Graduate programs

The Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics offers graduate instruction leading to an MSc degree.  The PhD program is offered through the Department of Economics.

Master program

  • Pursuing a master degree, you can focus on one of three streams: agricultural economics, agribusiness, and environmental and resource economics. Within each stream, there is a thesis option and a comprehensive option.

    In the thesis option, students will complete a thesis and pass an oral examination based primarily on the thesis. These students present two graduate seminars open to the public. The first presentation shall be on the thesis proposal, and the second presentation will be on the completed research. The thesis must be in the area of the student’s selected stream.

    Under the comprehensive option, students complete a research paper and pass an oral examination based primarily on the paper. These students shall present a graduate seminar open to the public based on the completed research. The research paper must be in the area of the student’s selected stream.

  • Group of smiling students.

Areas of study

The thesis option graduate program requires 18 credit hours with at least 9 credit hours at the 7000 level; the comprehensive option, 27 with at least 18 credit hours at the 7000 level. Other course work will normally be at the 7000 level as well. Exceptions to specific course requirements must be approved by the Department Graduate Advisory Committee (DGAC).

Each of the following program is designed with mandatory courses specific to your selected stream. Within your program, you may often take courses from other departments, for example, economics, business, statistics, with approval of an advisor.

Agribusiness graduate courses

  • BIZ 7110 Attributes of Market Organization
  • ABIZ 7140 Resource Efficiency and Allocation in Agriculture
  • ABIZ 7230 Agricultural Market Regulation
  • ABIZ 7240 Research in Agricultural Marketing
  • ABIZ 7260 Econometrics with Applications in Food, Agribusiness and Resources
  • ABIZ 7270 Research Methodology
  • ABIZ 7300 Topics in Agricultural Economics
  • ABIZ 7310 Agricultural Economic Development
  • ABIZ 7330 Transportation Economics and Research
  • ABIZ 7350 Regional Development
  • ABIZ 7360 Current Issues in Policies Relating to Agriculture
  • ABIZ 7380 Agricultural Policy
  • ABIZ 7400 Forecasting and Simulation Models
  • ABIZ 7410 Agricultural Finance
  • ABIZ 7430 Advanced Theory of Resource Economics
  • ABIZ 7460 Research Management
  • ABIZ 7630 Theory of International Trade
  • ABIZ 7940 Production Economics
  • ABIZ 7950 Advanced Agricultural Demand Analysis

Course outlines

Program information is available in the Academic Calendar

Program admission and requirements

  • An equivalent of the BSc degree in Agribusiness or an Honours degree in Economics from The University of Manitoba, or any other degree which provides an equally strong basis for a graduate program in the department is required. With deficiencies of more than 12 credit hours, successful completion of a pre-Master program may be required before being admitted to the graduate program.

    Acceptance of students intending to pursue graduate studies is based upon a careful appraisal of their academic records and the recommendations of references.

    The following courses, or their equivalents, are basic prerequisites to the graduate program and indicate the scope and level of training required for admission:

    • A course in introductory calculus and linear algebra e.g. MATH 1310 Matrices for Management and Social Sciences (or any equivalent course in linear algebra, e.g. MATH 1300), and MATH 1520 Introductory Calculus for Management and Social Sciences (or any equivalent course in calculus, e.g. MATH 1500); (Or the former MATH 1680 Mathematics for Agriculture and Related Sciences)
    • Microeconomic Analysis 1 (ECON 2450 regular or ECON 2700 Honours)
    • Macroeconomic Analysis 1 (ECON 2470 regular or ECON 2800 Honours)
    • Introduction to Econometrics (e.g. ABIZ 3080)
    • ECON 6040 Survey of Mathematical Topics for Economics is highly recommended, and is normally taken in late summer/early fall at the beginning of the Graduate program.

     

Application process

  • Application Deadlines:The program begins at the beginning of September. Applications are due on February 1 for international students. Applications for Canadian and U.S. students are due on June 1, but these students should apply by February 1 if they are seeking funding or fellowships. Applications to begin the program in the Winter or Summer terms will only be considered under exceptional circumstances. 

  • All applications are done online through the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. Supporting documents are to be uploaded to the application. The Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics also requires the following items:

    • biographical sketch
    • GRE (Optional) All students graduating from a university outside of North America are strongly advised to take a Graduate Record Examination
    • two letters of recommendation

  • Official transcripts will only be required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies once an applicant is recommended for admission. All official transcripts are to be sent directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. To be considered official, transcripts must arrive in envelopes that have been sealed and endorsed (stamped across the back flap) by the Main Records Office of the issuing institution. All international transcripts must be accompanied by degree certificates that indicate that the degree has been awarded.

Doctoral program

  • Student sitting beside a computer.

  • A PhD is offered through the Department of Economics, Economics and Econometrics Stream with a Research Specialization in Agricultural Economics.

    Typically, applicants for admission to the PhD program must have completed the entrance requirements and the program requirements of a master degree in Economics or Agricultural Economics equivalent to that awarded by the University of Manitoba.

    All applicants to the PhD program in economics indicating a desire to study agricultural economics will be evaluated by the Department of Economics, then further evaluated by a selection committee composed of 3 members from the Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics. In order for the application to be approved by this selection committee, at least one member of the Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics must indicate a willingness to serve as the student’s advisor.

Graduate student resources

Contact Us

Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics
352 Agriculture Building
66 Dafoe Road
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

agribusiness@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9384
Our office is open Mon - Fri, 8:30am to 4:30 pm.