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Twin Cities Campus

Applied Economics B.S.

Applied Economics
College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
  • Program Type: Baccalaureate
  • Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2015
  • Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120
  • Required credits within the major: 52
  • Degree: Bachelor of Science
The applied economics major is designed to give students a solid foundation in economics and in how it is applied in the real world to improve people's lives. Core courses provide training in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and econometrics. Additional courses focus on environmental and resource economics, international and development economics, agricultural economics, and the economics of the public sector. Students majoring in applied economics develop strong critical-thinking skills, data analysis proficiency, and the ability to communicate their ideas in writing. Our students have pursued careers in government and in the private sector using their B.S. degrees. Others have pursued professional or graduate training in economics, law, management, or public policy. Students majoring in agricultural and food business management and applied economics cannot minor in either of the the department minors (AFBM or APEC). We highly encourage students to pursue a university-wide minor or if they are in AFBM, one of the department-specific minors offered through CSOM.
Program Delivery
This program is available:
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Admission Requirements
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the Office of Admissions website.
General Requirements
All students in baccalaureate degree programs are required to complete general University and college requirements including writing and liberal education courses. For more information about University-wide requirements, see the liberal education requirements. Required courses for the major, minor or certificate in which a student receives a D grade (with or without plus or minus) do not count toward the major, minor or certificate (including transfer courses).
Program Requirements
Every student's program is capped off with 12 credits of advanced-level coursework APEC 3XXX, 4XXX), called a professional application cluster. All major requirements must be taken A-F (unless only offered S-N), and students must earn a grade of at least C- or better.
Foundations Core
WRIT 3562W - Technical and Professional Writing [WI] (4.0 cr)
COMM 1101 - Introduction to Public Speaking [CIV] (3.0 cr)
or AECM 2421W - Professional and Oral Communication for Agriculture, Food & the Environment [WI] (3.0 cr)
COMM 5441 - Communication in Human Organizations (3.0 cr)
or COMM 3422 - Interviewing and Communication (3.0 cr)
or WRIT 3029W - Business and Professional Writing [WI] (3.0 cr)
or WRIT 3441 - Editing, Critique, and Style (3.0 cr)
or WRIT 3257 - Technical and Professional Presentations (3.0 cr)
or AECM 3431 - Communicating Food, Agriculture & Environmental Science to the Public (3.0 cr)
Students considering graduate study in applied economics are encouraged to take MATH 1271 and MATH 1272.
MATH 1142 - Short Calculus [MATH] (4.0 cr)
or MATH 1271 - Calculus I [MATH] (4.0 cr)
Professional Courses
APEC 1001 - Orientation to Applied Economics (1.0 cr)
or CFAN 3201 - Career and Internship Preparation (1.0 cr)
APEC 1101 - Principles of Microeconomics [SOCS, GP] (4.0 cr)
APEC 1102 - Principles of Macroeconomics (3.0 cr)
APEC 3001 - Applied Microeconomics: Consumers, Producers, and Markets (4.0 cr)
APEC 3002 - Managerial Economics (4.0 cr)
or APEC 3003 - Introduction to Applied Econometrics (4.0 cr)
APEC 3006 - Applied Macroeconomics: Government and the Economy (3.0 cr)
BA 2551 - Business Statistics in R [MATH] (4.0 cr)
or STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis [MATH] (4.0 cr)
Experiential Learning
CFAN 2201 {Inactive} (2.0 cr)
or CFAN 3096 - Making the Most of your Professional Experience (1.0 cr)
or ESPM 1202 - People, Land, and Water: Systems Under Stress [HIS] (3.0 cr)
or FSCN 2001 - A Food Systems Approach to Cooking for Health and the Environment (3.0 cr)
Interdisciplinary Learning
APEC 3202 - An Introduction to the Food System: Analysis, Management and Design (3.0 cr)
or APEC 4103 {Inactive} [GP] (3.0 cr)
or ESPM 1011 - Issues in the Environment [ENV] (3.0 cr)
or FSCN 1102 - Food: Safety, Risks, and Technology [CIV] (3.0 cr)
or ANSC 3203W - Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen [GP, WI] (3.0 cr)
Upper-division Writing Intensive within the major
Students are required to take one upper-division Writing Intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.
Take 0 - 1 course(s) from the following:
· ANSC 3203W - Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen [GP, WI] (3.0 cr)
· WRIT 3029W - Business and Professional Writing [WI] (3.0 cr)
· WRIT 3562W - Technical and Professional Writing [WI] (4.0 cr)
 
More program views..
