Undergraduate Applied Economics and Management Concentrations

Choose at least one, but not more than two. 

Each of our AEM concentrations has its own requirements; this includes a set of core courses everyone in the concentration must take, plus the flexibility to choose your remaining credits from a list of other approved classes.

In this section, we answer some of the most common questions about the Dyson School’s applied economics and management concentrations.

Today, the boundaries between accounting, finance, and management are blurred—and technology has dramatically shifted the skills demanded of accounting professionals. In the Dyson School’s accounting concentration, you’ll learn about innovative financial statement analysis, applied tax strategies, cutting-edge tools, and other approaches to accounting.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 3360 – Corporate Financial Reporting I 
• AEM 4225 – Systems and Analytics in Accounting
• AEM 4530 – Auditing & Assurance
• AEM 4531 – Federal Income Taxation

As a land grant institution, agribusiness is an important part of Cornell’s culture. In this concentration, you’ll explore the role business plays in society’s effort to feed the world and engage in policy discussions that impact food production, consumption, and trade around the globe. Dyson School students with an agribusiness concentration also have the opportunity for hands-on learning experiences, such as our Farm Credit Fellows program.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2310 – Business and Economics of Food
• AEM 3020 – Farm Business Mgmt.
• AEM 3260 – Cooperative Business Management
• AEM 4150 – Price Analysis

Applied economics and management is the cornerstone of the Dyson School. This applied economics concentration strengthens your foundation in macroeconomics, microeconomics, and econometrics. With strong critical thinking skills and data analysis proficiency, you’ll be ready to apply economic theory to real-world problems in industries and markets of all kinds.

Sampling of classes:

• ECON 3040 – Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory 
• AEM 4140 – Behavioral Economics
• AEM 4300 – International Trade Policy
• AEM 4515 – Business and Economics of Energy

The ability to extract useful and actionable insights from big data is one of the most desirable business skills today. Analyst positions of all kinds—from management analyst to data analyst—are on the rise across sectors and industries. With a wide range of courses, you’ll have the chance to enhance your schedule with areas of analytics that interest you the most. Perhaps you’ll pursue additional programming classes or maybe you’ll dive deeper into marketing strategy or risk management.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2820 – Intro to Database Management Systems 
• AEM 2840 – Python for Business Analytics 
• AEM 4015 – Customer Strategy & Analytics 
• AEM 4600 – Predictive Analytics

The most flexible of all Dyson School concentrations, this path is all about turning ideas into action—and solving societal and economic problems through business endeavors. Whether you’re interested in tech start-ups, social enterprises, or small businesses, the entrepreneurship concentration will prepare you to launch a venture of your own or contribute to one as an early employee.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2220 – Dilemmas in Entrepreneurship
• AEM 3249 – Entrepreneurial Marketing & Strategy
• AEM 3251 – The Business Laboratory & New Venture Mgmt.
• HADM 4800 – Law for Entrepreneurs

What role does sustainability play in business and economic development? That question is central to the Dyson School’s EERE concentration. You’ll explore the relationship between the economy and the environment and learn how to design policies that consider clean technology and optimal use of natural resources.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2500 – Environmental & Resources Economics

• AEM 2850 – R Programming for Business Analytics & Data Visualization
• AEM 4510 – Environmental Economics
• AEM 4515 – Business and Economics of Energy

Finance careers are in demand. Year after year, positions like finance manager and financial analyst rank high on U.S. News & World Report Best Jobs in America lists. This Dyson School concentration prepares you for high-level finance careers in investment banking, asset management, equity research, management consulting, and more.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 4570 – Corporate Finance
• AEM 4670 – Investments

• AEM 4230 – Behavioral Finance
• AEM 4590 – Financial Markets & Institutions

Cornell’s agricultural history and Dyson School’s expertise in consumer packaged goods come together in our Food Industry Management concentration. Whether you’re interested in food production, restaurant management, product marketing, or retailing, you’ll get a taste of leading-edge theory and industry best practices. Classes and activities related to this concentration also offer opportunities to meet experts through guest lectures and conferences.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2480 – Food and Consumer Packaged Goods Industry Dynamics
• AEM 3440 – Consumer Behavior
• AEM 4400 – Retail Strategy
• AEM 3270 – Supply Chain Strategy

The Dyson School’s International Trade and Development concentration is built on Cornell’s long tradition of leadership in international agriculture. Our faculty and students continue to address pressing questions facing developing countries such as “How do we increase food production without harming the environment?” or “How can we grow the income of small-scale farmers?”

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 2300 – International Trade and Finance 
• AEM 4300 – International Trade Policy
• AEM 4350 – The Political Economy of the WTO
• AEM 4420 – Emerging Markets

Audience is everything. In the Dyson School’s marketing concentration, you’ll explore what makes someone choose one product or service over another through courses in customer strategy, pricing analysis, and market research. The broad array of classes available in this concentration reflects the breadth of career paths in the marketing field, from the theoretical—such as neuroscience and consumer behavior—to the tactical, like sales operations and supply chain strategy.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 3440 – Consumer Behavior
• AEM 4410 – Marketing Research
• AEM 4160 – Strategic Pricing
• AEM 4550 – Economics of Advertising

Why are some companies more successful than others? The Dyson School’s Strategy concentration explores that—and many more—questions about how businesses can establish and sustain a competitive edge in an ever-changing market. With a wide range of course options, this concentration allows you to be, well, quite strategic about building a schedule that fits your goals.

Sampling of classes:

• AEM 3220 – Digital Business Strategy
• AEM 4190 – Strategic Thinking
• AEM 4615 – Digital Platform Strategy
• AEM 3249 – Entrepreneurial Marketing & Strategy