About Us

Welcome Message

Welcome to the Agricultural Economics website. As we begin a new year in 2012, we are pleased to be back into a newly renovated and renamed Lloyd Ricks Watson building. This move was completed in the summer of 2011. If you are in the neighborhood, please stop and visit. The building is beautiful and thanks go to West Brothers Construction out of Columbus, MS and Belinda Stewart Architects out of Eupora, MS for their work on this project. Our undergraduate programs in Agribusiness and Environmental Economics and Management are growing and continue to attract some of the best and brightest students from the southern region and surrounding states. Learn more about our exciting student-led events and successes and follow our progress on our Facebook page! Thank you for visiting our site, and we welcome you to stop by and visit with us anytime.

Steven Turner
Department Head

Seminars

• Ag Econ Seminar Series

Mississippi Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting

• Mississippi Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting brochure
• MAEA Annual Meeting Registration Form

Economic Thoughts

A recent report, What's It Worth: The Economic Value of College Majors, published by the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University, presents some revealing, but not surprising, information on the value of economic undergraduate education (cew.georgetown.edu/whatsitworth/). Across the board, whether it is agriculture, business, or social science, students who major in agricultural economics (which includes agribusiness and environmental economics), business economics, or economics have the highest or near highest median incomes. Within the Agriculture and Natural Resources category, agricultural economics majors had the second highest median income ($60,000). Only Food Science majors had higher median incomes ($65,000). Within the Business category, business economics had the highest median income ($75,000) of all majors. And among the Social Science category, economics majors had the highest median incomes ($70,000).

As an agricultural economist, I believe what we do is important to our communities, state, nation, and the world. Having a solid foundation in economic thinking enables a person to make not only informed personal decisions but also contribute to public decisions that affect the social fabric and health of our nation. The above report reinforces the idea that the market rewards those who have differentiated themselves and have skills that are in demand. Rigorous economic thinking is needed as much today as ever. The Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University has a legacy of teaching, research, and outreach that makes a difference. Please let us know if we can assist you in becoming a better economist. It is a good payoff for you and your neighbors. CLICK FOR MORE...

Contact Us

The Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University is known across the country and around the world for it's ability to provide "relevant, applied analyses to address the myriad of complex problems facing agriculture." The Department is currently involved in a number of projects with the government and with private industries covering a wide range of topics.

Quicklinks

• Groupwise
• myState
• MyCourses