Concentration in Applied Economics                   

The Agricultural Studies concentration in Applied Economics gives students the opportunity to combine community college coursework with courses at CSU Stanislaus to obtain a B.A. degree. Students take upper division courses that build on specific knowledge and skills gained at the community college. 

Courses in the concentration expose students to economic concepts such as resource allocation at the firm level and at a macro level. Students in the program will gain important statistical skills including forecasting and knowledge about international markets. The program is flexible in that students can develop an independent study/internship in a related field for university credit.  

Requirements for the concentration in Applied Economics include completion of an A.A. or A.S. degree Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Business, or other related field. In addition, students must meet all requirements for the Agricultural Studies major, and all other university graduation requirements.  

Requirements for the concentration (23 units)

1. Required courses for the concentration (11  units)

        ECON 3205 Quantitative Analysis (4 units)

        ECON 4331 Managerial Economics (3 units)

        ECON 4560  Natural Resources and Environmental Economics (4 units) 

2. Electives (minimum of 12 units with at least one course from each area)

a. International

        ECON 4401 Third World Economics (3 units)

        ECON 4415 International Economics (3 units)

        ECON 4455 The U.S. and World Trade (4 units) 

b. General Economics

        ECON 4100 Labor Economics (3 units)

        ECON 4200 Intermediate Micro Theory (3 units)

        ECON 4500 Economics of Investment (4 units)

        ECON 4335 Political Economy (WP) (4 units)

c.  Internship in an Agricultural Related Setting

     ECON 4910 Cooperative Education/Internship (3 units)

Students in this concentration will also be advised to fulfill as many of the university requirements as possible by taking upper-division courses in marketing, accounting, and finance. 

  Learning and Program Objectives

There are two sets of objectives associated with the degree program in Agricultural Studies.  

The first of these can be described as substantive and learning process objectives: 

The substantive purposes of the agricultural studies program are to provide students in the Agricultural Studies major with an understanding of:

•   basic economic principles with respect to the production and distribution of agricultural resources;

•   agricultural and environmental resource management;

•   pre- and post-production business and marketing practices;

•   physical, chemical, and biological principles of agroeco systems;

•   global perspectives on food issues;

•   restorative and sustainable agricultural practices;

•   spatial and other quantitative techniques;

•   the social context of agricultural production;

•   public policy, regulatory and land use issues. 

In pursuing these objectives, the program will:

•   encourage students to critically assess agricultural issues and trends;

•   provide students with opportunities to systematically develop their communicative, analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking skills;

•   expose students to diverse teaching and learning strategies in a number of academic disciplines;

•   offer students applied experience through internships and service learning;

•   deliver a high quality academic program that prepares students for changing and emerging professional opportunities in the region;

•   provide students with an educational experience that helps prepare them for graduate studies and teaching.  

Other objectives are programmatic and institutional.

These are designed to:

•   offer an academic program not replicated elsewhere that meets educational needs in the northern San Joaquin Valley and Central Sierra Foothills;

•   provide academic departments at California State University, Stanislaus with the opportunity and incentives to collaborate through the delivery of a multidisciplinary major;

•   foster the development of sustainable relationships with area community colleges through the implementation of a 2+2 program design;

•   enable California State University to pursue a program that is consistent with its liberal arts learning mission;

•   strengthen ties between the University and the region’s agricultural and educational communities; increase student access to an academic program in the area in which they reside.

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