The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics offers Master of Science (M.S.) in Applied and Resource Economics, which may be awarded along the way to a Ph.D. or as a terminal degree. In addition, UConn undergraduates who receive a B.S. degree from the Department can earn the M.S. degree through a 4+1 fast-track (accelerated) program. The terminal M.S. provides rigorous training in microeconomics and quantitative methods, and their applications to economic and policy issues involving food, health, natural resources, and the environment. Students completing this degree go on to work in the private sector, government agencies, international organizations, or continue on for a Ph.D.
Requirements
Students may attain the terminal M.S. degree by pursuing one of three plans of study. Regardless of the plan selected, students must satisfactorily meet the following requirements: complete 30 credits of total coursework; complete 12 credits from ARE or ECON courses at the 5000 level or above (independent study and internship credits cannot be used to satisfy this requirement); take one master’s level course in microeconomic theory (ARE 5201 Microeconomics or ECON 5201 Microeconomics) and one master’s level course in econometrics (ARE 5311 Applied Econometrics I). The remaining requirements unique to each plan of study are stated below.
Plan A (Thesis)
Coursework includes the six credits from the M.S. common core (ARE 5201 Microeconomics or ECON 5201 Microeconomics and ARE 5311 Applied Econometrics I). Students must complete nine credits of GRAD 5950 Master's Thesis Research and successfully defend a thesis. The additional required 21 credits may include a maximum of three credits of ARE 5499 Independent Study in Agricultural and Resource Economics or ARE 5991 Professional Internship.
Plan B (Major Paper)
Coursework includes the six credits from the M.S. common core (ARE 5201 Microeconomics or ECON 5201 Microeconomics and ARE 5311 Applied Econometrics I). Students must complete three to six credits of ARE 5499 Independent Study in Agricultural and Resource Economics associated with writing the major paper. The grade for the independent study shall be issued after public presentation of the written paper. The additional 18 – 21 credits to complete the required 30 may include a maximum of up to six credits of ARE 5499 Independent Study in Agricultural and Resource Economics and/or ARE 5991 Professional Internship.
Plan B (Coursework)
Coursework includes the six credits from the M.S. common core (ARE 5201 Microeconomics or ECON 5201 Microeconomics and ARE 5311 Applied Econometrics I). The additional 24 credits to complete the required 30 may include a maximum of up to six credits of ARE 5499 Independent Study in Agricultural and Resource Economics and/or ARE 5991 Professional Internship.
Accelerated Applied and Resource Economics MS
This fast-track to the M.S. is designed for students who receive their B.S. degree from the ARE Department and then go on to pursue the M.S. in Applied and Resource Economics. The program is designed to allow students who enroll in graduate school in the summer following completion of their BS to complete all requirements for the M.S. within one calendar year. To complete the degree in this accelerated timeframe, the 120 credits students take for their B.S. should include six graduate credits of required courses (ARE 5201 Microeconomics or ECON 5201 Microeconomics, and ARE 5311 Applied Econometrics I) that can be included on the student’s undergraduate plan of study and also applied to the M.S. requirements of 30 credits. Once students earn their B.S., they must take 24 more M.S. credits, following one of the three plans of study described on the M.S. in Applied Resource and Economics page. Students pursuing a Plan A or Plan B (Major Paper) plan of study will take up to six credits of GRAD 5950 Master's Thesis Research (for Plan A) or ARE 5499 Independent Study in Agricultural and Resource Economics and/or ARE 5991 Professional Internship (for Plan B (Major Paper) during the summer between the 4th and 5th year, working to develop an applied project or thesis with a faculty advisor. Students pursuing a Plan B (Coursework) plan of study will take up to six credits of approved electives during that summer.
