Program Overview

Program Overview

The Agricultural & Consumer Economics: Finance in Agribusiness, BS program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of finance as used in agribusiness, farming, financial institutions, and the financial services industry.

Graduation Requirements

• Minimum hours required for graduation: 126 hours.
• University Requirements:
  • Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300 and 400 level.
  • These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree.
  • Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
• General Education Requirements:
  • Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements.
  • Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Course List

The following courses are required for the program:

• Composition I: 4-6 hours
• Advanced Composition: 3 hours
• Humanities & the Arts (6 hours): 6 hours
• Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours): 6 hours
• Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours): 6 hours
  • fulfilled by ACE 100, ECON 103, and two other courses approved as Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
• Cultural Studies: U.S. Minority Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
• Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course): 3 hours
• Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I): 6-8 hours
  • fulfilled by MATH 220, MATH 221, or MATH 234; and ACE 262
• Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required): 0-15 hours
• Department Foundation:
  • ACE 123: Introduction to ACE: 2 hours
  • ACE 100: Introduction to Applied Microeconomics: 4 hours
  • ECON 103: Macroeconomic Principles: 3 hours
  • ACE 161: Computer Concepts & Applications: 3 hours
  • or CS 105: Intro Computing: Non-Tech
• Calculus Option - Select one of the following: 4 hours
  • MATH 220: Calculus
  • MATH 221: Calculus I
  • MATH 234: Calculus for Business I
• ACCY 201: Accounting and Accountancy I: 3 hours
• ACE 262: Applied Statistical Methods and Data Analytics I: 3 hours
• ACE 264: Applied Statistical Methods & Data Analytics 2: 3 hours
• Communication Option: 3 or 6 hours
  • CMN 101: Public Speaking
  • ALEC 115: Let’s Talk about Food, Agriculture, and the Environment
  • CMN 111 & CMN 112: Oral & Written Comm I and Oral & Written Comm II
• Minimum of 6 additional hours of Social & Behavioral Sciences: 6 hours
• ACE 341: Careers and Professionalism: 1 or 2 hours
• ACE 300: Intermediate Applied Microeconomics: 3 hours
• ACE International Course or Study Abroad Experience Option - Select one of the following: 3 hours
  • ACE 411: Environment and Development
  • ACE 435: Global Agribusiness Management
  • ACE 436: International Business Immersion
  • ACE 451: Agriculture in Intl Dev
  • ACE 452: The Latin American Economies
  • ACE 455: International Trade in Food and Agriculture
• Finance in Agribusiness Concentration: 22 hours
  • ACE 345: Small Business Finance: 3 hours
  • ACE 360: Spreadsheet Models and Applications: 2 hours
  • ACE 444: Financial Services & Investing Planning: 3 hours
  • ACE 446: Modeling App's Finan Plan: 2 hours
  • ACCY 202: Accounting and Accountancy II: 3 hours
  • FIN 221: Corporate Finance: 3 hours
• Advanced Finance in Agribusiness Option - Select two of the following: 6 hours
  • ACE 427: Commodity Price Analysis
  • ACE 428: Commodity Futures and Options
  • ACE 432: Advanced Farm Management
  • ACE 449: Retirement & Benefit Planning
  • FIN 300: Financial Markets
• Minimum hours in the College of ACES, 20 of which must be in the Department of ACE: 35 hours
• Total Hours: 126 hours

Sample Sequence

The following is a sample sequence of courses for the program:

• First Year:
  • First Semester:
    • ACE 100: Introduction to Applied Microeconomics: 4 hours
    • ACE 123: Introduction to ACE: 2 hours
    • Calculus Option: 4 hours
    • Composition I or Communication Option: 3 hours
    • Language Other than English (3rd level): 4 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • ACE 161 or CS 105: 3 hours
    • Communication Option or Composition I: 4 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • ECON 103: Macroeconomic Principles: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
• Second Year:
  • First Semester:
    • ACCY 201: Accounting and Accountancy I: 3 hours
    • ACE 262: Applied Statistical Methods and Data Analytics I: 3 hours
    • ACE 341: Careers and Professionalism: 1 or 2 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • ACE 264: Applied Statistical Methods & Data Analytics 2: 3 hours
    • ACCY 202: Accounting and Accountancy II: 3 hours
    • FIN 221: Corporate Finance: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
• Third Year:
  • First Semester:
    • ACE 345: Small Business Finance: 3 hours
    • ACE 300: Intermediate Applied Microeconomics: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • ACE 360: Spreadsheet Models and Applications: 2 hours
    • ACE 446: Modeling App's Finan Plan: 2 hours
    • Advanced Finance in Agribusiness Option: 3 hours
    • ACE International Course or Study Abroad Experience Option: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
• Fourth Year:
  • First Semester:
    • ACE 444: Financial Services & Investing Planning: 3 hours
    • Advanced Finance in Agribusiness Option: 3 hours
    • ACE or ACES Elective Course: 4 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
  • Second Semester:
    • ACE or ACES Elective Course: 3 hours
    • General Education Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course: 3 hours
    • Free Elective Course or 400-level ACE Elective: 3 hours

Learning Outcomes

The program is designed to achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. ACE students will acquire broad and deep knowledge of Agricultural and Consumer Economics.
2. ACE students will develop a critical and reflective orientation toward global systems (such as natural, environmental, social, cultural, economic, and political) and cultural differences (such as race, indigeneity, gender, class, sexuality, language, and disability).
3. ACE students will develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.
4. ACE students will develop their ability to communicate in a variety of settings.
5. ACE students will build and sustain productive relationships to be effective leaders who can respond to civic and social challenges at local, national, and global levels, creating positive change in their communities.
6. All aspects of the financial management of firms that are connected to agriculture and agribusiness, including the financial institutions and financial markets that serve the industry. Develop skills that are broadly applicable to financial services industries with specific exposure to real asset markets, insurance and investment activities, lending and credit evaluation, and management accounting.