Agricultural and Resource Economics Major
Program Director: Lars Olson, Ph.D.
Agricultural and Resource Economics majors complete a set of foundational courses in economics, analytics, and business statistics; specialized classes in one of three specializations: Environmental and Resource Economics, Agribusiness, or Agricultural and Resource Economics; and one or more fields from Business Management, Environmental and Resource Policy, Advanced Degree Preparation, International Agriculture, Farm Management and Entrepreneurship, and others. The program allows students flexibility to choose fields to fit their career interests. The curriculum includes courses in economic analysis, environmental economics, energy economics, agribusiness management, data science, economic development, and agricultural policy. The major balances breadth and depth, and a strong foundation for careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in economics, management, environmental or natural resource policy, agribusiness, and international agriculture.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the degree program, students should have acquired the following knowledge and skills:
- Disciplinary Foundation – AREC majors will demonstrate knowledge of economic principles, terms and concepts and their application to analysis of economic problems in agricultural, environmental and resource economics, including the economics of consumers, producers and markets.
- Critical and Analytical Thinking – AREC majors will demonstrate an ability to think critically about economic issues and to analyze and draw inferences from data.
- Understanding Economic Policy – AREC majors will demonstrate knowledge of laws, policies and institutional arrangements in agricultural, environmental and resource economics, their role in determining resource allocation, and how economics can inform policy design.
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion – AREC majors will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and consequences of differences in the distribution of agricultural, environmental and natural resources across diverse socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic groups.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Foundational Courses | ||
ECON200 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
ECON201 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
AREC326 | Intermediate Applied Microeconomics | 3 |
Statistics Requirement: | 3-6 | |
Business Statistics | ||
or ECON230 | Applied Economic Statistics | |
and | ||
Elementary Statistics and Probability | ||
or MATH107 | Introduction to Math Modeling and Probability | |
or | ||
Applied Probability and Statistics I | ||
MATH120 | Elementary Calculus I | 3 |
or MATH140 | Calculus I | |
Specialization (from list below) | 24 | |
Agribusiness | ||
Agricultural and Resource Economics | ||
Environmental and Resource Economics | ||
Total Credits | 39-42 |
Specializations:
Agribusiness
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select five of the following courses: | 15 | |
Farm Management and Sustainable Food Production | ||
Computer-Based Analysis in Agricultural and Resource Economics | ||
Economics of Production | ||
Econometric Analysis in Agricultural and Environmental Economics | ||
Economic Methods and Food Consumption Policy | ||
Commodity Pricing and Markets | ||
Introduction to Agricultural and Resource Law | ||
Agricultural Water Quality: Policy and Legal Issues | ||
Food and Agricultural Policy | ||
Commodity Futures and Options | ||
Agricultural Development, Population Growth and the Environment | ||
Sustainable Economic Development | ||
Natural Resources and Public Policy | ||
The Economics of Climate Change | ||
Economics of Land Use | ||
Energy and Environmental Economics | ||
Environmental Economics | ||
Special Topics in Agricultural and Resources Economics | ||
Other upper-level AREC courses with permission of advisor. | ||
Select three courses from one of the following fields: | 9 | |
Business Management | ||
Farm Management and Entrepreneurship | ||
Student Designed Field | ||
Total Credits | 24 |
Agricultural and Resource Economics
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select five of the following courses: | 15 | |
Farm Management and Sustainable Food Production | ||
Computer-Based Analysis in Agricultural and Resource Economics | ||
Economics of Production | ||
Econometric Analysis in Agricultural and Environmental Economics | ||
Economic Methods and Food Consumption Policy | ||
Commodity Pricing and Markets | ||
Introduction to Agricultural and Resource Law | ||
Agricultural Water Quality: Policy and Legal Issues | ||
Food and Agricultural Policy | ||
Commodity Futures and Options | ||
Agricultural Development, Population Growth and the Environment | ||
Sustainable Economic Development | ||
Natural Resources and Public Policy | ||
The Economics of Climate Change | ||
Economics of Land Use | ||
Energy and Environmental Economics | ||
Environmental Economics | ||
Special Topics in Agricultural and Resources Economics | ||
Other upper-level AREC courses with permission of advisor. | ||
Select three courses from one of the following fields: | 9 | |
Agriculture Science | ||
Advanced Degree Preparation | ||
Food Production | ||
Political Process | ||
Student Designed Field | ||
Total Credits | 24 |
Environmental and Resource Economics
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Select five of the following courses: | 15 | |
Computer-Based Analysis in Agricultural and Resource Economics | ||
