Certificate: Agricultural and Applied Economics

Applied economics takes conclusions from economic theories and empirical studies and applies them to real-world situations to predict outcomes and inform economic decisions.

The field of agricultural and applied economics uses economic principles to allocate resources and solve problems in the agricultural sector in areas such as food systems and crop and animal production.

The graduate certificate in Agricultural and Applied Economics will teach students how to use economic methods in agricultural businesses to manage risk and solve problems.

Students who complete the certificate program will be able to:

• Assess the impact of micro- and macro-economic influences on business decisions
• Gain an understanding of how to manage agricultural production risks due to weather variability (microeconomics) and how to use Gross Domestic Product (GDP) forecasts and market analyses to determine future commodity prices (macroeconomics)
• Analyze economic trends to solve agricultural and resource problems such as the impact of inflation on food production costs and consumer spending 

Courses:

• AAEC 5025: Applied Microeconomics (Fall 1)
• AAEC 5044: Applied Macroeconomics (Spring 2)
• AAEC 5084: Contemporary Issues and Responses in Food Systems (Fall 2)
• AAEC 5134: Agricultural Markets and Prices (Spring 1)

Program features:

• 100 percent online and asynchronous
• Four 3-credit graduate courses
• Access to expert faculty
• Certificate stacks to the degree
  
• Time to complete: In most cases four semesters. 

1. Degree-seeking students may take courses in conjunction with their regular course load. 
2. Non-degree seeking, full-time students can complete the certificate in two-to-three semesters. 
3. Non-degree seeking, part-time students, taking one course per semester, can complete the certificate in four semesters.