Agricultural Economics - BS, Rural Entrepreneurship Option
The Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics offers students four options: Finance and Real Estate, Food Marketing Systems, Policy and Economic Analysis, and Rural Entrepreneurship. The course requirements for the freshman and sophomore years are the same for the above Agricultural Economics options.
In addition to the four options, the department offers a five-year program in conjunction with the Bush School of Government & Public Service that would allow a student to receive a Bachelor of Science (B.S. AGEC) in Agricultural Economics and a Master's of Public Service and Administration degree.
The Agricultural Economics program is designed to assist in the development of skills in agriculture, applied economics, and economic logic that students can utilize to analyze and communicate about financial, real estate, sales, marketing, policy, and entrepreneurship issues in Texas, the nation, and the world. Graduates are trained for a wide variety of jobs in agricultural and non-agricultural oriented businesses, firms, and agencies in both the public and private sectors. Flexibility is included in the curriculum so that a student, in consultation with an academic adviser, can develop a degree program which best fits personal career objectives and could include one or more of the following experiences: industry internship, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship program, and research, directed studies, or study abroad opportunities.
Requirements for graduation are listed in the Texas A&M University Student Rules and this catalog. With the exception of general elective requirements, courses taken to satisfy degree requirements must be taken for letter grades.
Rural Entrepreneurship Option
The Rural Entrepreneurship Option is designed to provide a well-founded basis in principles, concepts and methods for students interested in owning and/or managing or otherwise being engaged in working with a rural business.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| AGEC 105 | Introduction to Agricultural Economics | 3 |
| AGLS 101 | Modern Agricultural Systems and Renewable Natural Resources | 1 |
| ENGL 103 or ENGL 104 | Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition or Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| MATH 140 | Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences | 3 |
| American history 1 | 3 | |
| Technical agriculture elective 2,3 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| AGEC 117 | Critical Thinking and Decision Making in Agricultural Economics | 1 |
| MATH 142 | Business Calculus | 3 |
| American history 1 | 3 | |
| Creative Arts 3 | 3 | |
| Language, philosophy and culture 3 | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 209 | Survey of Accounting Principles | 3 |
| AGEC 217 | Fundamentals of Agricultural Economics Analysis 4 | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Economics | 3 |
| Government/Political science 1 | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACCT 210 | Survey of Managerial and Cost Accounting Principles | 3 |
| ECON 203 | Principles of Economics | 3 |
| Communication | 3 | |
| Government/Political science 1 | 3 | |
| Life and physical sciences | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AGEC 314 | Marketing Agricultural and Food Products | 3 |
| AGEC 340 | Agribusiness Management | 3 |
| ECON 323 | Microeconomic Theory | 3 |
| STAT 303 | Statistical Methods | 3 |
| Directed non-agricultural economics elective 3,5 | 3 | |
| General elective 3,7 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| AGEC 317 | Economic Analysis for Agribusiness Management | 3 |
| AGEC 330 | Financial Management in Agriculture | 3 |
| AGEC 429 | Agricultural Policy 4 | 3 |
| AGEC 481 | Ethics in Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics | 1 |
| Directed agricultural economics elective 6 | 3 | |
| Directed non-agricultural economics elective 3,5 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| AGEC 344 | Food and Agricultural Law | 3 |
| AGEC 424 | Agribusiness Entrepreneurship – Economic Analysis | 3 |
| Directed agricultural economics elective 6 | 3 | |
| General elective 3,7 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| AGEC 425 | Agribusiness Entrepreneurship – Financial Analysis | 3 |
| AGEC 430 or ECON 311 | Macroeconomics of Agriculture or Money and Banking | 3 |
| Directed agricultural economics elective 6 | 3 | |
| General elective 3,7 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | Students under ROTC contract, see Requirement 7 of the Requirements for a Baccalaureate Degree. |
| 2 | Any course offered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, except 285s, 484s, 485s and agricultural economics courses. |
| 3 | The Graduation requirements include a requirement for 3 hours of international and cultural diversity courses and 3 hours of cultural discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. See academic advisor. |
| 4 | All undergraduate students must take at least two (2) specific courses in their major designated as writing intensive (W). This course is an approved W course. |
| 5 | Six hours to be selected in one or more departments outside of the Department of Agricultural Economics. A minimum of 3 of these hours must be at the 300- or 400-level. To be selected in consultation with an advisor. |
| 6 | To be selected in consultation with an advisor. |
| 7 | Any Texas A&M or transfer course (except ASCC 001-ASCC 003; KINE 198 and KINE 199) not used to meet other requirements. |