Area
Agricultural science
Sub-Discipline
Other Agricultural Sciences
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile
- City: Santiago,
- Commune: Santiago,
- Region: Metropolitan Region
goals
The Master's Program in Agricultural and Environmental Economics aims to train specialists with advanced knowledge in agricultural economics, natural resource economics, and environmental economics, equipping graduates with the skills to manage, analyze, and design solutions to economic and management problems in the forestry, agricultural, agro-industrial, and natural resource sectors. Specifically, the Master's Program in Agricultural and Environmental Economics seeks to train professionals with the following competencies: 1. To provide training that enables advanced mastery of natural resource and environmental economics. 2. To provide training with mastery and application of advanced scientific research tools in the area of microeconomics, with applications in natural resource and environmental economics. 3. To provide training for conducting studies and research in the area of agricultural and environmental economics. 4. To provide competencies in one or more of the following areas: natural resource economics, water economics, production economics, environmental policy impact assessment, poverty, rural development and the environment, environmental valuation, and agricultural markets.
Applicant Profile
Hold a Bachelor's and/or Master's degree. Demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to understand written English, at a level that allows them to read articles and books and access international documents and databases. Submit transcripts from previous university studies. Letter of intent.
Graduate profile
Graduates of the Master's Program in Agricultural and Environmental Economics will be able to work in highly competitive research, innovation, and development environments in the field of Agricultural and Environmental Economics across various productive sectors. The graduate profile incorporates the following skills: 1. Generates, manages, and evaluates studies in the area of microeconomics using techniques and tools for designing and evaluating sectoral policies and the interrelationships between macroeconomic policies and sectoral performance. 2. Develops action plans using theoretical and methodological microeconomic tools to analyze and design solutions to economic problems in agriculture and natural resource management. 3. Conducts research in the area of Natural Resource and Environmental Economics. 4. Manages their own continuous learning and independent research. 5. Works in interdisciplinary teams in the field of Agricultural Economics. 6. Integrates the ethical and bioethical aspects associated with professional work in these disciplines. These skills will enable you to hold positions in universities, research centers, multilateral organizations, production companies, and other public and/or private institutions related to the field of agricultural economics and policy, natural resources, and the environment. Furthermore, graduates of the Master's Program in Agricultural and Environmental Economics are academically prepared to pursue doctoral studies.
Lines of investigation
The main lines of research are: 1. Agricultural Economics: This area provides tools for analyzing the different aspects that affect the economic performance of the agri-food sector. The goal is for students to acquire an analytical framework based on economic theory, enabling them to understand and analyze the functioning of agri-food markets, the effect of regulations on these markets, and the production and consumption decisions regarding agri-food products. 2. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics: This area examines economic models of environmental and natural resource management to understand how economic forces influence the future of our renewable resources. It studies the externalities and market imperfections that generate overexploitation of natural resources and deterioration of environmental quality. Based on this understanding, students design and propose policies that allow for the sustainable management of resources and improvements in environmental quality. 3. Impact Assessment of Agricultural and Environmental Policies: This course is designed to provide students with an advanced foundation in impact assessment methods and applications, primarily in non-experimental contexts, with rigorous applications in the environmental field. Impact assessments seek to identify the causal effect of a program, regulation, or policy on an outcome of interest. In the environmental field, this often involves evaluating whether a program has actually had a causal effect on environmental quality. This line of research will enable students to provide rigorous scientific evidence on the impact of programs and public policies. 4. Rural Development and Poverty: This course aims to help students understand the predictable socioeconomic changes in rural areas that arise from the process of economic development. The area of study seeks to equip future professionals in the forestry and agri-food sectors with tools to assess the economic and social sustainability of projects. This line of study will allow students to: understand the unique characteristics of rural areas that justify specific development policies; To appropriately apply demographic, social, and economic indicators used to describe the level of development of countries and rural areas; to explain the role of agriculture and other sources of income in rural households and in rural economies more generally; to distinguish between public and private policies for improving living conditions in rural areas; to identify the specific problems of vulnerable rural communities and lagging areas; to understand how public policies can impact production and consumption decisions at the household level; and to apply critical thinking in the inquiry, analysis, and interpretation of issues related to rural development and agriculture.
Spanish 
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