Department of Applied Economics and Statistics

Telephone: (302) 831-1318
E-mail: Applied@udel.edu
http://canr.udel.edu
Faculty Listing: http://canr.udel.edu/our-faculty/apec/

Applied Economics and Statistics is concerned with agribusiness management, food marketing, the economics of environmental and resource management, and statistics. Applied Economics courses are designed to provide a thorough background in the principles of organization and management of agribusiness firms, and includes study of financing agricultural business firms, marketing and international trade of agricultural products, price analysis, environmental economics, economics of land use, and agricultural and environmental policies. The theory of statistical inference and the use and analysis of data is the focus of the statistics courses offered in the department.

Undergraduate majors are offered in Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management (BS), Environmental and Resource Economics (BS), and Statistics (BS). The curricula differ in the amount of emphasis given to agricultural production, business, and economics. All the curricula qualify the student for graduate work. Minors in Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management, Resource Economics, Statistics, and Statistical Data Analytics are also available.

The major in Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management is offered cooperatively with the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. This curriculum prepares the student for a career in agribusiness sales and marketing, food wholesaling and retailing, international trade, resource management, market analysis, finance and banking, or commodity marketing (futures and options). Students in this major also build foundational skills in working with and analyzing data.

The major in Environmental and Resource Economics emphasizes theory, quantitative methods, and policy, providing a solid foundation in economics of the environment and natural resource policy. This major prepares the student to work in the fields of environmental economics and natural resource policy in the areas of consulting, government, teaching, extension, and research. The major offers two concentrations in Natural Resource Management and the Economics of Sustainability and Policy. The Natural Resource Management concentration emphasizes an understanding of the economic, physical, legal, and political problems of managing and protecting the environment and related natural resources in today’s world. It combines education in economics, and basic and applied biological and physical sciences with the fundamentals of public policy formulation. The Economics of Sustainability and Policy concentration is more focused on the policy side of environmental issues emphasizing economics and public policy. Both concentrations emphasize data analysis skills to be competitive in these fields.

The Statistics major teaches statistical theory and the foundations of inference as well the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of data. Statistical methodology is used in virtually every professional field as a way to conduct research and make important decisions. These include the pure sciences, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, as well as engineering, business, medicine, and the social sciences such economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. Our program is a traditional statistics program that emphasizes mathematical competency, foundations in statistical theory, computational and programming skills, and depth in the analysis and management of data. The Statistics major prepares students for careers in statistical and data analysis as well as graduate work in statistics, data science, or biostatistics.

Programs

Major

Honors Degree

Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management Honors (HBS)

Minor

4+1

Statistics 4 +1 (BS/MS)