View college catalog(s):
· College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2021
· Fall 2020
· Fall 2018
· Spring 2018
· Fall 2017
· Fall 2016

View sample plan(s):
· Applied Economics B.S. Sample Plan

View checkpoint chart:
· Applied Economics B.S.
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WRIT 3562W - Technical and Professional Writing (WI)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Writ 3562V/Writ 3562W
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course introduces students to technical and professional writing through various readings and assignments in which students analyze and create texts that work to communicate complex information, solve problems, and complete tasks. Students gain knowledge of workplace genres as well as to develop skills in composing such genres. This course allows students to practice rhetorically analyzing writing situations and composing genres such as memos, proposals, instructions, research reports, and presentations. Students work in teams to develop collaborative content and to compose in a variety of modes including text, graphics, video, audio, and digital. Students also conduct both primary and secondary research and practice usability testing. The course emphasizes creating documents that are goal-driven and appropriate for a specific context and audience.
COMM 1101 - Introduction to Public Speaking (CIV)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Comm 1101/Comm 1101H/PSTL 1461
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Public communication processes, elements, and ethics. Criticism of and response to public discourse. Practice in individual speaking designed to encourage civic participation.
AECM 2421W - Professional and Oral Communication for Agriculture, Food & the Environment (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Speaking/writing about scientific/technical issues. Student-centered, relies on interaction/participation. Public communication.  Lectures for this course will be online, while discussion sections will be held in-person.
COMM 5441 - Communication in Human Organizations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Communication in organizational settings. Organizational structure and dynamics and their effect upon the communication process. Individual projects.
COMM 3422 - Interviewing and Communication
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Application of communication concepts in information interview. Planning, conducting, and evaluating informational, journalistic/elite, helping, persuasive, appraisal, and employment interviews. Class training, field experience.
WRIT 3029W - Business and Professional Writing (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EngL 3029W/Writ 3029W
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In this course students practice writing and revising common business documents for today?s business world. Students write memos, proposals, cover letters, resumes, and digital and web content as well as practice choice of appropriate formats and media. The course draws from current business practices and stresses workplace collaboration, broader issues of professional literacy, and responsive writing styles. Students practice rhetorical analysis and discuss concepts such as audience, purpose, tone, and context when writing and revising their documents. Students analyze and write from a variety of perspectives and contexts including formal (researched reports, proposals) and informal (email, social media) communication. Students also build a professional online presence through such platforms as LinkedIn.
WRIT 3441 - Editing, Critique, and Style
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Writ 3441/Writ 4561
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
In this course, students will increase their understanding of how language works and will learn to make choices about language, style, and punctuation to create messages that are clear, concise, and useful. The course emphasizes technical communication, but the skills learned can be applied to any communication situation. Editing practice will include three levels of editing to make the documents comprehensible and useful in which students will not only polish their grammar and punctuation skills, but they will also learn how to explain and justify changes they make in documents. Topics also included in the course are editing methods for both paper and electronic copy and editing for organization and visual design.
WRIT 3257 - Technical and Professional Presentations
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: OPT No Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
In this course students develop oral presentation skills for technical or professional topics. Areas of study in the course include visual communication, audience analysis, presentation strategies, and presentation of complex research material. The course emphasizes use of digital technologies. Recommend that students take Comm 1101 or equivalent first
AECM 3431 - Communicating Food, Agriculture & Environmental Science to the Public
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
Planning/strategy for communication campaigns related to food/agriculture. Student-centered, relies on interaction/participation.
MATH 1142 - Short Calculus (MATH)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
A streamlined one-semester tour of differential and integral calculus in one variable, and differential calculus in two variables. No trigonometry/does not have the same depth as MATH 1271-1272. Formulas and their interpretation and use in applications. prereq: Satisfactory score on placement test or grade of at least C- in [1031 or 1051]
MATH 1271 - Calculus I (MATH)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Math 1271/Math 1381/Math 1571/
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Differential calculus of functions of a single variable, including polynomial, rational, exponential, and trig functions. Applications, including optimization and related rates problems. Single variable integral calculus, using anti-derivatives and simple substitution. Applications may include area, volume, work problems. prereq: 4 yrs high school math including trig or satisfactory score on placement test or grade of at least C- in [1151 or 1155]
APEC 1001 - Orientation to Applied Economics
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to curriculum offerings, liberal education requirements, employment opportunities, faculty in the Department of Applied Economics. Emphasizes historical development of the discipline, areas of specialization, coursework expectations, career planning.
