公共政策分析领域寻求有关农业和粮食政策与创新如何影响市场以及最终影响人类福祉的知识。该计划依赖于严格的农业经济学方法，该方法为应用分析提供基础，包括实验和行为经济学模型，战略互动模型，结构经济模型，投资或公司模型，系统模拟，数学程序设计和计量经济学。它依靠课程研究和农业经济学中心的广泛认可，如食品和农业政策研究所（FAPRI），农业市场与政策（AMAP），农业生物技术中心的经济与管理中心（EMAC）和食品方程式研究所（FEI）。
The graduate program emphasizes preparation for teaching, research and extension work in academia, as well as for careers in agrifood business, government and international agriculture. The M.S. program is 30 credit hours and offers thesis and non-thesis track options, including an accelerated M.S. program for undergraduate students at the University of Missouri completing a degree in agribusiness or other bachelor's program. The Ph.D. program usually requires about three years beyond the M.S. degree to complete. The size, quality and diversity of the faculty provide a broad choice of advisors and research topics. While students and their advisory committees have latitude in developing a plan of study, the following specialties are emphasized: Environmental and Development Economics, Managerial, Behavioral & Organizational Economics, and Public Policy Analysis.