Undergraduate Programs in Agricultural Economics: Some Observations

Abstract

In recent years, increased attention has been focused on undergraduate education in agricultural economics. The profession's interest in undergraduate education has been demonstrated through sponsoring workshops, the Distinguished Undergraduate Teacher Awards, and, more recently, program emphasis at the annual meetings. Periodic evaluation of courses and programs at the department level in many institutions suggests a continuing concern for quality undergraduate education. As part of a comprehensive review of undergraduate agricultural economics programs at the University of Kentucky, a mail survey was conducted to obtain information relative to the current status and anticipated changes in programs in the United States and Canada.' Questionnaires were mailed to departments at land grant institutions in the United States and Canada in early 1975. Data obtained from forty-six departments are presented in this note. While the data requested touched on many facets of the undergraduate program, this note focuses primarily on the current size of agricultural economics programs, departmental characteristics and faculty involvement, and potential growth areas. As such the note offers some parallels to the Storey and Christensen survey of graduate programs previously reported in this Journal and elaborates on aspects of undergraduate programs discussed by Davis et al.