| Agricultural and Resource Economics
Gilmore 115
3050 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7039
Fax: (808) 956-2811
E-mail: ta_agecon1@avax.ctahr.hawaii.edu
Web: www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/~arec/
Faculty
*S. A. El-Swaify, PhD (Chair)-natural resource conservation and restoration
*R. L. Bowen, PhD-natural resource policy, economics of sustainable agriculture
*C. T. K. Ching, PhD-policy and production economics
*L. J. Cox, PhD-community economic development
*C. A. Ferguson, PhD-natural resource and economic policy
K. D. Fleming, PhD-agribusiness management
*P. V. Garrod, PhD-marketing and production economics
*C. Gopalakrishnan, PhD-natural resource economics, environmental economics
*J. M. Halloran, PhD-marketing and agribusiness management
*P. S. Leung, PhD-production, fisheries, and aquaculture economics
*S. T. Nakamoto, PhD-marketing
*G. R. Vieth, PhD-resource management, non-market valuation
*J. F. Yanagida, PhD-production economics, price analysis, international trade and development
Cooperating Graduate Faculty
T. Liang, PhD-systems engineering
J. K. Wang, PhD-production systems design and aquacultural engineering
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
J. P. Dorian, PhD-mineral economics
S. G. Pooley, PhD-fisheries economics
*Graduate Faculty
Degrees Offered: BS in agricultural and resource economics, MS in agricultural and resource economics, PhD in agricultural and resource economics
The Academic Program
Agricultural and resource economics
(AREC) deals with the practical application of economic theory and analytic methods to diverse aspects of the commercial food and fiber industries. Analyses of public-sector projects and domestic and international policies in agriculture and resource use are also involved. Students study economic development, trade, and agricultural policy as well as resource use, conservation, and quality.
AREC provides undergraduate students with a well-rounded education and the flexibility to tailor programs to match students' interests. The graduate programs are rigorous in economic theory, quantitative methods, and the application of learned theory and methods to AREC fields or areas of concentration. AREC graduates find employment in the private sector and in government and academic institutions.
Undergraduate Study
Bachelor's Degree
Concentrations available within this curriculum include agribusiness, natural resources, fisheries and aquaculture economics, and general agricultural economics in preparation for graduate work. Students and their adviser will develop an appropriate plan of study.
Requirements
- ACC 201
- AREC 210 or MATH 241
- ECON 300 and 301
- ENG 209
- 18 upper division AREC credit hours, including AREC 310 and at least one 400-level AREC course
Graduate Study
The department offers MS and PhD degrees in the general areas of resource economics,
bioeconomics, international development, and policy. A PhD program in agricultural systems analysis is also offered in cooperation with faculty in the biosystems engineering department.
The department maintains close relationships with the UH Manoa Water Resources Research Center, Sea Grant College Program, and Department of Economics, as well as the East-West Center. Graduate students have considerable latitude for designing programs of study, generally focusing on issues important to Asian and Pacific Basin countries.
Complete details on graduate programs, as well as financial aid available to prospective students, are outlined in a brochure available upon request from the department.
Master's Degree
Undergraduate preparation for admission to the MS program includes courses in intermediate micro- and macroeconomics, statistics, and calculus.
Graduates with MS degrees have found employment in government and international agencies, agricultural extension services, financial organizations, and agribusiness firms.
Requirements
Prospective MS candidates may select either the Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (non-thesis) program. The Plan A program requires 25 credit hours of course work and 6 credit hours of thesis. The student must pass an oral exam in defense of
the thesis.
Plan B requires 34 credit hours of course work, of which 18 credit hours must be from courses at the 600 level or above. A scholarly paper, a written comprehensive exam, and a subsequent exam are required. The scholarly paper should reflect the candidate's substantive analysis of a subject in the field of agricultural and resource economics. The written exam covers materials from the core courses.
All students pursuing the MS are required to take the following courses: AREC 458, 627, and 705; ECON 420 (or 627); ECON 425 (or AREC 626); ECON 604 (or 606); and ECON 605 (or 607).
Doctoral Degree
Applicants with a master's degree in either agricultural economics or a closely related field with no undergraduate deficiencies will be considered for admission to the PhD program. Students currently enrolled in the MS program, upon successful completion of 12 credit hours of graduate course work, may petition for admission to the PhD program. Students with outstanding undergraduate records (minimum GPA of 3.3) in agricultural and resource economics or a closely related field with no undergraduate deficiencies may also gain admission to the PhD program. Applicants for the PhD program must have completed all courses required for admission to the master's program.
Employment opportunities for PhD graduates include private and public research organizations and university positions in research, teaching, and extension.
Requirements
Students in the PhD program must take AREC 610, 626, 629, 634, 637, 638, 705; ECON 606, 607, 608, 609, and 627; and two other approved graduate courses.
PhD students must pass a written comprehensive exam based on core courses (see departmental brochure for details). They must also pass an oral comprehensive exam, write an acceptable dissertation based on original research, and defend it in a public examination before being awarded the PhD degree. |
