Master of Agricultural and Applied Economics (MAAE)

The non-thesis Master of Agricultural and Applied Economics (MAAE) is a professionally-oriented degree designed to prepare graduates for a wide variety of careers in the private sector, including as economic consultants, commodity traders, analysts, or in the public sector with government agencies and international organizations. Students will choose one of four specialty training areas that fit their interests and career goals:

• Food and Agribusiness
• Agricultural Markets and Finance
• Sustainability Policy and Management
• Trade and Development

Core courses will train students in advanced microeconomics and econometrics, and additional quantitative tools such as data science and system optimization.

This master's degree can be completed as a stand-alone master's degree or, for University of Illinois undergraduate students only, a combined bachelor plus master's (4+1 MAAE). The 4+1 MAAE combines the ACE Bachelor's of Science, and it can be completed in five academic years, including a summer internship. The standalone MAAE is designed to be completed over a 1 to 2 year period based on the student's interests and ability to take partial to full course loads during each semester of study; it is open to any student with a bachelor’s degree that meets the program admission criteria.

Professional Internship or Research Apprenticeship

Students will work with advisors to successfully complete a professional internship or research apprenticeship as part of the program requirements.

The professional internship experience is typically completed the summer after coursework requirements are met. It could also be completed during the fall or spring semesters, or in the summer prior to the first fall semester of classes for the MAAE program. However, students may find the internship experience more enriching after having completed some, or all of their graduate coursework.

Program advisors will support students in their internship preparation, professional network building, and to identify opportunities, while students will be responsible for successfully interviewing, landing, and completing the internship.

Who Should Apply

You should apply to this program if you:

• Are interested in a career in the private sector, including as an economic consultant, commodity trader, analyst; or
• Are interested in a career in the public sector with government agencies and international organizations; and
• Have a strong background in math, microeconomics, and statistics;
• Want to complete a master's degree in a shortened timeline and without completing a research thesis;
• Desire to gain hands-on work experience tailored to your career interests;
• Are prepared to competitively enter the job market after earning your master's.

How to Apply

Application deadlines*

• Spring cohort: October 15
• Fall cohort: January 15

*We will continue accepting and reviewing applications after the above dates, but for full consideration, please submit all materials by the deadlines above.

MAAE Application

Apply through the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply) and be officially accepted into the Graduate College, making sure to include the following elements via the formal application:

• Select the “MAAE” Option on the application;
• Personal Statement (400-500 words);
  • The personal statement should summarize your qualifications, outline your reasons for applying to the program, and describe your career objectives. This should reflect your professional interests specific to the MAAE program.
• Resume (updated);
• Official post-secondary academic record;
  • Include courses taken, grades earned, and degrees awarded. Unofficial transcripts meet this requirement.
• Names and contact information for three references;
  • At least two of your references should be familiar with and in a position to comment on your academic record and potential for success in a graduate program.
• GRE test scores (optional);
  • If you choose to submit your test scores, do so directly from the Educational Testing Center, ETS is who administers the GRE and TOEFL.
    • Institution code: 1836
    • Department code: 0101

Overview of ACES

More Than Meets The I

The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) has been an integral part of the University of Illinois from day one. Although proudly ranked among the top 30 agricultural schools worldwide, today we are more than agriculture. ACES is a diverse college with top-rated programs in engineering, finance and economics, nutritional science, and more. While our faculty and student body have various specialties and areas of interest, we are all working toward a common goal of improving daily life for people around the world.

An ACES Education

We owe our success to putting our students first, supporting them with a compassionate and close-knit academic community.

15:1 Student/ Faculty ratio

By being in ACES you get all the advantages of Big Ten university, but with the small class sizes that make for a close-knit, quality learning experience.

80% Participate in experiential learning

We value learning by doing. Our students complete internships, volunteer, travel around the country, and participate in the over 400 study abroad opportunities available at the University of Illinois to get hands-on experience in their field of study.

$3.5M ACES scholarships awarded yearly

The College of ACES is also dedicated to helping students be financially successful. Each year 3.5 million dollars in college scholarships are awarded to our students. These scholarships are made possible by generous alumni and friends of the college.

74% Four-year graduation rate

ACES boasts both a 91 percent freshman retention rating and a 74 percent four-year graduation rate, the highest graduation rate in the nation among comparable programs, according to US News & World Report. Our graduation rate is also more than double the national average for public universities (33%, according to the U.S. Department of Education). This means students are both staying and succeeding in ACES.

87% Employed or continuing education

Within six months of graduating our students are employed or looking to further themselves by attaining a graduate degree or other advanced designation. About one-third of graduates choose to pursue advanced degrees in a wide variety of fields including science, business, medicine, health and well-being, and education.

The ACES Impact

The lessons taught in our degree programs are rooted in research, and our goal is to share that research not just with our students, but with communities around the world.

Global Impact

Our five overarching research areas cover Food and Agriculture, Environment and Water, Family and Communities, Health and Wellness, and Data and Technology.

Research in each of these areas has the potential to improve lives on a global scale. To tackle this research, ACES partners with institutions around the world, allowing researchers to work with and learn from each other. Our researchers are currently engaged in efforts in over 120 different countries.

Local Impact

The University of Illinois Extension, based out of the College of ACES, has been leading community outreach efforts since 1914.

Extension specialists and educators employed across the state share knowledge learned through university research with local communities via training programs, educational workshops, and more.

Faculty Impact

At the heart of everything, ACES does is our world-class faculty and staff. Faculty in all ACES departments are conducting research and shaping lessons in engaging, impactful ways.

To help foster a greater understanding of the scope of their work, faculty in each of our programs have written summaries of their research and education efforts. These summaries highlight not only what their work entails but also briefly explains how their efforts impact our students and communities.

History

The University of Illinois is recognized worldwide as one of the great public universities, and the College of ACES has been there from day one. The university timeline stretches back to the mid-1800s when activist and Illinois-based professor Jonathan Baldwin Turner started a movement to provide higher education for anyone in the nation who aspired to learn. The movement was heavily backed by farmers and industrial workers, who then made up over 85 percent of the population of Illinois.

In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant College Act, donating public lands for the purpose of creating colleges for “the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts.” Thirty-seven land-grant institutions devoted to this purpose were created in March 1868 thanks to the 1862 Morrill Act, including the University of Illinois (originally Illinois Industrial University).

The Urbana-Champaign location of the university happens to have some of the richest soils in the world. This was quite the boon when the Hatch Act of 1887 established the Agricultural Experiment Station, bringing a new research focus. Later on, in 1914, the knowledge gained from college research and other university efforts was made accessible to each state’s citizens through the Smith-Lever Act, which created the Cooperative Extension System. The University of Illinois Extension operates to this day offering educational programs and materials to residents in all of Illinois' 102 counties.

Today the College of ACES has broadened its horizons to teach and research not just agriculture, but multiple fields of study that can improve lives around the world. To stay up to date on our most recent activities, browse our news section, and subscribe to our newsletter.