M University is a departmental option, to be administered and monitored by the individual departments of academic instruction.

99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees

In Texas, public colleges and universities are funded by the state according to the number of students enrolled. In accordance with legislation passed by the Texas Legislature, the number of hours for which state universities may receive subvention funding at the doctoral rate for any individual is limited to 99 hours. Texas A&M and other universities will not receive subvention for hours in excess of the limit.

Institutions of higher education are allowed to charge the equivalent of non-resident tuition to a resident doctoral student who has enrolled in 100 or more semester credit hours of doctoral coursework.

Doctoral students at Texas A&M have seven years to complete their degree before being charged out-of-state tuition. A doctoral student who, after seven years of study, has accumulated 100 or more doctoral hours will be charged tuition at a rate equivalent to out-of-state tuition. Please note that the tuition increases will apply to Texas residents as well as students from other states and countries who are currently charged tuition at the resident rate. This includes those doctoral students who hold GAT, GANT, and GAR appointments or recipients of competitive fellowships who receive more than $1,000 per semester. Doctoral students who have not accumulated 100 hours after seven years of study are eligible to pay in-state tuition if otherwise eligible.

Doctoral students who exceed the credit limit will receive notification from the Graduate and Professional School during the semester in which they are enrolled and exceeding the limit in their current degree program. The notification will explain that the State of Texas does not provide funding for any additional hours in which a student is enrolled in excess of 99 hours. Texas A&M University will recover the lost funds by requiring students in excess of 99 hours to pay tuition at the non-funded, non-resident rate. This non-funded, non-resident tuition rate status will be updated for the following semester and in all subsequent semesters until receipt of a doctoral degree. Please see the  Tuition Calculator  at the non-resident rate for an example of potential charges.

The following majors are exempt from the 99-Hour Cap on Doctoral Degrees and have a limit of 130 doctoral hours:

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Health Services Research
• Medical Sciences
• Microbiology
• Neurosciences (School of Medicine)
• Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences
• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Public Health Sciences
• School Psychology

For information on applying for your degree, please visit the  Graduation  section.

Agricultural Economics Ph.D. Program

A doctoral degree in Agricultural Economics prepares students for careers in academia, agribusiness, consulting firms, financial institutions, government, or non-governmental organizations. Opportunities will vary depending upon the student’s choice of specialty area. Please visit our  Specialty Areas  webpage for more information .

Below you will find information about:

Preliminary exams.

• Ph.D. and M.S. Graduate Degree Requirements​

Graduate students take comprehensive examinations in order to test their professional competence. We call them prelims, but they are often called “qualifying” or “general” exams at other PhD programs. Our rules regarding the prelim exams can be found in the department's  policies and procedures manual . 

Successful completion of the preliminary examinations constitutes formal admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. The preliminary examination consists of two parts: economic theory and the prospectus. An examination in microeconomic theory is administered by the Department of Economics (June and August).  Students are required to take this examination as soon as ECON 615, 606, 607, and 609 core courses are completed. The prospectus examination is administered by the Department of Agricultural Economics.  The purpose of the examination is to check competency in the chosen field and preparation for embarking on dissertation research. For details on upcoming exams, please contact Graduate Program Chair   Carson Reeling . 

• MS - ECON 51100, ECON 51200;  PhD - ECON 60600, ECON 60700, ECON 60900, and ECON 61500
• MS – either STAT 51200 or AGEC 65000, plus AGEC 55200; For the Professional MS in International Agribusiness, AGEC 55200 and AGEC 65000 are required;  PhD - ECON 67000, AGEC 65100, AGEC 65200, AGEC 65400 (2)
• MS – the Professional MS in International Agribusiness has additional requirements, including AGEC 57100 (1 credit), AGEC 57200 (2 credits) AGEC 57300 (3 credits), and a Capstone Project. Check with the Graduate Coordinator for details;  PhD - AGEC 62500 (3) or ECON 60800 (2) by permission
• Use of course below the 500 level on a Plan of Study requires approval from the Graduate Committee. Written requests for approval should justify the inclusion of these courses on a course-by-course basis. MGMT/OBHR coursework must represent less than 50 percent of the credit hours on a Plan of Study.
• Credit for acceptable courses taken at other universities may be transferred after one satisfactory semester in residence. Undergraduate  transfer credits from another university must be declared in excess for the BS Degree, must be taken for graduate credit, and must be equivalent to Purdue 500  or 600 level courses. Equivalency of transfer credits to Purdue credits is determined by the Graduate School. A maximum of nine credits may be transferred if earned as excess undergraduate credit or in post-baccalaureate status at Purdue University.
• The research credits for the professional option MS degree are in the form of a special problem, the MS thesis and Ph.D. dissertation research credits are not considered "courses".
• The Graduate School requires that all courses appearing on the Plan of Study be passed with a grade of C- or better.