CFAN 3201 - Career and Internship Preparation
Credits: 1.0 [max 1.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
The aim of this course is to equip you with long-term skills and knowledge that will help you manage your career within a dynamic and exciting work world of agriculture, food and the environment. The focus will be on career opportunities and resources related to CFANS majors highlighting alumni, employers and events from those majors. You will learn to tailor communication about your unique skills and interests to the needs of employers, graduate schools, and others via resumes, cover letters, online media, interviews, and individual interactions. We will explore how to attend to your authentic identity and values as you consider career alternatives and to enter a workplace culture with grace and curiosity. Finally we will introduce career competencies needed for successful career management in the workplace including strategies to function as an effective employee and team member. prereq: Soph or jr or sr or grad student
APEC 1101 - Principles of Microeconomics (SOCS, GP)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Econ 1101/1165 ApEc 1101/1101H
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Economic behavior of consumers/firms in domestic/international markets. Demand, supply, competition. Efficiency, Invisible Hand. Monopoly, imperfect competition. Externalities, property rights. Economics of public policy in environment/health/safety. Public goods, tax policy.
APEC 1102 - Principles of Macroeconomics
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: ApEc 1102/Econ 1102/1105/1112
Typically offered: Every Spring
Unemployment/inflation, measures of national income, macro models, fiscal policy/problems. Taxes and the national debt. Money/banking, monetary policy/problems. Poverty and income distribution. International trade and exchange rates. Economic growth/development. prereq: 1101 or Econ 1101
APEC 3001 - Applied Microeconomics: Consumers, Producers, and Markets
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Econ 3101/Econ 3012/ApEc 3001
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Consumer/producer decisions. Theory of supply/demand. Markets, pricing, investment, effect regulation, market failures. prereq: [[1101 or ECON 1101 or 1101H or ECON 1101H], [MATH 1142 or MATH 1271]] or instr consent; intended for undergrads in [Ag/Food Bus Mgmt, Appl Econ]
APEC 3002 - Managerial Economics
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Microeconomic theory, its application to managerial problems. Introduction to regression analysis, demand analysis, demand function estimation, forecasting, cost function estimation, resource allocation decisions, linear programming, market structure, pricing policy, risk analysis, investment analysis. prereq - ApEc 3001 or Econ 3101 AND SCO 2550 or Stat 3011
APEC 3003 - Introduction to Applied Econometrics
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Econometrics is the core empirical methodology used in economics. It allows economists (and others) to learn about the world through data in non-experimental situations. This course teaches student how to use common types of econometric analysis to answer research questions in an experiential learning environment. prereq: APEC 1101 or equiv., STAT 3011 or equiv.
APEC 3006 - Applied Macroeconomics: Government and the Economy
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Econ 3102/3024/ApEc 3006
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course covers the core topics in macroeconomics including monetary policy, fiscal policy (including government expenditures and taxation), output, output growth, interest rates, exchange rates, inflation, expectations, GDP accounting, and balance of payments statements. The course modality alternates between in person and remote, depending on the semester and instructor. prereq: [[1102 or Econ 1102], [3001 or Econ 3101]] or instr consent
BA 2551 - Business Statistics in R (MATH)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: BA 2551/SCO 2550
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
The purpose of the course is to develop skills for improving data-driven decision-making using statistical techniques in the powerful statistical software environment R. As an introductory statistics course, the content will include three main areas of statistics: Descriptive Statistics, Statistical Inference, and Analysis of Relationships with Scatterplots, Correlation and Linear Regression. Developing statistical literacy is increasingly important in understanding data and engaging in the complex business world. BA 2551 focuses on statistical reasoning and how to implement statistical methods in a business context using R. Topics include (but are not limited to) descriptive statistics, statistical inference, variability, sampling, distributions, correlation analysis, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, graphical summaries of data, and introduction to linear regression. Through weekly in-class lab sessions and critical thinking assignments related to statistics in business, the course will train students to become informed consumers of numerical information and provide foundational skills in R to compute statistical procedures in future courses. We use existing packages in R as a tool to enable us to solve business problems that can leverage mathematical and statistical thinking. prereq: [Math 1031 or equiv]
STAT 3011 - Introduction to Statistical Analysis (MATH)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: AnSc 3011/ESPM 3012/Stat 3011/
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Standard statistical reasoning. Simple statistical methods. Social/physical sciences. Mathematical reasoning behind facts in daily news. Basic computing environment.
