Agricultural & Applied Economics

About Us

Founded in 1928, the University of Georgia Agricultural and Applied Economics Department has continued to meet the needs of its students and clientele by adapting and changing its academic, research and extension programs.

Academic Programs

At inception, the department strongly emphasized agricultural marketing and farm management, and offered one undergraduate major – Agricultural Economics. To meet the changing needs of employers and students, the department added two new undergraduate majors in the 1990s – Agribusiness, and Environmental Economics and Management. Over the years, the department added several minors to allow students a more focused educational experience.

Historically, the department’s instructional program has been offered on the main UGA campus in Athens.  Through the undergraduate academic programs on the UGA campuses in Tifton and Griffin, the department now offers courses in interdisciplinary majors outside of Athens.  And a new Agribusiness major will debut in the fall of 2006 through the undergraduate program on the Griffin Campus.

The department’s instructional program includes graduate studies, too.  Students can earn a Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics or Environmental Economics as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Applied Economics. These programs prepare students for careers in leadership through development of a high degree of economic comprehension.

Our faculty's outstanding instruction and scholarship have resulted in more than 3,000 graduates who are now contributing to the agribusiness and academic communities.

Research and Extension

The Georgia agricultural sector is highly diverse with poultry, beef, dairy, field crops, fruits, vegetables and nuts all being important. The complexity of the agricultural production and marketing systems creates many challenges for agribusinesses in the state and the department's research and extension programs have expanded to cover such important areas as marketing, management, policy, economic development, and natural resource and environmental economics.

Faculty with research appointments are located in Athens , Griffin and Tifton. Research thrusts include water use efficiency and conservation; sustainable agricultural systems; policy, trade and market analysis; animal waste and water management; and land use planning. These and other targeted areas will be important to the advancement of agriculture and natural resource priorities in the future.

Extension faculty members are located in Athens , Tifton and Statesboro. Most of the extension faculty are organized along commodity lines and cover production, marketing and policy. Extension conferences, meetings with producers and agribusinesses, as well as other activities, facilities connectivity with our constituents.

The Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, located in Athens, is a unit of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The Center combines research and extension to analyze economic problems that are important to the state and improve operating efficiency and profitability of Georgia 's agricultural and agribusiness sectors. The Center conducts short-term, applied projects for agricultural groups; analyzes the economic impact of Georgia agriculture; and conducts economic feasibility studies of value-added agribusiness opportunities.