All content © 2013 - 2023 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona
The Agricultural and Resource Economics- Applied Economics and Policy, Master of Science (MS) degree requires 30 units to be completed, 24 units from approved graduate courses and 6 units from thesis research. A thesis is required for this plan. Students that complete the program typically move on to a Ph.D. program and the thesis research will assist students in their pursuit of a doctoral degree.
Please review the program's frequently asked questions at https://economics.arizona.edu/graduate/admissionsFAQs
Agricultural & Resource Economics
The Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics (AREC) offers a program leading to the Master of Science degree with a major in Agricultural & Resource Economics. Applicants may choose one of two plans to follow within this Master's degree: Applied Econometrics & Data Analytics, and Applied Economics & Policy Analysis. A broad spectrum of agricultural economics subject matter is presented, with emphasis in natural resources, international business, and agribusiness. The Master's program provides training in the theory and methods of applied agricultural and resource economics. Graduating students are qualified for positions in the private sector with agribusiness, financial, farm management, and consulting firms, and in state and federal government agencies. Some students choose to follow the master's degree with enrollment in a Ph.D. program, either at the University of Arizona or elsewhere. Many AREC graduates have excelled in premier doctoral programs throughout the United States. We also offer an Agricultural & Resource Economics minor for PhD seeking students. We have a strong and consistent history of Peace Corps Fellows in our Master's program and we proudly invite all Returning Peace Corps Volunteers to apply for this graduate program. Interested in a Peace Corps Fellowship? See https://grad.arizona.edu/peacecorps/welcome for more information.
See the Department sponsored interactive Returning Peace Corps Volunteer Mapping Project to view our program's connections with Peace Corps Volunteers: https://economics.arizona.edu/graduate-programs/peace-corps-alumni
See past placements of our alums going into industry careers and PhD programs https://economics.arizona.edu/graduate/past-placements
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Required test(s):
Effective Fall 2023, GRE is optional for AREC MS: AMP, AEDA & AEPA.
GRE
Recommended Minimum GRE Quantitative score of 70th percentile or higher.
International students (of non-English speaking countries): See the University's Acceptable English Proficiency credentials here
Minimum TOEFL (Paper-based) Score: 550
Minimum TOEFL (Internet-based) Score: 80
Minimum IELTS (overall band score): 7
Graduate assistantships
A majority of students in the M.S. program receive financial assistance, usually in the form of research and teaching assistantships. In view of the reasonable cost of living in Tucson, the real income offered by these stipends is relatively high and covers basic costs of living. The assistantships also carry waivers of out-of-state tuition and health insurance (exclusive of dental and vision). All applicants that submit a completed admission application as of the annual priority deadline (Feb. 1) are reviewed for possible assistantships on a competitive basis.
Tuition waivers
A small number of in-state tuition waivers are available to students with a GPA above 3.4.
Scholarships
Several scholarships are available for academically qualified students. Frequently, a student not awarded an assistantship may be employed by the Department to aid in research work. Students who do not receive assistantships may also hold part-time jobs in other departments or jobs outside the University.
Domestic applicants:
Fall: Annual priority application submission deadline for all applicants is February 1, applications are accepted after this date but for those seeking graduate assistantships, February 1st is the recommended deadline. Due to the competitive nature of graduate assistantships, applications received after the priority deadline may not be eligible for a graduate assistantship or other departmental funding. There is not a separate application for departmental funding and graduate assistantships.
International applicants:
International applicants may be considered for conditional admission to this program at the department's discretion.
4832
30
Degree Requirements
General program requirements
The AEPA master's program requires four semesters of coursework and 30 total units to be completed. Students complete 15-units from required core courses, including two courses in economic theory and two courses in econometrics. All M.S. students are required to take an intensive three-week review course in mathematics (AREC 580) before the start of the fall semester. AEPA students will complete 6 thesis units as well. Each semester that the degree is in progress, students will enroll in AREC 596A, the program's seminar course. This course is 1 unit and will be completed 4 times for a total of 4 seminar units for those seeking AEPA.
Students may select remaining coursework according to their interests. To add depth to their program, students are encouraged (but not required) to focus their efforts in an area of specialization. Students choose specific courses in consultation with their advisor or Director of Graduate Studies.
Thesis and examinations
Students pursue research after discussion with their faculty advisor. Students will write a thesis and take up to six units of research credit.
All AREC AEPA MS candidates must successfully complete a thesis defense. In the event of failure, students may repeat the defense once.
Grade requirements
Students are required to earn a 3.0 (B) grade or better in each of their core courses and a 3.0 (B) average GPA in all graduate coursework. Students failing to maintain a 3.0 grade average will be placed on academic probation and possibly dropped from the program. If this occurs, the student must petition the Graduate Advisory Committee for permission to re-enter the program.
Core courses
AREC 504 Production Economics (3 units)
AREC 513 Consumption Economics & Price Analysis (3 units)
AREC 548 Introduction to Statistical Methods in Economics (4 units)
AREC 549 Applied Econometric Analysis (3 units)
AREC 580 Math for Economists (2 units)
AREC 596A Seminar (taken each semester for 4 total units for those seeking AREC AEPA MS)
Language requirements
There are no language requirements for this degree.
Any courses not required core courses may be elective course options in this Master's program, relevant courses outside of the below list may be elective options as well, with approval from the Department prior to enrolling in them. Each course listed is 3 units unless otherwise noted.
Fall course offerings:
AREC 512 – Development Economics
AREC 516 – Microeconomics of Agricultural Development
AREC 559 – Advanced Applied Econometrics (4 units)
AREC 575 – Economics of Water & Environ. Markets & Incentive-based Policies
AREC 910 – Thesis (variable units)
Spring semester course offerings:
AREC 550/450 – Financial Management for Agribusiness
AREC 577 – Adv. Topics in Water Resource Economics & Policy
AREC 579/479 – Economic Analysis of Water, Food & Environmental Policies
AREC 910 – Thesis (variable units)
This Master's degree, Applied Economics and Policy Analysis (AEPA) requires completing a thesis, which is worth 6 units of credit from AREC 910. Successful completion of a thesis defense is also required.
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.