Master's Degree Programs
Master's degree programs in the Department of Agricultural Economics qualify students for a degree as "Master of Science in Agricultural Economics."
In the program descriptions below, reference is made to the "AEC Core" courses. The AEC core consists of the following five courses:
- AEC 606: Advanced Agricultural Marketing
- AEC 620: Advanced Production Economics I
- AEC 640: Advanced Agricultural Policy
- AEC 645: Natural Resource Economics
- AEC 661: Programming Models in Agricultural Economics
Types of Master's Programs
Currently, two types of Master's degree programs are offered. One is the research Master's degree (Plan A), in which the student conducts research and writes a thesis. The other Master's Degree program (Plan B) is in Applied Agricultural Economics and does not require a thesis.
Master's Degree in Agricultural Economics (Plan A)
This program is designed to meet the needs of students who have a strong interest in a specific topic and wish to fully develop their understanding of it by preparing a major research paper. Students in this program will be expected to complete a thesis plus a minimum of 24 hours of course work, 12 hours of which must be at the 600 level and 12 hours of which must be in agricultural economics courses.
Requirements for the Plan A Master's degree in Agricultural Economics include the following:
- Preprogram Requirements
-
Calculus (MA 123/162 or MA 113 at UK)
Intermediate micro- and macro-economic theory (ECO 401 and ECO 402 at UK) - Required Courses
-
ECO 601: Advanced Microeconomic Theory
ECO 602: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory
STA 570: Basic Statistical Analysis or STA 424G: Basic Probability and Distribution Theory
AEC 624: Advanced Quantitative Methods in Agricultural Economics
Two courses from the AEC Core - Other Requirements
-
At least 12 credit hours in graduate Agricultural Economics courses
(500- or 600-level courses)
At least 12 credit hours in 600-level graduate courses.
Total graduate course credit hours required: 24
A thesis and final examination.
Defense of the thesis at an oral examination.
The MS thesis research will be conducted under supervision of the student's major professor and advisory committee. Once the thesis is completed, the student's final oral examination can be scheduled. In addition to the oral examination, students are encouraged to present seminars based on their work. They are also encouraged to write papers for presentation at professional meetings and for submission to professional journals.
Master's Degree in Applied Agricultural Economics (Plan B Non-Thesis Masters')
There exists a continuing need for a Master's degree program which produces individuals with a broad set of professional skills. By taking a larger set of courses, students develop the capacity to apply most of the tools available to an applied economics. Academic work in this program concentrates on applied agricultural economics courses directed toward the special needs of the individual student. This program does not require a thesis, but it does require 36 credit hours of graduate coursework, at least 15 hours of which must be at the 600 or higher level, and 18 hours of which must be in agricultural economics courses.
The following summarizes course requirements for the Plan B Master's degree in Agricultural Economics.
- Preprogram Requirements
-
Calculus (MA 123/162 or MA 113 at UK)
Intermediate microeconomic theory (ECO 401 at UK) - Required Courses
-
ECO 601: Advanced Microeconomic Theory
ECO 602: Advanced Macroeconomic Theory or ECO 402:Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory
STA 570: Basic Statistical Analysis
AEC 624: Advanced Quantitative Methods in Agricultural Economics
Two courses from the AEC Core - Other Requirements
-
At least 18 credit hours in graduate Agricultural Economics courses
(500- or 600- level courses)
At least 15 credit hours in 600-level graduate courses
Total graduate course credit hours required: 36
Oral examination.