What to Expect

Get ready for some number crunching. As you might expect, the coursework for many agricultural economics students places a heavy emphasis on math.

Jen Brown is a product of an agricultural economics program. In her fourth year, she had 15 to 20 hours of class every week -- and about half of those were math classes.

Brown focused on quantitative analysis and agri-food marketing. When she wasn't in the classroom, she wrote papers and conducted research.

"Depending on the day, I [may have worked] for one and a half or two hours a night on school-related work," she says. "During the crunch, right before exams, I [devoted] just about every day and evening to getting things completed."

Clint Dobson attended a master's program in agricultural economics. "In the master's program, you can specialize in farm management, marketing, policy, environment, trade, etcetera," he says.

At the master's level, students devote a lot of time to their studies. Dobson spent about 50 hours each week on his thesis alone. "Time all runs together," he says. "School is night and day, and is often the agenda on weekends."

Survival Tips

Public speaking and critical reading skills are important for success, says Brown. But she adds that everyone needs to let loose and socialize in order to stay sane over four years of hard work.

To save money, however, Brown says students should keep social spending under control. "Other than that, I would suggest that students work hard in their courses -- nothing hurts more than paying to take a course for a second time."

How to Prepare

Math skills are key for any agricultural economics student.

"The most important step a student should make before entering the program is to have a strong mathematical background," says Dobson.

He adds that high school students should take all the chemistry, biology and English classes they can handle.

"If you don't take them in high school, then you will have to take them before you enrol in them at [university]," he says.