(SAGEC)
The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in consultation with and approved by the student’s graduate student committee. The committee will include the student’s committee chair and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty from the Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, such that the LSU Graduate School requirements for graduate committees are satisfied.
The degree is a thesis/non-thesis degree requiring a thesis/special project. For a thesis degree, 33 hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned, including a maximum of six hours of credit for thesis research. For a non-thesis degree, 36 hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned, including a maximum of three hours of credit for special project research. The curricular requirements include:
- At least 17 hours at the 7000 level or above for the thesis option, not including thesis hours. At least 18 hours at the 7000 level or above for the non-thesis option.
- A primary area consisting of a minimum of nine hours of earned credit in a specified field of study.
- A minimum core requirement of 18 credit hours in economics and agricultural economics courses, with the specific requirements dependent on the area of concentration (see the Graduate Student Handbook for more details).
The student must also pass a comprehensive oral final exam and, if thesis-track, an oral defense of the thesis research.