The New Mexico State University Master of Science Program in Agricultural Economics (MS-AEEC) is an excellent graduate education alternative for individuals completing or holding undergraduate degrees in agricultural, resource, environmental or general economics, agricultural business, and agricultural and food sciences. The program, jointly offered by the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business (AEAB) and the Department of Economics and International Business (EIB), is designed to train future intellectual leaders for the food and fiber industry.
The graduates from NMSU's MS-AEEC Program have the distinctive quality of being trained in economic theory and analytical tools, and of being capable of applying these theories, concepts, and tools to evaluate economic and business issues and address problems affecting agricultural production, natural resource management, the environment, and the food and fiber industry.
The program of studies includes a required core of four courses: micro and macroeconomic theory, production economics, and econometrics; and elective classes in international agricultural trade theory and policy, advanced agricultural policy, natural resources management and policy, advanced computer applications, the management of agribusiness firms, advanced agribusiness marketing, and agricultural commodity futures markets and trading. The students gain additional expertise in a particular field of agricultural economics or agricultural business through a thesis research project under the direction of a professor who has expertise in that area.
Although the academically rigorous orientation of this program makes it ideal for individuals planning to pursue research-related careers or to continue their education at the Ph.D. level, the conceptual and analytical skills of the graduates give them an edge in problem-solving and economically rational thinking, which are valuable talents in many careers. As a result, MS-AEEC program graduates have been successful in a variety of non-research careers within and outside the food and fiber industry. Our graduates have also found excellent career opportunities in the public sector with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and various non-governmental organizations (NGO's) and private foundations.
