Undergraduate Course Descriptions
1 Denotes Senior capstone course.
100. New Student Career Orientation (1 cr I) Prereq: First semester freshmen; major in agricultural economics or related discipline . Academic success and development of leadership skills through involvement and activities on campus. Time management and study skills. Identify potential internship and career opportunities.
[ES] 141. Introduction to the Economics of Agriculture (3 cr I, II) Lec 3. Prereq: Not recommended for students who have math entrance deficiencies. Introductory course on the basic principles of agricultural economics. Production economics, principles of supply and demand, resource economics, world food situation, marketing of agricultural products, and agricultural public policy.
201. Farm and Ranch Management (4 cr I, II) Lec 4. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 212. Various economic principles and business management concepts which are involved in the decision-making process when organizing and operating a farming/ranching operation. Includes production economics, record keeping systems, financial budgets and analysis, crop and livestock enterprise analysis, leasing arrangements, depreciation, farm business organizations, farm investment analysis, pasture/rangeland management, and production efficiency indicators.
225. Introduction to Agribusiness Marketing (MRKT 225) (3 cr I) Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 210 or 212. Agricultural marketing throughout the food channel from producers of agricultural commodities to processors of food products and the final consumer. Case problems dealing with processors, food wholesaling, retailing and food service firms.
256. Legal Aspects in Agriculture (3 cr I) Prereq: Sophomore standing. AECN 256 course materials are on the World Wide Web. Legal aspects of agriculture: taxation, contracts, property rights, buying and selling real estate, condemnation, land use regulations, leases, co-ownership, partnerships, corporations, commercial transactions, credit, liability, insurance, estate planning, water law, and agricultural regulations. A practical exposure to the legal institutions of Nebraska.
[ES][IS] 265. Resource and Environmental Economics I (NREE 265) (3 cr I, II) Lec 3. Prereq: ECON 211; ECON 212 or AECN 141. Introduction to resource economics and the role of such concepts in natural resource management. The interface of economics and ecology in the context of both private and public decision making. Application of economic principles to actual natural resource/environmental issues.
[ES] 276 [276x]. Rural Sociology (SOCI 241) (3 cr II). Prereq: Open to second semester freshmen and above. The rural environment and its people; its groups and associations; and its social institutions.
301. Farm Accounting, Analysis, and Tax Management (3 cr I) Lec 3. Prereq: ACCT 201 and 202, or 306. Business record systems for farming and ranching. Financial statements; income tax and decision making; farm business and enterprise analysis.
316. Agricultural Business Management (3 cr I, II) Lec 3. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 210, or ECON 211 and 212; AECN/MRKT 325, and 3 hrs accounting. It is recommended that at least one course in accounting be completed prior to registration for this course. Advanced course in business management offered for students primarily interested in management positions in the grain, feed, fertilizer, farm petroleum, and related agricultural industries. Presentation is by lecture, a simulated business management exercise, and by case problems dealing with financial management, organizational structure and control, credit management, and pricing policy.
325. Marketing of Agricultural Commodities (MRKT 325) (3 cr I) Lec. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 212. Operation and use of agricultural commodity markets and institutions as applied to enterprise and firm risk management. Cash; futures and futures option markets; basis; hedging; price discovery; fundamental analysis; and risk management strategies.
[ES][IS] 346. World Food Economics (3 cr I) Lec 3. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 210 or 212. Description and economic evaluation of world food systems, including production, distribution, and consumption in developing and industrialized countries. Economic implications of alternative means for meeting world food needs, with emphasis on the social science aspects of the world food availability and needs, policies, and the economics of technological change.
357. Natural Resource and Environmental Law (NREE 357) (3 cr II) Lec 3. Prereq: Junior standing or permission; AGRI/NRES 103 or GEOG 181 recommended. Environmental impact review; air and water pollution control; solid and hazardous waste control; endangered species and habitat preservation; land use regulation; state and federal water rights law.
367. Agricultural Development in Developing Countries (3 cr I) Lec 3. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 210 or 212. Exploration of the nature of traditional agriculture in developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America and alternative approaches to accelerating its development. Explores the role of the agricultural sector in the overall development process.
[ES][IS] 376. Rural Community Economics (3 cr II) Lec 3. Prereq: AECN 141 or ECON 210 or 212. Application of economic and social principles and concepts relevant to understanding rural communities and the issues and problems they face. Public decision-making process and the skills necessary for constructive participation in community affairs.
[ES][IS] 388. Ethics in Agriculture and Natural Resources (ALEC 388) (3 cr II), Ethics focusing on agricultural and natural resource issues. Using case studies from the professional workplace and contemporary society, develops intellectual skills necessary to reflect critically on ethical issues and apply appropriate conceptual tools for resolution of issues arising from conflucint ethical and value systems
399. Independent Study in Agricultural Economics (1-5 cr, max 5). Prereq: Permission and advance approval of independent study contract at the start of each semester. P/N only. Individual or group projects in research, literature review, or extension of course work under supervision and evaluation of a departmental faculty member.