Note: Pass-fail grades are acceptable only for prerequisites. Courses must be taken for a grade to be listed on the Plan of Study. Prerequisite courses and grades will appear on the student's official transcript.

Have Questions? Contact Us!

Ryan Good, Graduate Coordinator, (765) 496-5338

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PHD, Agricultural & Applied Economics

Rigorous curriculum and cutting-edge research programs in a wide range of economic fields. Work closely with nationally recognized, experienced faculty to break new ground in our understanding of human decision making and economic institutions.

Degree Type: Doctoral

Degree Program Code: PHD_AGAE

Degree Program Summary:

Graduate study in agricultural and applied economics leading to a Master of Science degree in agricultural and applied economics or environmental economics and Doctor of Philosophy degree provides a wide range of educational opportunities in addressing the issues of production and distribution of food and fiber, natural resource and environmental management, and the quality of rural life. These programs prepare students for careers of leadership through development of a high degree of economic comprehension and decision making. Applications of economic theory and econometrics to resolve economic problems are the major areas of focus for courses in the department. The department has offered graduate degree programs for over 55 years. Its graduates hold key positions in both the private and public sectors in the state, the nation, and throughout the world. Graduates are employed in a wide range of positions, with robust demand in private industry from health care to food and fiber wholesale firms. Graduates are employed in domestic and international academic positions.

Graduate study is offered at both the masters and doctoral levels. The Master of Science (MS) in agricultural and applied economics and the Master of Science (MS) in environmental economics degrees require 27 hours minimum of course work and three hours of thesis. A Master of Agribusiness (MAB) degree consists of a minimum of 36 hours of course work including a technical report in lieu of a formal thesis. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree consists of a minimum of 63 hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s degree, satisfactory performance on written and oral examinations, and a formal dissertation.

Graduate instruction and research may be undertaken in the following areas of specialization: agricultural marketing and consumer demand, agricultural business management, production economics, natural resources and environmental economics, and international trade and development.

Graduate research is coordinated with the department’s overall research program. Students may select a research topic related to the department’s current research projects or an approved area of sponsored research. Exceptional computer facilities, software, and support are available for departmental research.

Financial assistance is available to graduate students on a competitive basis in the form of departmental research assistantships. Paid internships are also available from regional and national agribusiness firms.

Locations Offered:

Athens (Main Campus)

College / School:

College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

147 Cedar Street Athens, GA 30602

706-542-3924

Department:

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Graduate Coordinator(s):

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Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics

• Fall January 10

International students may need to surpass the Graduate School’s minimum English language proficiency exam scores for this program. If the graduate program has unique score requirements, they will be detailed below. Otherwise, please refer to the Graduate School’s minimum score guidelines.

Degree Description:

The PhD in Agricultural Economics is designed to provide the student with an excellent foundation in the theory and methods of economic analysis as well as experience in applied analysis of agricultural, agribusiness, and/or resource economics problems. Career opportunities for agricultural economists also include academia, government, and the private sector. Many academic positions (especially at land grant universities) include salary support for a combination of teaching, research, and/or outreach related to the food and fiber sectors and the natural resource base that supports them.

Admission Requirements:

Statement of Purpose, 3 letters of recommendation, CV, GRE, Unofficial Transcripts

Student Opportunities:

The collaboration between students and professors is really close, our offices are often next to each other, and it is common for professors to coauthor papers with PhD students, which turn into journal publications. In the last years, coauthored papers with our students were published in journals such as American Journal of Agricultural Economics , Economic Inquiry , Agricultural Economics, Canadian Journal of Economics , Journal of Environmental Economics and Management , and Economic Letters , among others. In addition, the environment between students and professors is very collegial, and we meet once a week (normally after seminars) for drinks in a more relaxed environment.

We fund around 80% of admitted students, who receive graduate assistantships from our School. The rest of students are often funded by governments in their home countries, or foundations, such as the Fulbright or the Soros Foundations.

