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Behind every farm and ranch is a business predicated on the whims of nature and caprices of the market.
It’s these forces faculty and students in UW’s Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics seek to understand through rigorous practical scholarship of the region and the world.
Blending agriculture and economics in a master’s program
As part of a proud land-grant institution, the graduate program in agricultural and applied economics (AgEcon, we like to call it), offers a student-centered, research-intensive experience with one-on-one faculty interaction and paradigm-busting research opportunities.
Here in the heavily rural state of Wyoming, you can not only find your place in this broad expansive discipline, you can also contribute to it through your study of natural resource economics, applied agricultural production, experimental/behavioral economics, or water resource economics, among many other topics.
Graduates of our program go on to careers in industry, government, Cooperative Extension, nonprofits and consultancies. Others pursue doctorates at universities all over the country.
The UW master’s program in agricultural and applied economics provides a collegial environment of faculty and students who are working together to help the world’s land stewards and policymakers make research-driven decisions.
Here are some reasons to consider the UW graduate program in AgEcon:
Assistantships. Apply for graduate student funding as a research or teaching assistant. Nearly 100% of our students receive full assistantships.
Scholarships. Pursue a scholarship. The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources offers graduate scholarships through the Brand of Excellence scholarship program.
Thesis. Complete an applied research-based thesis working with a faculty adviser.
Some recent thesis examples include the following:
Networking. Develop professional relationships with the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics’ extensive alumni network who are working in areas as diverse as banking, international business and development, energy, farm and ranch management and community and economic development.
Faculty. Work closely with our highly regarded graduate faculty who are conducting groundbreaking research projects such as creating markets for ancient grains, Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage — a climate change mitigation strategy — blockchain technology and the Wyoming food system, gender differences in agricultural market negotiations, health, food and agricultural policy and so much more.
Intensive research, small classes, mentoring and the opportunity to build a network in the AgEcon community help cultivate successful careers for agricultural and applied economics graduate alumni.
Agricultural and Applied Economics Careers
In addition to pursuing doctoral-level degrees, graduates from the agricultural and applied economics program work in both the private and public sectors, including: Foreign Agriculture Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Wyoming Legislative Services Office, The Nature Conservancy, Utah Tax Commission, USAID, Western EcoSystems Technology, Western AgCredit and others.
UW Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics graduates hold titles such as:
Others have gone on to Ph.D. programs across the country, including:
“Since being here, I found that the faculty is truly invested in our education and research and wants to see us succeed here and in our future careers.”
–Alicia Grahmann, M.S. ’20, is an agricultural economist for the USDA Risk Management Agency.
Complete a minimum of 30 credit hours spread out over core requirements, thesis hours and electives as part of your agricultural and applied economics program. These are a few classes you will take:
View the full Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics degree program curriculum
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