The Food and Resource Economic Group offers an MSc and PhD in Food and Resource Economics. For more information about the MSc program, please get in touch with potential supervisors.

Food and Resource Economics Ph.D. 

The Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (ISLFS) program uses interdisciplinary approaches to build knowledge and address challenges related to food production, consumption, and policy. Within ISLFS, students advised by faculty in Food and Resource Economics (FRE) receive rigorous training in applied economics, causal inference, data science, applied science, and policy related to food, resources, and the environment. Students generally take a core series of graduate-level economics and data science courses, which is complemented by specialization in courses related to their research. In addition to coursework, students write a thesis on the economics of food, resources, and the environment. The program differs from existing interdisciplinary programs by requiring core training in economic and data science methods. It differs from other economic programs in its interdisciplinary approach. Past students from the program have earned tenure track positions at policy schools and applied economics departments, in government institutions, think tanks, and in industries related to food, resources, or data science. 

Overview

The Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (ISLFS) (https://www.landfood.ubc.ca/future/future-graduate/integrated-studies-in-land-food-systems-msc-phd) is an interdisciplinary PhD program within the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. The Food and Resource Economic (FRE) Group (https://fre-research.landfood.ubc.ca/) advises PhD students through the ISLFS program. Students select a supervisory committee in collaboration with their advisor, including faculty members from the FRE Group and other faculties. In addition to the general ISLFS requirements (LFS500) students advised by FRE faculty are generally expected to fulfill the following requirements.

Coursework

FRE students typically take 27 credits of coursework. The overall credit expectations are divided into different study areas, as indicated by the bullet points. The course section within each area is subject to the student’s training and subject to approval from the student’s supervisory committee. If needed, advisors and students may agree on a different training plan to accommodate diverse research interests.

Year 1 (15 credits)

• Advanced Microeconomics (3 credits from ECON 500, 600, or similar)
• Advanced Econometrics (6 credits from ECON 526, ECON 527, FRE 528, ECON 562, ECON 626, ECON 627, ECON 628, ECON 629, or similar)
• Data Science (3 credits, STAT 545, CS 532, FRE 490, or similar)
• ISLFS Seminars (3 credits from LFS 500)

Year 2 (12 credits)

• Advanced Food & Resource Economics (3 credits, FRE 603)
• Electives (9 credits, see below)

Years 3 & 4

• Thesis

All Years

• Research Seminar (FRE 600)

Electives (9 Credits)

Subject to the approval of the student’s supervisory committee, another 9 credits shall be taken from the following groups:

1. Food, resource, and conservation 
2. Data science and advanced econometrics
3. Economic development
4. Environment, ecology, and natural sciences
5. Policy, labor, or trade

Comprehensive Exam,  Advancing to Candidacy and Ph.D. Thesis:

UBC requires that all doctoral students be admitted to candidacy within 36 months. Advancing to candidacy requires that students pass a comprehensive exam and have their research proposal accepted by their supervisory committees. The Ph.D. thesis is research-based, with a focus on applied economics.  Three chapters are expected, one of which has to be a job market paper. 

Admission Requirements and Funding:

Successful applicants must meet UBC’s Minimum Academic Requirements as described in https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials. They will also typically have completed Master – level training in a quantitative program including environmental science, economics, or public policy. Entrance directly from an honors Bachelor’s program in Canada or from a first-class Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. is a possibility for outstanding students.  Students can only be admitted into their program by their advisors, who also guarantee their funding. 

Students are funded either through fellowships (e.g. https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/four-year-doctoral-fellowship-4yf or https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/fellowships/doctoral-doctorat-eng.aspx) or research funding from their advisor. In addition to those baseline funding, students can receive additional funding from work as teaching assistants, research assistants, and awards. .

How to apply

Students interested in pursuing a research-based graduate degree in food and resource economics should reach out to individual faculty ahead of the application period to identify a potential research supervisor (e.g. for a September 2024 start date, the application deadline is usually January 1 of the same year, and potential applicants should reach out in September-November 2023). When emailing faculty, we strongly encourage students to include:

• A personal statement that describes concisely your past research experience, motivation for joining the program, and current research interests
• Unofficial transcripts
• CV

The official application is through the ISLFS webpage. The program and the application process is described here.

Career paths

Below are the initial placements of past Food and Resource Economics (FRE) graduate students and postdocs:

Graduating Year: 2024

• Erin Litzow (PhD), Initial Placement: Assistant Professor at the School of Economics, Political, and Policy Sciences at the University of Texas
• Trevor Church (MSc), Initial Placement: Data Analyst in the Labor and Economic Analysis Division within the North Carolina  Department  of Commerce

Graduating Year: 2023

• Vasundhara Gaur (PostDoc), Initial Placement: Economic Fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity at NYU.
• Bianca Cecato, (PhD), Initial Placement: Postdoctoral Fellow and Researcher at the Smart Prosperity Institute at the University of Ottawa
• Raahil Madhok (PhD), Initial Placement:  President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. The position converts to a faculty position after a two-year review period.
• Tatiana Zárate (PhD), Initial Placement: Assistant professor, Texas A&M University

Graduating Year: 2022

• Julia Brewer (MSc), Current Position: Economic Analyst at Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Anh Le (MSc), Current Position: Senior Analyst at Agoda, Thailand