Graduate Studies

All of our faculty and staff strive to make our students’ years at NDSU as rewarding as possible. Our goal is to make our Department's programs worthwhile, progressive, and forward-looking to better prepare students for their future careers.

The Department offers the following graduate degrees:

M.S. in Agribusiness  and Applied Economics

This program builds upon a core set of courses in economic theory and quantitative methods to provide the foundation necessary for specializing in such areas as agribusiness strategy, agricultural marketing, natural resource management, or applied economics. The expected time of degree competition is 16 months. Graduate assistantships are offered on a competitive basis. To be considered for assistantship funding, completed applications must be submitted by March 1 for fall admission, and by October 1 for spring admission. The GRE is required of all applicants.

Additional admission criteria and program information can be found at the  Agribusiness and Applied Economics page in the NDSU University Catalog.

Accelerated M.S. in Agribusiness and Applied Economics

The accelerated M.S. program is available for students currently enrolled in the undergraduate economics, agricultural economics, and agribusiness programs at NDSU. Students must have completed at least 60 credits towards their B.S. degree and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 at NDSU at the time of application. The GRE is required of all applicants. Interested students should contact the graduate program coordinator prior to applying.

Additional admission criteria and program information can be found at the Accelerated M.S. in Agribusiness and Applied Economics page in the NDSU University Catalog.

M.B.A. in Agribusiness

This program carves a niche at the intersection of business and agriculture, drawing on the resources and expertise of both the College of Business and the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics. It accommodates full- and part-time students, including working professionals, and focuses on preparing managers of agribusiness firms to make decisions that consider factors unique to agribusiness.

To learn more, visit the MBA - Agribusiness page in the NDSU University Catalog.

Ph.D. in Applied Economics

The Department offers an outcome-based doctoral program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Applied Economics. The faculty conduct a broad range of research in applied economics, including agricultural economics, applied risk analysis, international trade, agricultural policy, resource economics, institutional economics, transportation economics, and extension. This program admits new students in odd-numbered years (e.g. 2025, 2027, ...). Graduate assistantships are offered on a competitive basis. To be considered for assistantship funding, completed applications must be submitted by March 1 prior to the fall semester of intended enrollment. The Department does not admit new Ph.D. students in the spring or summer semester. The GRE is required of all applicants. 

Additional admission criteria and program information can be found at the Applied Economics page in the NDSU University Catalog.