- University Core Curriculum
- Finance and Real Estate
- Food Marketing Systems
- Policy and Economic Analysis
- Rural Entrepreneurship
- Master of Public Service and Administration
The globalization of agriculture, new technologies, nutritional and environmental consciousness, and U.S. and foreign policies are creating the need for industries to hire graduates with strong backgrounds in applied economics, business principles, and leadership. If your career interest is in the world of finance or real estate or if you wish to pursue a profession that deals with how food is priced, traded, and sold at home and abroad, then we can equip you with the tools you will need to be successful. Likewise, if managing natural resources, the law, or government policy is in your future, this degree will give you a competitive employment edge. For those of you wanting to own your own business this degree will show you how to create, develop business plans, and then operate the business of your dreams. As you can see, this degree offers students the flexibility and knowledge base necessary for employment opportunities in a variety of both non-agricultural and agricultural industries.
University Core Curriculum
University Core Curriculum requirements are described in the sections that follow. These requirements must be met by every student pursuing a baccalaureate degree program at Texas A&M University, regardless of his or her major.
Finance and Real Estate
The Finance and Real Estate option provides those students interested in pursuing careers in the either the banking or real estate industry tools for understanding issues unique to lending, real estate appraisal, real estate investment, development, and brokerage. Students enrolled in this option develop an in-depth knowledge of how loans are made, how land is valued, and how it is transacted. With the aid of faculty and staff advisors, students in the Finance and Real Estate option design their plan of study reflecting their particular future goals. The option allows students to do this through the incorporation of higher-level electives outside the department so as to customize the program according to those goals. Additionally, those students interested in pursuing a graduate degree in real estate or finance have access to coursework which will prepare them for programs like LERE (the Land Economics and Real Estate graduate program), the master of Finance, and the MBA. Students will develop a strong background in the following areas: finance, real estate, accounting, and management.
Credit for Appraisal Licensing (AQB)
Food Marketing Systems
The Food Marketing Systems option provides those students interested in pursuing careers in the food marketing and sales sector of the food supply industry tools for understanding issues unique to the development, advertising, distribution, and sales of food products. Students enrolled in this option develop an in-depth knowledge of how food is priced, traded, and sold, both in the United States and abroad. With the aid of faculty and staff advisors, students in the Food Marketing Systems option design their plan of study reflecting their particular future goals. The option allows students to do this through the incorporation of higher-level electives outside the department so as to customize the program according to those goals. Students develop a strong background in the following areas: agribusiness management, international agricultural issues, food sales, and food marketing.
Policy and Economic Analysis
The Policy and Economic Analysis option provides those students interested in pursuing graduate or law degrees, as well as careers in local, state, and federal government and policy the tools for understanding the issues unique to in-depth examination of government policies and the economy. Students enrolled in this option gain an understanding of what being involved in research, the legal profession, and the government entails. With the aid of faculty and staff advisors, students in the Policy and Economic Analysis option design their plan of study reflecting their particular future goals.
The option allows students to do this through the incorporation of higher-level electives outside the department so as to customize the program according to those goals. Students interested in graduate education may focus on developing a strong background in the following areas: quantitative analysis, economic theory, and applied economics. Those interested in entering law school may focus on courses in law, political science, and technical writing. Furthermore, those students interested in careers in government and policy may focus on courses in policy, political science, and management.
Rural Entrepreneurship
The Rural Entrepreneurship option provides those students with interest in owning, managing, or lending to rural, innovative business enterprises the tools for understanding the issues unique to the start-up of rural, innovative businesses. Simply put, entrepreneurship involves identifying a business opportunity, gathering and organizing the resources needed to utilize that opportunity, and finally taking responsibility for the success of the newly created business.
The Rural Entrepreneurship option plan of study integrates the technical skills required of involvement in the rural business industry with application-based experience provided by the program’s capstone courses. More specifically, students who pursue the rural entrepreneurship option will develop a strong background in the following fields; economics, accounting, management, finance, and policy. With the aid of faculty and staff advisors, students in the Rural Entrepreneurship option design their plan of study reflecting their particular future goals. During the final year of this option, each student will incorporate the interdisciplinary background gained in the previous years of study into the development of a rural business plan for a business of his/her choice. In choosing their business, students will explore potential entrepreneurial enterprises, which may include family farms, rural medical practices, and even sporting goods companies. Students conclude their experience of developing a rural business plan through direct interaction with industry professionals who assess and make suggestions as to the successful implementation of the plan.
Master of Public Service and Administration
The Bush School of Government & Public Service and the Department of Agricultural Economics offer a 5‐year (3+2) degree program that allows agricultural economics majors to enter the Bush School at the start of their senior year (typically year four) at Texas A&M University. This enables students to receive both their Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics (B.S. AGEC) and a Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) graduate degree, with a track emphasis in public policy analysis (PPA), in five years. The program includes a total of 151 hours with 17 hours double‐counting to both degrees.