Degree requirements Frequently asked questions
The non-thesis Master of Agricultural and Applied Economics (MAAE) is a professionally oriented degree designed to prepare graduates for a wide variety of careers in the private sector, including as economic consultants, commodity traders, analysts, or in the public sector with government agencies and international organizations. Students may choose a focus area that fits their interests and career goals:
- Food and Agribusiness
- Agricultural Markets and Finance
- Sustainability and Environmental Economics
- Trade and International Development
- Data Science and Analysis
Core courses will train students in advanced microeconomics and econometrics, and additional quantitative tools such as data science and system optimization.
This master's degree can be completed as a stand-alone master's degree or, for ACE students only, a combined bachelors plus master's (4+1 MAAE). The 4+1 MAAE combines the ACE Bachelor's of Science, and it can be completed in five academic years, including a summer internship. The 4+1 MAAE is only open to students enrolled in ACE. Students can share up to 6 credit hours of coursework between their bachelor’s and master’s. Admitted students to this program will receive both degrees simultaneously after all program requirements are successfully completed.
The standalone MAAE is designed for students from any other major or with a Bachelor's degree to complete over a 1 to 2 year period based on their interests and ability to take partial to full course loads during each semester of study; it is open to any student with a bachelor’s degree that meets the program admission criteria.
The MAAE is a STEM-designated master's program.
View our program timelines and requirements to get an idea of how your time would be structured in either the 4+1 MAAE or in the standalone MAAE.
- Program Timeline (pdf)
- Program Requirements (pdf)
- Program Comparison (pdf)
- Example Schedules by Focus Area
Professional Internship or Research Apprenticeship
Students will work with advisors to successfully land and complete a professional internship or research apprenticeship as part of the program requirements.
The professional internship experience is typically completed the summer after coursework requirements are met. It could also be completed during the fall or spring semesters, or in the summer prior to the first fall semester of classes for the MAAE program. However, students may find the internship experience more enriching after having completed some, or all of their graduate coursework.
Program advisors will support students in their internship preparation, professional network building, and to identify opportunities, while students will be responsible for successfully interviewing, landing, and completing the internship.
Career Opportunities
The MAAE's focus on mastery of quantitative methods, field specialization, and internship experience prepares students for many career paths. Graduates will be fully prepared to grow with industry leaders through the program's combination of academics tailored to career goals with hands-on work experience.
Upon earning your master's, you might:
- Inform efforts to fight hunger at the World Bank or IFPRI
- Shape policy in places like the US Department of Agriculture or Environmental Protection Agency
- Crank the numbers that drive high-stakes legal cases and regulatory evaluations in economic consulting companies
- Take a leadership position in food and agribusiness industries
- Work in the fast lane at a commodity trading company
- Fight for the environment or food security as an analyst in a non-profit
Who Should Apply
You should apply to this program if you:
- Are interested in a career in the private sector, including as an economic consultant, commodity trader, analyst
- Are interested in a career in the public sector with government agencies and international organizations
- Have a strong background in math, microeconomics, and statistics
- Want to complete a master's degree in a shortened timeline and without completing a research thesis
- Desire to gain hands-on work experience tailored to your career interests
- Are prepared to competitively enter the job market after earning your master's
How to Apply
Application deadlines*
Spring cohort: October 15
Fall cohort: January 15
*We will continue accepting and reviewing applications after the above dates, but for full consideration, please submit all materials by the deadlines above.
4+1 MAAE Pre-Application (only for ACE undergraduate students with sophomore or junior standing)
To apply, submit first stage application (no fee required), prepare the following application and combine into a single pdf document:
- Personal Statement (400-500 words)
- The personal statement should summarize your qualifications, outline your reasons for applying to the program, and describe your career objectives. This should reflect your professional interests specific to the MAAE program.
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript (DARS audit is acceptable)
- Names and contact information for three references
- At least two of your references should be familiar with and in a position to comment on your academic record and potential for success in a graduate program.
Submit the combined pdf in an email with the subject line " MAAE pre-application" to:
Students who pre-apply will be advised to take advanced undergraduate with a focus on excellent performance in courses such as ACE 300, ACE 260, and ACE 264.
MAAE Application
Apply* (regular app fee) and be officially accepted into the Graduate College, making sure to include the following elements via the formal application:
- Select the “MAAE” Option on the application
- Personal Statement (400-500 words)
- The personal statement should summarize your qualifications, outline your reasons for applying to the program, and describe your career objectives. This should reflect your professional interests specific to the MAAE program.
- Resume (updated)
- Official post-secondary academic record
- Include courses taken, grades earned, and degrees awarded. Unofficial transcripts meet this requirement.
- Names and contact information for three references
- At least two of your references should be familiar with and in a position to comment on your academic record and potential for success in a graduate program.
- GRE test scores (optional)
- If you choose to submit your test scores, do so directly from Educational Testing Center, ETS is who administers the GRE and TOEFL.
- Institution code: 1836
- Department code: 0101
- If you choose to submit your test scores, do so directly from Educational Testing Center, ETS is who administers the GRE and TOEFL.
ACE seniors applying to the 4+1 MAAE should plan on deferring their graduation as they will receive both their B.S. and M.S. upon graduating from the MAAE program.
Tuition and fees are direct costs charged by the university. The cost of attendance also includes indirect cost allowances for food, housing, books, supplies, and other expenses. You will not be billed by the university for these costs unless you live in university housing. Use the Illinois Cost Calculator for an estimated cost of attendance.