Major in Agricultural Economics

About

Economic systems touch our lives in many ways every day, and are central to society at home and around the world. Agricultural Economics is a field of applied economics. This major is offered within a science degree, and is both flexible and interdisciplinary. As part of your program you will do courses in economics, marketing, finance, resource economics and public policy. You may also choose to take a number of courses in other McGill faculties on the downtown campus, such as the Desautels Faculty of Management, or the Faculties of Arts and Science. This program is designed to give you a basic foundation in areas such as agriculture and international development, food systems, trade and natural resource management and policy.

There is a wide range of future career options in many sectors. Our graduates work for government and in the private sector, for non-profit organizations, environmental organizations and in international development, as well as in the multibillion dollar agri-food industry.

Specializations

Suggested Specializations

■ Agri-business*: Financial and market analysis, and the appropriate policies for agriculture and food systems; Understanding of agriculture and food systems, and specialized skills in business management

■ Environmental Economics: Environmental economics integrated with biological and environmental sciences; Environmental policies and management of natural resources

■ Professional Agrology*: Agrology encompasses the science and technology required for agricultural production

* Membership in the Order of Agrologists of Quebec (OAQ) requires students to take both of the specializations marked with an asterisk. It is also possible to qualify for membership through the Agro-Environmental Sciences major, or through the program in Bioresource Engineering.

Courses

To view required courses:

Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) - Major Agricultural Economics (42 Credits)

Offered by:Agricultural Economics

Degree:B SC Agricu and Environm Sc

Program Requirement:

Program Director: Professor Paul Thomassin

The B.Sc.(Agr.Env.Sc.); Major in Agricultural Economics is designed to meet the demand for sustainable development as it relates to the environment and resource use, and the economics and management of the global agriculture and food system. This multidisciplinary program in applied economics involves the application of theory and analytical methods to environmental issues and the agricultural and food system. Training in economic theory and applied areas such as marketing, finance, farm management, public policy, ecology, natural resources, and international development.

Program Prerequisites

Refer to "Faculty Information and Regulations" > "Minimum Credit Requirements", in this eCalendar for prerequisites and minimum credit requirements.

Required Courses (36 credits)

AGEC 200 Principles of Microeconomics 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The field of economics as it relates to the activities of individual consumers, firms and organizations. Emphasis is on the application of economic principles and concepts to everyday decision making and to the analysis of current economic issues.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Fall
- 3 lectures
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
- Instructors
  
  Aurelie P Harou
AGEC 201 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The overall economic system, how it works, and the instruments used to solve social problems. Emphasis will be on decision-making involving the entire economic system and segments of it.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  This course is not scheduled for the 2021-2022 academic year
- Instructors
  
  There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021-2022 academic year
AGEC 231 Econ Systems of Agriculture 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The structure and organization of Canada's agriculture-food system, the operation, financing, linkages, and functions of its components. Focus to be on management of the various components and the entire system, types of problems confronted now and in the future.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Winter 2022
- Instructors
  
  Mary Doidge
AGEC 320 Intermed Microeconomic Theory 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: An intermediate theory course in agricultural economics, dealing with economic concepts as applied to agricultural production and cost functions. Includes theory and application of linear programming as related to production decisions.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisite: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Winter 2022
- Instructors
  
  Aurelie P Harou
AGEC 330 Agriculture and Food Markets 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: Nature and organization of agricultural and food markets as economic institutions, including the application of economic theory to problems within the agri-food marketing chain. Spatial and temporal price relationships, and the role of market structure.

Offered by: Natural Resource Sciences
- Fall
- Prerequisite: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken AGEC 440
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
- Instructors
  
  There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021-2022 academic year
AGEC 332 Farm Management and Finance 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: Managing and financing a farm business. Topics include: the decision making process, farm management and economic concepts, the analysis of financial statements, farm planning and budgeting, input management, investment analysis, risk in financial management, the acquisition and cost of capital.

