Undergraduate Program

Build the analytical skills you need to understand today’s economy. Learn the economics behind some of today’s most pressing issues including food systems, international trade, climate change and environmental protection, poverty and more. This major also offers the opportunity to explores business economics and finance, economic development, biotechnology, land-use management, and community development. Majors graduate ready for careers in business, finance, sales, management, policy and industry.

There are four areas of concentration within the major, all leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. This is a major designed by you and your advisor to fit your specific interests.

• Applied Economics – the economics of real world policy, business and finance
• Development Economics – understanding the global economy, population and poverty
• Environmental and Resource Economics – learn about the value of our natural resources, and their protection through environmental policy
• Managerial Economics – explore commodities, agricultural finance and farm systems management

Agricultural & Applied Economics Guide
The guide provides admission information, course requirements and more

Courses

Questions? Please contact:

Linda Davis
Undergraduate Student Services
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
427 Lorch Street, Room 424
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-9488

linda.davis@wisc.edu

If you are particularly interested in business you will find our program in Agricultural Business Management (ABM) ideally suited to your career goals. You will learn managerial economics, how businesses make decisions and minimize risk, and how to use applied mathematics and statistics to analyze prices and markets.

ABM students receive permission to take specified business courses that are normally reserved for students in the School of Business. Students completing this major will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management, one of only five professional undergraduate degrees offered at the University.

Agricultural Business Management Guide
The guide provides admission information, course requirements and more

Courses

Questions? Please contact:

Linda Davis
Undergraduate Student Services
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
427 Lorch Street, Room 424
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-9488

linda.davis@wisc.edu

For students who are interested in learning more about the global economy, understanding the roots of poverty, and investigating policy solutions.

Courses look at the impact of globalization on populations worldwide, and aim to help you use analytical skills to understand the impact of population growth on global economies. There are also courses to explore the topics of environment and development, hunger and food security and regional courses on Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.

Choose the 15-credit Certificate in Development Economics to sharpen your understanding of some of the most pressing problems facing the global community.

In order to declare the Certificate, the student must have successfully completed AAE 215, Econ 101, or Econ 111 or a comparable introductory economics course.

The Certificate requires 5 courses, including a minimum of one from each of the following options:

1. AAE 474 – Economic Problems of Developing Areas
2. AAE Core course: 373 or 374
3. Elective AAE Courses: 319, 350, 373 or 374, 462, 473, 477
4. Other Elective Courses
   1. 1. Community and Environmental Sociology: 380, 540, 630.
      2. Economics: 364, 464, 467, 475.
      3. Geography: 339
      4. International Business: 200, 445.
      5. International Studies: 402.
      6. Political Science: 348, 350, 351.
5. One additional course from the options 2-4 above

More information on courses and requirements can be found in The Guide.

Questions? Please contact:

Linda Davis
Undergraduate Student Services
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
427 Lorch Street, Room 424
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-9488

linda.davis@wisc.edu

The CALS Business Management for Agricultural and Life Sciences Certificate (CBC) is an excellent complement to your CALS degree. Develop business analysis, communications and problem solving skills to supplement your degree work and enhance your appeal to employers.

The certificate requires four core courses and two electives, to be layered into your CALS degree plan. The required courses are offered in partnership with the Departments of Agricultural & Applied Economics, Life Sciences Communications, the Wisconsin School of Business and the Renk Agribusiness Institute. This certificate is available exclusively to CALS degree holders. Agricultural Business Management majors are ineligible due to course overlap.

Completion of the certificate requires a total of 18 credits.

Twelve credits are in the required core:

• Agricultural and Applied Economics 215: Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics
• Life Sciences Communication 270: Communication in Life Science Industries
• General Business 310: Fundamentals of Accounting and Finance for Non-Business Majors
• General Business 311: Fundamentals of Management and Marketing for Non-Business Majors

No substitutions are allowed for the core courses. A limit of two courses may be used for both certificate and degree credits.

The remaining six credits can be chosen by students from the following options:

• AAE 319, 320,322, 323, 419, 421, 526 or 540
• DYSCI 233, 234, or 535
• LSC 250, 251, 431, 432, or 435

More information can be found in The Guide or on the certificate website.

Questions? Please contact:

Linda Davis
Undergraduate Student Services
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics
University of Wisconsin-Madison
427 Lorch Street, Room 424
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 262-9488

linda.davis@wisc.edu