MSc in Agricultural and Food Economics

Università Cattolica’s Cremona campus boasts one of the world’s most renowned teams of Agriculture academics, scientists, and researchers; a team at the forefront of food innovation and technology whose expertise extends to developing tracking systems for any product transported across the European Union. Joining the degree in Agricultural and Food Economics is to prepare for the world’s fastest-growing industry in a beautiful city in the heart of the Italian food valley.

The degree is taught by SMEA, the Graduate School in Agricultural and Food Economics. It has a long experience in research concerning agricultural economics and policy, the industrial organization of the food sector, and the analysis of the functioning of the food supply chain. This experience relates to academic research and to support policy-makers since the team's researchers have developed a long collaboration experience with international organizations (i.e., European Commission, OECD, FAO, and World Bank), government agencies, and producer associations.

First-year

• Business management and finance - 12 ECTS
• Economic fundamentals of the agri-food system - 10 ECTS
• Agricultural and food marketing - 6 ECTS
• Food safety management - 10 ECTS
• Industrial organization - 10 ECTS
• Quantitative methods - 12 ECTS

Second year

• Agricultural and food market institutions - 6 ECTS
• Economics of agricultural and food markets - 7 ECTS
• Optional courses* - 10 ECTS
• Final dissertation - 20 ECTS
• Seminars - 1 ECTS
• Soft skills and entrepreneurship - 1 ECTS

A) Track in Marketing and consumer behavior a.y. 2022/23

• Multi-channel retail marketing - 5 ECTS
• Food consumer psychology and market intelligence - 5 ECTS
• Qualitative research methods for the agri-food system - 5 ECTS

B) Track in Business and Management a.y. 2022/23

• Food supply chain management - 5 ECTS
• Business planning for a start-up - 5 ECTS
• Business strategy and leadership - 5 ECTS

* Suggested optional courses:

• Law and regulation in food value chains - 5 ECTS
• Agricultural, food, and environmental policies - 5 ECTS
• Economics of sustainability and circularity - 5 ECTS
• Food footprint: the environmental impact of the agri-food chain - 5 ECTS
• Italian language and civilization (only for non-Italian students) - 5 ECTS

Double degree and exchange opportunities

SMEA students can benefit from several internationalization opportunities:

Double Degree with Wageningen University (the Netherlands)

The Double Degree is an agreement between SMEA and Wageningen University (The Netherlands) that gives students the chance to attend the second year at Wageningen University and obtain both degrees, thanks to a jointly supervised thesis.

Thanks to the mutual recognition of ECTS credits and a thesis supervised by professors from both universities, students participating in the Double Degree will receive both degrees.

Admission to the program is based on merit and knowledge of English, an essential tool to be able to follow courses held in both universities.

For each academic year, a maximum of 3 students can enter the program.

Jointly organized European Master's program in "Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy Analysis (AFEPA)“.

The AFEPA Programme is offered by a consortium of 4 European partner universities (the University of Bonn, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, the Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium), and the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milano, Italy) and three associated partners (Universidad Politecnica de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago). Participating students spend one year each at two of the European partner universities with the possibility of a short exchange visit to an associated partner university, obtaining a double degree from the two Universities the students attend.

Exchange programs

Moreover in the context of the exchange programs of Università Cattolica, the students of the MSc in Agricultural and Food economics have exclusive access to the following universities:

• Europe
  • Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (Bonn, Germany)
  • Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala, Sweden)
  • Technical University of Munich (Freising, Germany)
  • Université Catholique de Louvain (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)
• USA
  • Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa)
  • North Dakota State University (Fargo, North Dakota)
  • University of California (Davis, California)*
• Australia
  • James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
  • RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia)

* For the University of California at Davis students compete with other MSc students of the Faculty of Agriculture.

The number of available places is limited and students participating in all the exchange programs are selected based on merit and knowledge of English. All these exchange programs are financed by specific grants.

The program will prepare students to analyze the agri-food system and to operate in the various functional areas of businesses and organizations. The program will develop professional knowledge and skills with regard to:

• analyzing traditional problems relating to agricultural markets and food, evaluating the implications of agri-food and commercial policies;
• managing the liberalization processes and rules of free competition also within an international context;
• analyzing the behavior of final consumers concerning agricultural and food products;
• understanding the different sectors of the agri-food system, the vertical relations, and the coordination of the various phases of the system (e.g., agriculture, food processing, and food retailing);
• managing emerging issues in agricultural and food production, including the safety of foodstuffs and the environmental impact of agricultural activities, the role of quality, information, and traceability, the management of technical innovations, in particular biotechnology, and of the industrialization of agriculture;
• dealing with corporate and logistical problems that affect business functions according to the peculiarities of agribusiness companies.

SMEA graduates are rewarded with various professional openings, all characterized by a strong international dimension.

Some examples:

• managerial positions in agri-food corporations (multi-national food companies, small and medium enterprises, retail chains);
• managerial positions in professional associations linked to the agricultural and food sector;
• consultants for agricultural and food companies;
• professional positions in international organizations;
• research positions in universities or applied research companies.