Undergraduate Program
Do you want to...- Take classes with award-winning faculty?
- Compete in national ag-marketing competitions?
- Develop entrepreneurial skills related to agricultural business?
- Work internationally?
- Return to production agriculture with enhanced farm/ranch management skills?
- Start, manage or assume a business in the food or fiber sector?
- Work in the organic food industry?
- Provide financial management direction to agricultural producers?
- Become an agricultural journalist?
- Market agricultural inputs?
- Solve natural resource problems?
- Be an agricultural accountant?
- Analyze land use with GIS?
- Design food marketing strategies?
- Analyze agricultural polices?
- Appraise agricultural real estate properties?
- Trade futures market contracts?
- Go to graduate or law school?
These and many other career and learning opportunities await you!
One in five workers is employed in the food and fiber sector of the U.S. economy. A major in agricultural economics and agricultural business provides flexibility to students with diverse career interests. The Areas of Concentration prepare graduates for the challenging world of increasingly global and information-driven agriculture, food companies and markets, and environmental and natural resource management agencies. Our majors are also in demand by companies and agencies outside the food and fiber sector. Past graduates have found excellent career choices and competitive salaries. Many have gone on to graduate school and successful academic careers.
Areas of Concentration
Students majoring in Ag. Econ. /Ag. Bus. may select one of the following Areas of Concentration. Many of these areas also lead to minors.
- Farm Business Management
- Ranch Business Management
- Agricultural Marketing and Sales
- Agricultural Communications
- Environmental Economics
- Agricultural Finance
- Business Management
- Pre-Law
- Ag Chemical Sales
- International Agricultural Business
- International Development
- Natural Resource Management
- Computer Applications and Data Management
- Quantitative Skills/ Graduate School (MS) Prep
- Agricultural Records and Financial Controls
Advising
Students are invited to visit the Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business Student Services Center, located in room 379 Gerald Thomas Hall. A full-time staff member, Irma Marshall, handles correspondence, files, checks degrees, and all relevant items for undergraduate and graduate students. The center provides students with a central place to get help without having to have an appointment.
Beginning freshmen and transfer students are provided temporary advisors in the center and encouraged to use a faculty member in the department as a permanent advisor.
NAMA
Students may wish to join the NMSU chapter of the National Agri-Marketing Association, established in 1994. Club participation prepares students for careers in agribusiness marketing, sales, public relations, and advertising. Club activities include field trips, work experiences, and national marketing plan competitions. Since 1994, NAMA teams have won more than 20 national awards.
NMSU Undergraduate Links
Check out the Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business pages of the catalog and the descriptions of the classes offered by AEAB.
Follow the link FOR STUDENTS for links to information about the Math Placement Exam, services for students, student government, campus life, the bookstore, the Registrar's office, campus calendars, maps, NMSU Online, and much more.
Financial Aid
The Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business offers undergraduate scholarships totaling $20,500 each year. Our majors are also eligible for scholarships awarded by the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, which has more than $325,000 annually to support students. About 25% are reserved for freshman.
Scholarships are awarded on academic performance, financial need, or both. Scholarship applications for fall semester must be received by March 1.
Many students find work in the department or college and also can receive work study grants.
Departmental Scholarships
- Archer Daniel Midland (ADM) Scholarship
- David & Paulina Salopek Scholarship
- Farm Credit of New Mexico Scholarships
- Hurt Endowed Scholarship
- James F. Cole Memorial Scholarship
- L.E. (Gene) Mathers, Jr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship
- New Mexico Oil and Gas Association/Catlett Endowed Scholarship Fund
- Patrick Hightower Memorial Scholarship
- Paul Roach Endowed Memorial Scholarship
- Robert L. Coppersmith Memorial Scholarship
- William Esslinger II Memorial Scholarship
- William S. May Scholarship
- Dept. of Ag. Econ. / Ag. Bus. Scholarships
- Kringle the Cat Scholarship
Contact
For more information about careers in Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business contact:
Terry Crawford,
Interim Dept. Head
Dept. Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business
MSC 3169
New Mexico State University
Box 30003
Las Cruces, NM 88003
575-646-3215
E-mail:crawford@nmsu.edu