Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics
The reasons people have come to the University of Kentucky for a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics range from a desire to feed the world, a desire to apply and advance the knowledge they have already gained in economics, a desire to have meaningful work that will have an impact beyond academia, and a desire to enjoy a large job market.
*Our department is currently not accepting Ph.D. students for Fall 2023*
Please check back for updates on admission for Fall 2024.
Application and Admission
Admission to the Ph.D. program is obtained upon recommendation of the graduate program committee and approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Ordinarily, students entering this program will have completed a Plan A Master's degree (thesis) program at UK or elsewhere. In exceptional cases, a student holding the B.S. degree may enter the doctoral program without first completing the M.S. degree, but only upon receiving special approval. To do so, formal request to by-pass a Master's degree shall be made by the student after the completion of 15 hours of graduate credit. Please see our Prospective Graduate Students page for more information.
Requirements to Complete Degree
- Ph.D. Course Plan
- Qualifying Exams
- Research Paper (must be completed within one year of theory course sequence)
- Research Prospectus
- Oral Examination
- Dissertation
- Final Oral Examination
Please see the AEC Graduate Student Handbook for details.