The Ph.D. degree prepares students for successful careers as professional economists. The faculty in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology work closely with students, as does the School of Forestry with its program in Forest Economics, Management, and Policy . Faculty in Department of Economics in the College of Business also teach graduate courses and serve on Ph.D. dissertation committees. Within the Department, there is interaction with the faculty and graduate students in Rural Sociology. Dissertation and related research prepare students for the job market and often lead to academic publication.
Graduates move into successful careers in government, industry, consulting, and academics.
For information, contact the Director of Graduate Studies Greg Traxler . There are GRAs in forestry economics available through the College of Forestry . For information, contact the Head of the Economics Department Jim Long . Southern Union Community College in the neighboring city of Opelika hires instructors for economics principles, as do Columbus State University and Auburn University Montgomery . Upton Hatch Complete course descriptions are in the AU Bulletin .