Office of the Registrar and Student Awards

205

Graduate Programs

205.70 Rural Economy

Department of Rural Economy

515 General Services Building

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H1

E-mail: rural.economy@ualberta.ca

205.70.1 General Information

    The Department of Rural Economy offers programs leading to the Master of Agriculture, Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Agricultural and Resource Economics, Forest Economics, and Rural Sociology. A joint program leading to dual degrees of Master of Business Administration and Master of Agriculture is also offered. Areas of emphasis in graduate programs include: the economics of agricultural markets and price behavior; production economics and agricultural business management; economics of agricultural and rural development; economics of policy intervention; environmental and natural resource economics, forest economics, rural sociology, environmental and resource sociology, resource policy analysis, and agroforestry.

Entrance Requirements

    The Department's minimum admission requirements for each master's program are an undergraduate degree with an average of 3.0 in the last two years of undergraduate work (or graduate work) at the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution, and a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 88 (internet-based) where applicable (see §203.2.4). Admission requirements for the doctoral program are an approved master's degree with an average of at least 3.3 or equivalent or an approved bachelor's degree with an average of at least 3.7 or equivalent, and a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based) or 88 (internet-based) where applicable (see §203.2.4).

Financial Assistance

    Information about details of program requirements and the availability of financial assistance may be obtained from the Department.

205.70.2 The Degree of MAg

    Applicants for this program are normally expected to have completed three years of satisfactory professional experience in agriculture.

Program Requirements

    Master of Agriculture programs consist of *30 at the graduate level plus a project course equivalent in weight to at least *3. Students are expected to participate in the department seminar series through attendance and presentation of their research project results.

    No language other than English is required for the degree.

    Candidates must spend a minimum of one single term (four months) in full-time attendance at the University of Alberta to meet the residence requirement.

Length of Program

    A candidate with adequate undergraduate prerequisites and appropriate professional experience should complete the program in one academic year (12 months).

205.70.3 The MBA/MAg Joint Program

    The Faculty of Business and the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences offer a program of joint study which permits students to earn both the MBA and the MAg degrees in two years.

    Students in the first year of the regular MBA program and/or eligible students enrolled in graduate programs in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences, as well as new entrants, are eligible to apply for the joint program. Refer to §205.9.4 under Business for details.

205.70.4 The Degree of MSc

Program Requirements

    Master of Science programs consist of at least *18 in graduate courses plus a thesis normally equivalent in weight to *12 to *18. Students are expected to participate in the department seminar series through attendance and presentation of their research results.

    No language other than English is required for the degree.

    Candidates must spend a minimum of two single terms (eight months) in full-time attendance at the University of Alberta to meet the residence requirement.

Length of Program

    The time required to complete the MSc will vary with the individual candidate; qualified candidates should be able to complete the program in 24 months.

205.70.5 The Degree of PhD

Program Requirements

    Doctor of Philosophy programs include, in addition to the Master of Science course requirements, preparation for candidacy examinations in theory, quantitative techniques, the field of specialization and a supporting field. Fields of specialization are agricultural and resource economics, forest economics, and rural sociology and include a joint specialization in environmental and natural resource economics offered collaboratively by the Departments of Rural Economy and Economics. All candidates for the PhD must prepare and defend a thesis on an approved topic. Students are expected to participate in the department seminar series through attendance and presentation of their research results.

    Programs depend on academic background and typically consist of *36 in graduate courses, with *18 from the Department of Rural Economy.

    No language other than English is required for the degree.

Length of Program

    The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to the academic background of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of 36 months is normally required.

205.70.6 Graduate Courses

    Graduate courses can be found in §231, Course Listings, under the following subject headings:

    Agricultural and Resource Economics (AREC)

    Forest Economics (FOREC)

    Interdisciplinary (INT D)

    Rural Sociology (R SOC)

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