Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

Students who specialize in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics find employment in a wide range of jobs in both the public and private sectors.  Private sector jobs include those at banks, consulting firms, and companies specializing in environmental planning, litigation, and remediation.  In the public sector, economists work in local, state, and national agencies involved in environmental management.  These include the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  In the international arena, resource economists are employed by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, and many branches of the United Nations.  Many graduates go on to teach at 4-year colleges and major research universities.

Purdue research in environmental and natural resource economists cover a range of topics including:

• alternative agriculture
• rural land use and application of GIS to analysis of environmental issues
• water resources research, including crop irrigation and water management
• economic effects of conservation tillage and alternative farming systems
• innovative uses of experimental economics in dealing with environmental issues such as valuation of environmental resources
• energy economics, including energy pricing and conservation
• tropical deforestation and agroforestry systems
• causes and consequences of global climate change

The specialty in environmental and natural resource economics is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the tools used by environmental and natural resource economists and a high degree of flexibility in developing a plan of study.  Environmental and natural resource economists often work with scientists from other disciplines, and many students develop programs of study that include courses taught in other departments at Purdue.  There is no prescribed course sequence.  Each student's plan of study is tailored to his/her needs and interests.  In addition to the core requirements of the Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, this specialty requires nine additional credits of coursework.  Courses in the plan of study are selected in collaboration with the student's supervisory committee and major professor.

Suggested Courses for the Master of Science Program:
AGEC 525	Environmental Policy Analysis
AGEC 604	Fund of Applied Welfare Economics
AGEC 612	Agricultural Production Economics I
AGEC 640	Agricultural Policy
IE 545	Engineering Economics Analysis
IE 546	Economic Decisions in Engineering

 

Required for the Resource and Environmental specialty area in the Ph.D. Program:
AGEC 616	Resource Economics and Policy

In order to sharpen understanding and prepare for research on a topic of interest within the field, students are required to complete an additional 6 credits of coursework.  Courses should be selected with the guidance of the student's supervisory committee. 

Candidate's courses are:
AGEC 608	Benefit Cost Analysis
AGEC 617	Applied Welfare & Environmental Econ
AGEC 618	Applied General Equilibrium Analysis
AGEC 640	Agricultural Policy