Oct 03, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Agricultural Economics (Ph.D.)


Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. program is offered through the Department of Agricultural Economics   graduate program and is operated in cooperation with the Department of Economics. Students earn a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics upon completion of the program. In the program, students will study economic theory, knowledge in research methodology, general agricultural economics and a specialty branch including: agribusiness, international development, natural resources, price analysis/marketing, production/farm management/finance, community and regional economics, trade and policy. A Ph.D. program of study must have at least 60 credit hours of graduate course work (the credit received for writing an M. S. thesis or report may be used to help meet the 60 credit hour requirements), and 30 hours of research credits are required for the written Ph.D. dissertation. A minimum of 24 credit hours of course work on the program of study must be taken at Kansas State University.

The program of study in agricultural economics shall include course work in four branches: economic theory, research methodology, general agricultural economics, and a specialty branch in agricultural economics. The student may choose to list a minor field in addition.

After completing 12 hours of microeconomics and macroeconomics, the student takes qualifying examinations in microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. After successfully completing the qualifying examinations and the required courses in agricultural economics, the student takes the preliminary examination in general agricultural economics. After passing the preliminary examination the student is admitted to candidacy.

The candidate prepares a written dissertation proposal including an identification of the problem, a review of relevant literature, and an outline of proposed research procedures to be used. The candidate must satisfactorily defend the proposal in a seminar at least six months before the final Ph.D. oral in which the candidate defends the dissertation.

The course requirements are:

Required agricultural economics courses (6 credit hours)


Specialty area (6 credit hours)


Requirements for the Specialty Branches


and one of the following:


Production/farm/management/finance


General electives* (18 credit hours)


Coursework at the 700 level or above.

* Must include the following M.S. level courses or their equivalent

Total course credit hours (60)


Dissertation credit hours (30)


Total credit hours required for the Ph.D. (90)


Note


Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor(s) about additional courses to ehance their training in a field. Alternative specialities, or variances to those described above, may be designed by a student’s supervisory committee with the approval of the graduate committee.

*No course can be used to meet both a specialty and a core program requirement.