<p>I had recently been searching my college's (MSU) website looking for majors as I am undecided. I came across agricultural and environmental economics. It caught my attention because I am interested in environmental policy, nature, economics, statistics, and sociology, but not enough to devote myself to just one of those interests. Does anybody know anything about the field? Does it pay well? Are there jobs? It sounds like almost a hybrid of economics and environmental science, is it? How is the major different from those two majors alone? Thanks</p>
<p>Ag economics departments often require some core business courses for their majors, in addition to ag econ and econ courses. (An econ major in a business school also requires core courses in the business subfields.) As a dept in a college of agriculture, you might have gen ed requirements in ag or science that you wouldn’t have in an econ dept in a college of arts & sciences. Also, ag econ depts. often offer a choice of several tracks for majors, e.g., ag econ, agribusiness management, natural resource/environmental econ, and development econ/international econ. Some ag econ depts. include offer coursework in consumer econ (though this area is more commonly offered in schools of home ec/human ecology) and in community development/rural sociology (though often this is a separate dept.) Finally, ag econ depts. often offer more applied or policy-focused courses in certain areas than regular econ depts., e.g., environmental policy, agricultural/food policy, etc. What options are available to you depends on which MSU you attend since there is more than one MSU.</p>
<p>For your environmental interests, many schools offer a interdisciplinary majors, minors, and certificates in environmental studies. Often there is a choice of tracks in environmental economics & policy or in environmental science, though you’d have to take coursework in both areas. Often, an environmental studies major is available both in the ag college and in the college of arts & sciences. Some international studies majors also offer a track in environmental aspects of international affairs, which includes work in environmental policy and economics.</p>
<p>Thanks @zapfino! And MSU=Michigan State University</p>
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