Career Opportunities:

Academia, Government and the Private Sector

Job Market Guide

Career Placements:

The job market placement of our recent PhD graduates has been extremely positive, including positions at the University of Arkansas, Penn State University, Yale University (Post-Doc), University of Connecticut, California State University, Cornell University (Post-Doc), University of New Mexico, Illinois State University, University of Kentucky, University of Oklahoma, University of Georgia, Colorado State University, and University of Nebraska; at government agencies such as the US Department of Agriculture and the United Nations; and firms such as JP Morgan-Chase and American Express.

Contact Information:

• Jaimie Dahl, Asst. to the Director, and Graduate Coordinator [email protected]
• Jeffrey Luckstead, Associate Professor, and Graduate Studies Chair [email protected]

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PhD in Agricultural and Applied Economics

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Degree Requirements

Sample plan of study, qualifier examination process.

• Comprehensive Examination Progress

Dissertation Requirements

The PhD program emphasizes preparation for teaching, research, and extension work in academia, as well as for careers in agrifood business, government and international agriculture. The program usually requires about three years beyond the master's program to complete. The size, quality and diversity of the faculty provide a broad choice of advisors and research topics. While students and their advisory committees have latitude in developing a plan of study, the following specialties are emphasized in our program: Environmental and Development Economics; Managerial, Behavioral & Organizational Economics; and Public Policy Analysis.

The general requirements for the PhD consist of theory and methods courses, followed by a well-balanced selection of field, elective, and research courses in agricultural and applied economics and other disciplines at the graduate level. The course of study will prepare students for the qualifier exam taken after the first year of courses, the comprehensive exam assessing competency in his or her chosen fields of study, and independent research. A dissertation embodying the results of original research must be written on a subject approved by the program committee. An oral examination over the dissertation completes the degree requirements.

The minimum requirements for the PhD are 72 credit hours of graduate coursework, with at least 30 credit hours from courses numbered 8000–9000, exclusive of dissertation research, problems or independent study. No more than 30 credit hours can be transferred from an MS program. Specific requirements are as follows:

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Or another 8000- or 9000-level quantitative methods class with advisor’s approval.

Subsequent Semesters: A student can take Field and/or Elective courses. Or Research and/or Dissertation hours.

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Students take the Qualifier Exam after completing the first year sequence of courses. Students must pass the Qualifier Exam to continue in the PhD program. The Qualifier Exam consists of two parts. (1) The Microeconomics Qualifier Exam is administered in May of the first year by the Economics Department and is taken at the same time first year Economics PhD students take the exam. Students who fail the Micro Qualifier in May can retake the exam in August. (2) An average GPA of 3.25 for the other courses in the first year core.

Comprehensive Examination Process

Students take the Comprehensive Exam after passing the qualifier exam and completing coursework, including core courses and field courses. The Comprehensive Exam consists of three parts: the written dissertation proposal, a written comprehensive exam, and an oral examination. The Comprehensive Exam is administered by the student’s Doctoral Program Committee. The Comprehensive Exam must be completed at least seven months before the final dissertation defense.

Two types of dissertations are acceptable. The first type of dissertation is organized around a single topic and typically is a lengthy monograph of research findings. The second type of dissertation is a compilation of three essays that are related to a general theme or topic. Students select dissertation topics in consultation with their Doctoral Program Committee.

Admission into the PhD program is determined by an assessment of program prerequisites and application materials. Prerequisites for the PhD program include courses in intermediate microeconomics; intermediate macroeconomics; econometrics or regression and correlation analysis; differential calculus; and statistics. Applicants who have not met these prerequisites or have limited background in economics may be required to correct these deficiencies or take certain courses without graduate credit before being formally admitted into the program. A master’s degree in economics, agricultural economics, or a related field, is preferred but not required for admittance into the PhD program. Minimum requirements for admission into the PhD program are a Bachelor’s degree (BA or BS) or equivalent and undergraduate GPA of 3.2. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an equivalent English competency test is required of applicants whose first language is not English, with minimum TOEFL scores of 80 if internet-based. Applicants should also take the GRE or GMAT exams. Domestic and international students are equally welcome to apply.

The following should be submitted as part of the application process:

• Statement of purpose explaining why you want to study at the University of Missouri
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts
• GRE (or GMAT) score report
• TOEFL (or equivalent) score report, if applicable

For priority consideration for assistantships, fellowships and scholarships, applications should be submitted by January 15 for Fall enrollment and September 1 for Spring enrollment. 

For More Information

For further information on admissions or financial assistance, write to Teo Skevas, Director of Graduate Studies, 215 Mumford Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, or [email protected].

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