Doctor of Economic Development

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• Degree Requirements
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• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• A Brief History of the Doctorate

Dr. Richard Adkisson, DED Program Director

Admissions

Apply by March 1 for Fall admission.

Admission decisions will be announced in April.

Admission is competitive. The faculty expects to admit approximately 8-12 students per year. In some cases this will mean that qualified applicants are not admitted. Qualified applicants who are not admitted in one year are encouraged to re-apply in subsequent years. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the DED Program. In most cases an interview with the DED Admissions Committee will be required.

Introduction

The Doctor of Economic Development (DED) is a professional doctorate offered jointly by the Department of Economics and International Business in the College of Business and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business (AEAB) in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics (CAHE).

NMSU is the first university in the country to offer this program. The DED is a professional degree primarily intended to provide advanced applied training for economic development professionals, and can be seen as the link between academic research in economic development and “real world” economic development problems. DED graduates will be prepared to navigate the world between the theoretical and analytical world of academic economics and the very practical problems of economic development at all levels.

Economic development is a complex process. Its study and practice draws on a wide variety of academic knowledge and experience. The DED is a professional degree primarily intended to provide advanced applied training for economic development professionals (rather than academic economists).

Recognizing the diversity of subjects and experience and knowledge useful to economic developers, DED students will enter the program from a variety of backgrounds. All DED students will share a common core of training in economics and economic development followed by the opportunity to select elective courses and specialties reflecting their particular interests and goals. All graduates will complete an internship and a major economic development project.

Read a brief history and comparison of doctorate degrees.

Flexible Delivery

Students in the DED program will include both in-residence students at NMSU, and others who will be professionals working away from campus. Course schedules and delivery methods will vary depending on the mix of resident and non-resident students in a given semester, but all courses will have a significant face-to-face component where professors and students interact directly. Applicants should understand that they may sometimes have to attend classes at non-traditional times.

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