[IS] 401/801. Advanced Farm Management and Linear Programming 1 (3 cr I) Lec 2, lab 2. Prereq: AECN 201. The role of budgeting and linear programming in analyzing farm organization problems, theory of linear programming, linear program design, and analysis of linear programmed solutions to farm organization problems. Includes goal programming, multiple objective programming, risk programming, and financial modeling.
416. Advanced Agribusiness Management (3 cr II) Lec 2, lab 2. Prereq: AECN 316; FINA 361 or AECN 452; MNGT360 or 361; ACCT 201 and 202. Students integrate principles from accounting, finance, management, marketing, agricultural and general economics as they explore the managing of an agribusiness. Students role play as team members to analyze the business, make decisions in some cases, and cope with a variety of internal and external situations reflecting reality. Oral and written communication skills are emphasized for reporting on the agribusiness.
[IS] 420. International Food and Agricultural Trade 1 (3 cr II) Lec 3. Prereq: ECON 211 and either ECON 212 or AECN 141. Recommended: ECON 311 and 312. Application of basic principles of international trade and finance to food and agricultural trade. Particular attention to current policy issues in agricultural trade such as the pros and cons of regional trade blocks, alternative agricultural and trade policies, the effects of exchange rate variation on agricultural trade, and trade and environmental protection.
[IS] 425. Agricultural Marketing in a Multinational Environment 1 (3 cr I). Prereq: 9 hrs agricultural economics and/or economics or permission. Systems approach to evaluating the effects of current domestic and international political and economic events on agricultural markets.
[IS] 445. Agricultural and Natural Resource Policy Analysis 1 (NREE 445) (3 cr II) Lec 3. Prereq: ECON 211; ECON 212 or AECN 141. ECON 311 and 312 recommended. Introduction to the application of economic concepts and tools to the analysis and evaluation of public policies. Economic approaches to policy evaluation derived from welfare economics. Social benefit-cost analysis described and illustrated through applications to current agricultural and natural resource policy issues.
452/852. Agricultural Finance (3 cr I II) Lec 3. Prereq: AECN 201 or 4 hrs accounting. Principles and concepts of financial management of farm and agribusiness firms developed. Various strategies for acquiring and using capital resources by the individual firm explored. Institutions providing the sources of agricultural credit are individually studied.
[IS] 453. Appraisal of Farm Real Estate 1 (3 cr I) Lec 2, lab 2. Prereq: AECN 201 and AGRO 153. Valuation of farm real estate traced from the underlying theory of value through full development of principles, practices, and factors used by the appraisal profession to estimate value. The income approach, the market data approach, and the cost approach to value developed in detail. Appraisal procedure analyzed for such special purposes as farm loans, tax assessment, and condemnation.
456/856. Environmental Law (NREE 456/856) (3 cr) Lec 3. Prereq: Junior standing. AECN/NREE 357 recommended. Available through Extended Education. Administrative law, risk assessment, environmental impact review, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, non-point pollution control, wetlands regulations pesticide and toxic substance regulation, solid and hazardous waste regulation, drinking water protection, land use regulation, energy policy, and international environmental law.
457/857. Water Law (NREE 457/857, WATS 457) (3 cr) PSI. Prereq: AECN 357. Available through Extended Education. Environmental impact review; public trust doctrine; endangered species; land use controls; wetlands regulation; surface and ground water rights; Indian and federal water rights; impact of water quality regulations on water allocation.
465/865. Resource and Environmental Economics II (NREE 465, WATS 465) (3 cr I) Prereq: MATH 104 and one course in statistics, or permission. Credit in AECN 865 will not count towards any advanced degree programs in economics or agricultural economics. Economic analysis of natural resource problems. Application of resource economics concepts and empirical tools to resource management problems. Public policy issues involving environmental quality, land and water management.
467. Pro-seminar in International Relations I (ANTH, HIST 479/879; ECON, POLS, SOCI 466/866; GEOG 448/848) (3 cr) Prereq: Senior standing and permission. Open to students with an interest in international relations. Topics vary
*471. Agricultural Marketing and Product Development I (1 cr I) Ind. Prereq: Junior standing or permission. AECN 225 recommended . Selection of an agriculturally related product or service and the development of a comprehensive marketing plan. Market analysis of physical, economic and financial feasibility and formalization of an effective promotional product campaign.
*472. Agricultural Marketing and Product Development II (2 cr II) Ind. Prereq: Junior standing or permission; AECN 471. Further refinement in the development of marketing plan from AECN 471. Condensation of marketing plan into executive summary and preparation of professional oral presentation. Extensive interaction with the local agribusiness community and participation in national agri-marketing competition.
499H. Honors Thesis (3-6 cr, max 6 I, II, III) Prereq: Admission to the University Honors Program and permission, AGRI 299H recommended. Conduct a scholarly research project and write a University Honors Program or undergraduate thesis.
