Applied Economics and Management (MPS)
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, SC Johnson College of Business
Program Description
The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Applied Economics and Management program entails 30 credit hours of training in applied economics and management through coursework and a capstone problem-solving project. All students are required to select one of six industry-focused concentrations. Students must meet general MPS AEM degree requirements in addition to concentration-specific coursework.
Program Information
- Instruction Mode: In Person
- Location: Ithaca, NY
- Minimum Credits for Degree: 30
- At least 30 credits in courses numbered 5000 or higher.
- At least 24 credits must be taken in the S.C. Johnson College of Business.
- A maximum of 6 graduate-level credits may be earned prior to admission and transferred in; these credits must be related to the subject of study and completed not more than 5 years before admission.
- Students who complete their undergraduate degree at Cornell may only transfer graduate-level courses taken in the final semester toward the MPS-AEM requirements.
- In any case, graduate-level coursework must not have counted toward the requirements of the undergraduate degree to be eligible for transfer.
- Students who fail a course required to complete degree requirements, may take an equivalent graduate level course elsewhere and transfer in the credits provided the following apply:
- The credit will not exceed the 6-credit transfer credit maximum.
- The course is completed within two years of the initial expected graduation date.
- The course is pre-approved by an advisor and Dyson School Registrar.
- Students may enroll in a maximum of 22 credits per semester (pre-enrollment is restricted to 18 credits).
- Up to 6 credits may be taken as S/U (satisfactory/unsatisfactory)
- Courses taken as Audit will not count towards the degree credit and students may only enroll in one audit course per semester.
- Special studies courses will not count towards the degree credit, including but not limited to AEM 6980 and AEM 7000.
- A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is required.
- Degree must be completed within 4 years of admission.
- Students are expected to complete the program in two semesters and should plan their schedules accordingly. Under certain circumstances, a student may be approved for an additional semester of full-time study. Additional semesters are only permitted with prior approval of the Dyson Registrar.
- The MPS with CEMS is designed as a three semester program and includes an exchange semester abroad.
- Students must be enrolled as full-time for all semesters (12 credit minimum). No part-time study is permitted.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| AEM 5305 | Global Citizenship Seminar | 1 |
| AEM 5600 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| AEM 5700 | MPS Management Communication | 1.5 |
| BTRY 6010 | Statistical Methods I | 4 |
| AEM 6991 | MPS Research Seminar I | 3 |
| AEM 6992 | MPS Research Seminar II 1 | 3 |
| AEM 6993 | CEMS Masters in International Management Project 1 | 6 |
| Select 3 credits of quantitative methods from the following list: 2 | 3 | |
| Introduction to Econometrics | ||
| Price Analysis | ||
| Marketing Research | ||
| Python Programming for Data Analysis and Business Modeling | ||
| R Programming for Business Analytics and Data Visualization | ||
| Risk Simulation and Monte Carlo Methods | ||
| Applied Econometrics | ||
| Visual Basic for Applications: End-User Programming | ||
| Marketing Research | ||
| Introduction to Python for Business | ||
| Business Data Analysis with SQL | ||
| Machine Learning Applications in Business | ||
| Basics of Programming in Python | ||
| Methods for Spatial Economic and Demographic Analysis | ||
| Data and Development | ||
| Applied Statistical Computation with SAS | ||
| R Programming for Data Science | ||
| Python Programming and its Applications in Statistics | ||
| R Programming for Data Science | ||
| Data Mining and Machine Learning | ||
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| In addition to the core requirements, students must complete 12 additional credits in one of six concentrations: | 12 | |
Behavioral Finance | ||
Behavioral Marketing | ||
Sustainable Business and Economic Policy | ||
Business of Food | ||
International Development Economics | ||
Technology Management | ||
| A course may not be used to fulfill both the quantitative methods elective requirement and a concentration requirement. | ||
- 1
Students participating in the CEMS program only in place of AEM 6991 MPS Research Seminar I and AEM 6992 MPS Research Seminar II.
- 2
Only one course in Python may be taken toward the quantitative methods requirement.
Concentrations
Behavioral Finance
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 5230 | Behavioral Finance | 3 |
| AEM 6140 | Behavioral Economics and Managerial Decisions | 3 |
| Seelct a minimum of 3 credits of electives from the following list: | 3 | |
| Valuation of Capital Investment | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Digital Innovation in Media Markets & Creative Industries | ||
| Investments | ||
| Applied Behavioral Economics in Finance and Marketing | ||
| Impact Finance | ||
| Financial Statement Analysis | ||
| Advanced Financial Statement Analysis (crosslisted) | ||
| Foundations of Financial Modeling | ||
| International Finance Cases | ||
| Investment and Portfolio Management | ||
| Fixed Income Securities and Interest Rate Options | ||
| The Venture Capital Industry and Private Equity Markets | ||
| Evaluating Capital Investment Projects | ||
| Derivatives Securities Part II | ||
| Derivatives Securities Part I | ||
Behavioral Marketing
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 6140 | Behavioral Economics and Managerial Decisions | 3 |
| AEM 6440 | Consumer Behavior | 3 |
| or HADM 6470 | Consumer Behavior | |
| Select a minimum of 3 credits of electives from the following list: | 3 | |
| Data Driven Marketing | ||
| Marketing Strategy | ||
| Applied Behavioral Economics in Finance and Marketing | ||
| Economics of Consumer Demand | ||
| Digital Marketing | ||
| Marketing Strategy | ||
| Special Topics in Marketing | ||
| Customer Analytics and Strategy | ||
| Data Driven Marketing | ||
| Brand Management | ||
| Strategy and Tactics of Pricing | ||
| Marketing Management 1 | ||
| Economics of Consumer Policy | ||
- 1
Will not count as CEMS elective.