Economics of Production | ||
Econometric Analysis in Agricultural and Environmental Economics | ||
Agricultural Water Quality: Policy and Legal Issues | ||
Agricultural Development, Population Growth and the Environment | ||
Sustainable Economic Development | ||
Natural Resources and Public Policy | ||
The Economics of Climate Change | ||
Economics of Land Use | ||
Energy and Environmental Economics | ||
Environmental Economics | ||
Other upper-level AREC courses with permission of advisor. | ||
Select three courses from one of the following fields: | 9 | |
Advanced Degree Preparation | ||
Natural Science | ||
Social Science | ||
Total Credits | 24 |
Fields:
Advanced Degree Preparation
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Advanced Macroeconomics | ||
Game Theory | ||
Market Design | ||
Econometrics | ||
Advanced Topics in Econometrics | ||
Mathematical Economics | ||
Calculus II | ||
Introduction to Linear Algebra | ||
Calculus III | ||
Applied Probability and Statistics II | ||
Introduction to Probability Theory | ||
Theory and Methods of Statistics | ||
Introduction to Statistical Computing with SAS | ||
Any other upper-level ECON/MATH/STAT course chosen in consultation with advisor. |
Agricultural Science
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Principles of Animal Science | ||
AGRI SCI | Other courses in agricultural science, chosen in consultation with an advisor 1 |
- 1
Substitutions to the above listed courses may be made with the permission of advisor.
Business Management
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Business Finance (BMGT340N) 1 | ||
Marketing Principles and Organization (BMGT350N) | ||
Managing People and Organizations (BMGT364N) | ||
Business Law I (BMGT380N) |
- 1
Course has prerequisites that do not count toward major requirements.
Farm Management and Entrepreneurship
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Discovering New Ventures | ||
Advanced Entrepreneurial Opportunity Analysis in Technology Ventures | ||
Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship | ||
Agricultural Marketing | ||
Agricultural Human Resources Management | ||
Agricultural Business Management | ||
Analyzing Alternative Enterprises | ||
Entrepreneurial Thinking for Non-Business Majors: How Not to Miss Great Opportunities Your Life Throws at You | ||
or ENES210 | Entrepreneurial Opportunity Analysis and Decision-Making in 21st Century Technology Ventures | |
or INAG102 | Agricultural Entrepreneurship |
Food Production
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Fundamentals of Physics I | ||
Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
General Microbiology | ||
Elements of Nutrition | ||
Food: Science and Technology | ||
Food Microbiology | ||
Food Quality Control | ||
Other courses related to food science can be substituted with permission of advisor |
Natural Science
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Weather and Climate and Weather and Climate Laboratory | ||
Principles of Ecology and Evolution and Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lab | ||
Chemistry I - Fundamentals of General Chemistry and General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
Fundamentals of Soil Science | ||
Introduction to Fish and Wildlife Sciences | ||
Geography of Environmental Systems and Geography of Environmental Systems Laboratory | ||
Fundamentals of Physics I and Fundamentals of Physics II | ||
Any higher-level lab science course |
Political Process
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
GVPT | Any three courses in government and politics, chosen with permission of the advisor. |
Social Sciences
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Choose three of the following courses: | ||
Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology | ||
Changing Climate, Changing Cultures | ||
Archaeological Methods and Practice | ||
Method and Theory in Ecological Anthropology | ||
Introduction to Environmental Politics | ||
Global Environmental Politics | ||
Human Societies | ||
Scarcity and Modern Society | ||
Environmental Sociology | ||
Sustainability | ||
or AGNR301 | Sustainability | |
Any higher-level social sciences course chose in consultation with advisor |
Student Designed Field
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
This field requires a written proposal listing at least three courses totaling at least 9 credits. 1 | 9 | |
Total Credits | 9 |
- 1
The proposal must be submitted to the Undergraduate Committee of the AREC department. Committee approval must be obtained 30 or more credit hours before graduation. A student designed field may be used to study a foreign language as part of the AREC curriculum.
Other Requirements for the Major
All courses must be passed with a grade of "C-" or better to count towards prerequisite courses, major core courses, or field requirements. "C- or better" means any grade for which the University awards 1.7 or more quality points in calculating GPA. Beginning with students matriculating Fall 2012, to be awarded a baccalaureate degree, students must have a minimum (2.00) cumulative grade point average across all courses used to satisfy major degree requirements.
Click here for roadmaps for four-year plans in the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources.
Additional information on developing a four-year academic plan can be found on the following pages:
- http://4yearplans.umd.edu
- the Student Academic Success-Degree Completion Policy section of this catalog