International Agribusiness

In addition to the Graduate School admission requirements, applicants must have earned a grade of B or higher in intermediate microeconomics and statistics including linear regression, and a grade of C or better in calculus.

Applicants must submit their complete application by March 1 for fall enrollment and October 1 for spring enrollment to guarantee admission and funding consideration. Admission will only be considered for candidates who submit a complete application.

It is desirable that students begin their program in the fall semester, although students may begin their program in the spring.

Financial Assistance

The Department offers assistantships on a competitive basis. Granting assistantships depends on academic performance, departmental needs, and availability of assistantships. Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) provide monthly stipends. Students on assistantship perform research or teaching duties in the department in return for their stipend. Most assistantships are half-time (20 hours per week) or one-quarter-time (10 hours per week).  Assistantships are typically limited to 16 months.

In addition to the stipend, graduate assistants receive a graduate tuition waiver. Tuition waivers cover base tuition for NDSU graduate credits only. Students are responsible for differential tuition, student fees, and tuition for non-graduate level credits taken or Cooperative Education credits. 

Assistantships do not begin until the first semester of full graduate standing when courses that apply for the Master of Science degree are taken.

Students must complete all core courses. Students select elective courses, approved by their advisor and supervisory committee, to fulfill the remaining credit requirements.

The core requirements assure breadth and competence in key areas of knowledge and professional activity. Students may participate in an international internship, a study aboard program, or select six additional credits of course work at NDSU related to international agribusiness.

Core Courses
AGEC 701Research Philosophy1
AGEC 711Applied Risk Analysis I3
AGEC 712Applied Risk Analysis II3
AGEC 741Advanced Microeconomics3
AGEC 744Agribusiness I: Agricultural Product Marketing and Agribusiness Strategy3
AGEC 797Master's Paper1-10
or AGEC 798 Master's Thesis
Select a minimum of 6 credits of the following:6
Econometrics
Advanced Econometrics
Analytical Methods for Applied Economics
Or other approved quantitative coursework
Approved Electives1 - 9
Total Credits30 (minimum)

David Bullock, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 1989
Research Interests: Futures and Options Markets, Over-The-Counter Derivatives, Trading, Risk Management, Agrifinance, Monte Carlo Simulation, and Big Data Applications in Agriculture

James Caton, Ph.D.
George Mason University, 2016
Research Interests: Entrepreneurship Agent-based Computational Economics, Market Process Theory, Monetary Economics 

Erik Hanson, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 2016
Research Interests: Agricultural Finance, Farm Management, Marketing and Production Economics

Ron Haugen, M.S.
North Dakota State University, 1989
Research Interests: Farm Management

Robert Hearne, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 1995
Research Interests: Natural Resource and Environmental Economics

Jeremy Jackson, Ph.D.
Washington University in St. Louis, 2008
Research Interests: Microeconomics, Political Economy, Public Finance

Thomas Krumel, Ph.D.
University of Connecticut, 2020
Research Interests: Rural Development, Labor Demand, and Labor Market Skills Mismatch

Kerianne Lawson, Ph.D.
West Virginia University, 2021
Research Interests: Economic Development, Economic Freedom, Law and Economics, Energy Economics

Siew Hoon Lim, Ph.D.
University of Georgia, 2005
Research Interests: Production Economics, Transportation, Industrial Organization

Raymond March, Ph.D.
Texas Tech University, 2017
Research Interests: Public and Private Provision and Governance of Health Care in the United States

Dragan Miljkovic, Ph.D.
University of Illinois, 1996
Research Interests: Agricultural Prices, International Trade, Agricultural and Food Marketing and Policy

William Nganje, Ph.D.
University of Illiniois at Urbana-Champaign, 1999
Research Interests: Agricultural Finance, Food Safety Economics

Frayne Olson, Ph.D.
University of Missouri, 2007
Research Interests: Crop Marketing Strategies, Crop Supply Chain Management, Agricultural Contracting, Agricultural Risk Management

Bryon Parman, Ph.D.
Kansas State University, 2013
Research Interests:  Whole Farm and Agribusiness Financial Structure, Risk Management, Land Values and Rents, and Farm Financial Trends

Timothy Petry, M.S.
North Dakota State University, 1973
Research interests: Livestock Marketing

Xudong Rao, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 2015
Research Interests:  Farm and Agribusiness Management, Risk Analysis, Efficiency and Productivity, Technology Adoption, Food and Agricultural Policy, International Agricultural Development

Veeshan Rayamajhee, Ph.D.
University of New Mexico, 2019
Research Interests:  Individual and Collective Responses to Covariate Shocks

David Ripplinger, Ph.D.
North Dakota State University, 2011
Research Interests: Production Economics and Marketing

David Roberts, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University, 2009
Research Interests: Natural Resource and Environmental Economics, Econometrics, Production Agriculture

Anupa Sharma, Ph.D.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2016
Research Interests: Economics, Agriculture Business and Management

Cheryl J. Wachenheim, Ph.D.
Michigan State University, 1994
Research Interests: Agribusiness

William W. Wilson, Ph.D.
University of Manitoba, 1980
Research Interests: Commodity Marketing, Agribusiness, Industrial Organization