The department offers two Master's degrees, and a Ph.D. in agricultural and applied economics. Small classes, careful student mentoring by faculty, and a rich array of campus resources make the student's experience at Wisconsin a rewarding one. Not least, the students themselves bring a wealth of academic, cultural and professional experience which further enriches the educational milieu.
The department's international reputation is reflected in its consistent ranking within the top five departments nationwide. A Wisconsin education is recognized around the world for its rigor, its breadth, and its special commitment to improving the human condition.
Our graduate course offerings and faculty interests are structured around six primary research areas:
- Agricultural Production & Technical Change
- Community Economic Development
- Development Economics
- Environmental & Resource Economics
- Markets & Prices in the Food System
- Resources & The Environment in Economic Development
The department's disciplinary strengths are augmented by exceptional related programs in environmental studies, life sciences, economics, finance, statistics, math, and public policy. The faculty, distinguished by its record of public service, research and extension work, excels in obtaining research support from government, foundations, and international agencies. Much of this support goes toward collaborative research with graduate students; in fact, most students in the department have the opportunity to obtain practical research experience and publish the results.
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"One of the most positive things about the program is the sense of community among the graduate students and faculty. In my first year, all of us taking the Ph.D. theory sequence approached it like a team sport--we formed tight study groups and helped each other through every problem set, exam and prelim. The faculty members were also extraordinarily friendly and always attended the events put on by the Taylor-Hibbard Club: the steak fry, the square dance, etc.
"On the academic side, the department offers an excellent sequence of micro and macroeconomic development courses. At the end, you really feel as though you have both a breadth and critical depth of understanding of most of the debates in the literature, and a strong foundation for developing a dissertation topic."
Elizabeth Katz, Class of 1992, Department of Economics, University of San Francisco
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