CFAN 3096 - Making the Most of your Professional Experience
Credits: 1.0 [max 2.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course is designed to meet the CFANS Experiential Learning requirement which defines the importance and processes of learning through experience. This course also is a Diversity Enriched course. Students will undertake an experience in an authentic work-place setting related to agriculture, food or natural resource settings as a prerequisite to the course. The professional/internship experience will serve as a foundation for learning professional competencies including reflection, problem solving, managing interpersonal relationships, professional communication, and goal setting. Current theories of career development and career readiness will be introduced to help students construct meaning from their experiences to inform future goals and strategies. prereq: Secured internship, instr consent
ESPM 1202 - People, Land, and Water: Systems Under Stress (HIS)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Policies/community engagement around water sustainability. Students engage directly with local case on Mississippi River.
FSCN 2001 - A Food Systems Approach to Cooking for Health and the Environment
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
This is a fun, hands-on cooking class. It is also an Experiential Learning (EL) course which meets the EL requirement for all CFANS students. This lecture /lab format course will give students the confidence to cook healthful whole foods as they learn about the food system. Subject matter will be taught from an interdisciplinary perspective. Concepts covered include fundamental concepts of nutrition, food sources, food safety, the food system; skills/resources for food choices based on nutritional, environmental, local and global societal implications. We will examine the ethical and civic themes that guide food choices. We will discuss and write about how environmental, cultural, social, and health issues impact personal food choices. prereq: [soph, jr, sr] or instructor consent
APEC 3202 - An Introduction to the Food System: Analysis, Management and Design
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Introduction to use of systems thinking for exploration of problems in contemporary food system from multidisciplinary perspective. System concepts. Historical evolution of food system. Analysis, management, design.
ESPM 1011 - Issues in the Environment (ENV)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Introductory survey of environmental issues that explores the connections between environmental sciences, policy, and management. You will explore interrelationships between the environment and human society, as well as the underlying social, ethical, political and economic factors that affect those relationships. You will also examine the roles for science, technology, policy, and environmental justice in meeting environmental challenges. Asynchronous online lectures with weekly discussions in small groups.
FSCN 1102 - Food: Safety, Risks, and Technology (CIV)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: OPT No Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
Introduction to inherent risks/safety of food supply. Use of public policy and food technology to reduce risks. Microbiological, chemical, and environmental hazards, government/industry controls.
ANSC 3203W - Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen (GP, WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro/AnSc 3203/AgUM 2224
Typically offered: Every Spring
Ecological/ethical concerns of food production systems in global agriculture: past, present, and future. Underlying ethical positions about how agroecosystems should be configured. Interactive learning using decision cases, discussions, videos, other media.
ANSC 3203W - Environment, Global Food Production, and the Citizen (GP, WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: Agro/AnSc 3203/AgUM 2224
Typically offered: Every Spring
Ecological/ethical concerns of food production systems in global agriculture: past, present, and future. Underlying ethical positions about how agroecosystems should be configured. Interactive learning using decision cases, discussions, videos, other media.
WRIT 3029W - Business and Professional Writing (WI)
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Course Equivalencies: EngL 3029W/Writ 3029W
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
In this course students practice writing and revising common business documents for today?s business world. Students write memos, proposals, cover letters, resumes, and digital and web content as well as practice choice of appropriate formats and media. The course draws from current business practices and stresses workplace collaboration, broader issues of professional literacy, and responsive writing styles. Students practice rhetorical analysis and discuss concepts such as audience, purpose, tone, and context when writing and revising their documents. Students analyze and write from a variety of perspectives and contexts including formal (researched reports, proposals) and informal (email, social media) communication. Students also build a professional online presence through such platforms as LinkedIn.
WRIT 3562W - Technical and Professional Writing (WI)
Credits: 4.0 [max 4.0]
Course Equivalencies: Writ 3562V/Writ 3562W
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
This course introduces students to technical and professional writing through various readings and assignments in which students analyze and create texts that work to communicate complex information, solve problems, and complete tasks. Students gain knowledge of workplace genres as well as to develop skills in composing such genres. This course allows students to practice rhetorically analyzing writing situations and composing genres such as memos, proposals, instructions, research reports, and presentations. Students work in teams to develop collaborative content and to compose in a variety of modes including text, graphics, video, audio, and digital. Students also conduct both primary and secondary research and practice usability testing. The course emphasizes creating documents that are goal-driven and appropriate for a specific context and audience.