Sustainable Business and Economic Policy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select minimum of 9 credits of electives from the following list: | 9 | |
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Business and Economics of Energy | ||
| Financial Markets and Sustainability | ||
| Environmental and Resource Economics | ||
| Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus – Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainable Future (crosslisted) | ||
| Perspectives in Global Development (crosslisted) | ||
| Strategies for Sustainability | ||
| Organizational Change and Sustainability | ||
| Current Global Issues for Business: China, India, Latin America, Europe and beyond | ||
| Finance and Sustainable Global Enterprise Colloquium | ||
| Sustainable Development | ||
| Energy Seminar I | ||
| Economics of the Energy Transition | ||
| Bioenergy and Biofuels Module | ||
| Planning for Environmental Conservation and Sustainability | ||
| Strategic Stakeholder Engagement | ||
| Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions | ||
Business of Food
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 6140 | Behavioral Economics and Managerial Decisions | 3 |
| Select a minimum of 6 credits of electives from the following list: | 6 | |
| Price Analysis | ||
| Cooperative Business Management | ||
| Supply Chain Strategy and Supermarket Simulation | ||
| Global Strategy | ||
| From Labels to Lab-Grown Meat: Consumer Behavior and the Food Industry | ||
| Policy Analysis: Welfare Theory, Agriculture, and Trade | ||
| Toward a Sustainable Global Food System: Food Policy for Developing Countries | ||
| Food and Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Dynamics | ||
| Economics of Food and Malnutrition (crosslisted) | ||
| Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus – Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainable Future (crosslisted) | ||
| Environmental, Social and Governance Strategy in the Food and Beverage Industry | ||
| Global Cropping Systems and Sustainable Development | ||
International Development Economics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select a minimum of 9 credits of electives from the following list: | 9 | |
| Price Analysis | ||
| Emerging Markets | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Agricultural Finance | ||
| Agricultural Finance and Development | ||
| Policy Analysis: Welfare Theory, Agriculture, and Trade | ||
| Commodity Futures and Options | ||
| Toward a Sustainable Global Food System: Food Policy for Developing Countries | ||
| Economics of Food and Malnutrition (crosslisted) | ||
| Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus – Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainable Future (crosslisted) | ||
| Perspectives in Global Development (crosslisted) | ||
| The Economics of Urban Real Estate Markets and the Built Environment | ||
| Profiles in Leadership | ||
| Consulting Problem-Solving Process | ||
| Strategies for Sustainability | ||
| Organizational Change and Sustainability | ||
| Current Global Issues for Business: China, India, Latin America, Europe and beyond | ||
| Finance and Sustainable Global Enterprise Colloquium | ||
| International Planning and Development Workshop | ||
| Seminar on Issues in African Development (crosslisted) | ||
| Community Organizing and Development | ||
ILRGL 6350 | ||
| Computing and Global Development | ||
Technology Management
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 5220 | Digital Business Strategy | 3 |
| Select a minimum of 6 credits of electives from the following list: | 6 | |
| Predictive Analytics for Business Strategy | ||
| Digital Platform Strategy | ||
| Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation | ||
| Systems and Analytics | ||
| Design and Innovation | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Designing and Building AI Solutions | ||
| Digital Technology Practicum | ||
| Strategic Operations Immersion Practicum | ||
| The Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation | ||
| Risk Analysis and Management | ||
| Visual Data Analytics for the Web | ||
| Privacy and Security in the Data Economy | ||
| Designing Technology for Social Impact | ||
| Business Intelligence Systems | ||
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Program Calendar for CEMS MPS
Fall 2025
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| August 18, 2025 | First Day of Term |
| August 18, 2025 | First Day of Instruction |
| September 1, 2025 | Labor Day - No Classes |
| October 11-14, 2025 | October Break |
| November 26-30, 2025 | Thanksgiving Break |
| December 8, 2025 | Last Day of Instruction |
| December 9-11, 2025 | Study Days |
| December 12, 2025 | First Day of Exams |
| December 20, 2025 | Last Day of Exams |
| December 20, 2025 | Last Day of Term |
Both the Winter 2026 and Spring 2026 semesters follow the Standard Academic Calendar.