Offered by: Natural Resource Sciences
- Fall
- Prerequisite: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken AGEC 331 or AGEC 350
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
- Instructors
  
  Mary Doidge
AGEC 333 Resource Economics 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The role of resources in the environment, use of resources, and management of economic resources within the firm or organization. Problem-solving, case studies involving private and public decision-making in organizations are utilized.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Fall
- Prerequisites: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
- Instructors
  
  Paul Thomassin
AGEC 425 Applied Econometrics 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The theory and application of econometrics to empirical issues in agriculture and environment. Diagnosis and treatment of standard violations of the assumptions underlying ordinary least squares.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Fall
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisites: AEMA 310, AGEC 200 and AGEC 201 or equivalents
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  This course is not scheduled for the 2021-2022 academic year
- Instructors
  
  There are no professors associated with this course for the 2021-2022 academic year
AGEC 430 Agric, Food & Resource Policy 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: Examination of North American and international agriculture, food and resource policies, policy instruments, programs and their implications. Economic analysis applied to the principles, procedures and objectives of various policy actions affecting agriculture, and the environment.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisites: AGEC 200 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Winter 2022
- Instructors
  
  Gordon M Hickey
AGEC 442 Econ of Int'l Agric Dvlpmnt 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Agricultural Economics: The course deals with economic aspects of international development with emphasis on the role of food, agriculture and the resource sector in the economy of developing countries. Topics will include world food analysis, development project analysis and policies for sustainable development. Development case studies will be used.

Offered by: Agricultural Economics
- Winter
- 3 lectures
- Prerequisites: AGEC 200 or AGEC 201 or equivalent
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Winter 2022
- Instructors
  
  Aurelie P Harou
ENVB 210 The Biophysical Environment 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Environmental Biology: With reference to the ecosystems in the St Lawrence lowlands, the principles and processes governing climate-landform-water-soil-vegetation systems and their interactions will be examined in lecture and laboratory. Emphasis on the natural environment as an integrated system.

Offered by: Natural Resource Sciences
- Fall
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken SOIL 210
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
- Instructors
  
  Cynthia Kallenbach
MGCR 211 Intro to Financial Accounting 3 Credits
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Management Core: The role of financial accounting in the reporting of the financial performance of a business. The principles, components and uses of financial accounting and reporting from a user's perspective, including the recording of accounting transactions and events, the examination of the elements of financial statements, the preparation of financial statements and the analysis of financial results.

Offered by: Management
- Restriction: Not open to U0 students.
- Symbols:
- Terms
  
  Fall 2021
  
  Winter 2022
- Instructors
  
  Jingjing Zhang, Seunghwan Oh, Guang Ma
  
  Dongyoung Lee, Guang Ma

Complementary Courses (6 credits)

With the approval of the Academic Adviser, one introductory course in each of the following areas:

Statistics
Written/Oral Communication

Specialization (24 credits)

Specializations designed to be taken with the Agricultural Economics Major:

Students taking the Major in Agricultural Economics must take one of the following specializations:

- Agribusiness (24 credits)
- Environmental Economics (24 credits)

Students who take the Specialization in Agribusiness can also take the Specialization in Professional Agrology for Agribusiness (24 credits). Membership to the OAQ requires successful completion of the Agribusiness and Professional Agrology for Agribusiness specializations.

Note: For a complete list of specializations offered for students in the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, please refer to "Browse Academic Units & Programs > Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) - B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) > Specializations", in this eCalendar.

Electives

To meet the minimum credit requirement for the degree.

For more information, see Programs, Courses and University Regulations.

For students interested in membership in L’Ordre des agronomes du Québec (OAQ), there are specific courses you must take as part of your program. These courses are provided through the specialization in Professional Agrology.This specialization must be taken together with the specialization in Agri-Business.

Careers

■ Agri-business management
■ Farm management
■ Management of natural resources
■ Environmental Economist
■ Policy Analyst
■ Banking, finance, marketing (agri-food industry)
■ Economist
■ Professional Agrologist

For more career options: mcgill.ca/caps/discipline

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