The B.S degree in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics prepares students to use economic analysis and quantitative methods to understand and evaluate complex interactions between economic markets, societal values, human needs and wants, and government policies. After graduation, students will be able to apply their acquired analytical and quantitative skills in a variety of jobs and for graduate school preparation. Environmental and Natural Resource Economists work for firms and consulting companies in the private sector, and for public agencies. The curriculum incorporates economics into the study of pollution (air, water, and land), waste disposal and recycling, business and consumer behavior, sustainable development, climate change and adaptation, pollution control, energy, renewable resources, environmental justice, poverty, economic valuation of environmental protection, benefit cost analysis, and policy evaluation. Students are encouraged to enroll in independent study to work individually with a faculty member on a chosen topic related to environmental and natural resource economics. Students can also receive academic credit through internships and participation in study abroad programs. For detailed information, please refer to are.uconn.edu.

Minors in Business Management and Marketing, Development Economics and Policy, and Equine Business Management are described in the Minors section.

Location

• Storrs Campus

Modality

• In Person

Requirements

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Competency Requirements
All Environmental and Natural Resource Economics majors must pass:
ARE 1150	Principles of Applied and Resource Economics	3
or ECON 1200	Principles of Economics (Intensive)
or ECON 1201	Principles of Microeconomics
ARE 1333Q	Introduction to Data and Visualization	3
or ARE 3333	Computational Analysis in Applied Economics
ARE 2150	Intermediate Applied and Resource Economics	3
ARE 2155	Imperfect Competition and Behavioral Economics	3
A minimum of 15 additional credits of ARE courses at the 2000 level or above		15
Writing Requirement
ARE 2261W	Writing in Food Policy	1
or ARE 2435W	Writing in Environmental and Resource Policy
Advanced Information Literacy Requirement
ARE 2261W	Writing in Food Policy	1
or ARE 2435W	Writing in Environmental and Resource Policy
Total Credits		29

The courses used to satisfy the 15 additional credit ARE minimum can also be used to fulfill the CAHNR 36-credit requirement.

Students choosing this major must take a total of at least 18 credits from the courses listed below.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Core Courses
Select at least 12 credits from the following:		12
ARE 2434E	Environmental and Resource Policy
ARE 2525	Sustainability Policy and Management
ARE 3333	Computational Analysis in Applied Economics
ARE 3438E	Climate Economics
ARE 4438E	Valuing the Environment
ARE 4444	Economics of Energy, Climate, and the Environment
ARE 4462E	Environmental and Resource Economics
Elective Courses
Select up to six credits from the following:		6
ARE 2250E	Energy Economics: Sustainable Transitions
ARE 2464	Measuring Impact of Programs that Raise Human Well-being
ARE 3305E	Economic Development, Environment, and Policy
ARE 4217	Business Finance and Investment Management
ARE 4305	Sustainable Economic Development
GSCU 2320E	Climate Change: Current Geographic Issues
GSCU 2500	Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
GSCU 2800E	Introduction to Sustainable Cities
GSCU 3840	Environmental Planning and Management
NRE 3245E	Environmental Law
Up to three credits of any 3000-level course or higher with approval of advisor
Total Credits		18

With approval of advisor, additional courses in ARE or in related fields can be used to fulfill the CAHNR 36-credit requirement for the major

Note

Students can add one or more minors offered by the ARE Department except for the Environmental Economics and Policy minor.

 

Learning Objectives

1. Apply economic principles to questions that affect society and human behavior.
2. Divide complex problems into feasible components to formulate solutions using economic principles.
3. Evaluate data using appropriate economic methods.
4. Critique information in the public sphere by applying economic and analytic methods.
5. Evaluate policy processes, options, and outcomes for social and economic problems.
6. Effectively communicate economic concepts and decisions in their specialized areas across audiences.
7. Explain the relevance of economic principles and implement methods to inform decision-making in areas related to climate change, energy markets, and environmental programs.

Accelerated Applied and Resource Economics MS

The Accelerated MS Program prepares students for advanced professional roles by enabling high-achieving undergraduates in the ARE Department to complete the MS in Applied and Resource Economics in just one additional year beyond the BS. 

Students must complete calculus (MATH 1071Q Calculus for Business and Economics or MATH 1131Q Calculus I) and statistics (STAT 1000Q Introduction to Statistics I or STAT 1100Q Elementary Concepts of Statistics), typically during their freshman or sophomore year; ARE 3333 Computational Analysis in Applied Economics in the fall of junior year; and ARE 5201 Microeconomics during senior year.

After completing 54 undergraduate credits, UConn undergraduate students in the ARE Department can apply to express their interest in the Accelerated MS in Applied and Resource Economics and, upon approval, will receive guidance from an Accelerated Program advisor. Students must then apply for admission to the M.S. for their +1 year.

Since this MS is a non-thesis degree, students must follow the MS Plan B requirements.

The MS program requires 30 graduate credits. Up to 12 credits of graduate coursework, taken as part of the 120-credit BS program, may be applied toward the MS 30-credit requirement. This includes three credits from ARE 5201 Microeconomics, which must be completed during the senior year.