Degree Requirements

• Go directly to DED Homepage
• Admission Requirements
• Financial Assistance
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• A Brief History of the Doctorate

Academic Program Outline

The DED program will require that students complete approximately 60 credit hours of graduate coursework credit beyond the credits and courses required for admission.

Details regarding comprehensive examinations at various stages of the program will be announced later.

Course Deficiencies

AEEC 501, 502, and 540 are existing courses that are regularly available. Failure to complete these courses early in the program will impede progress as they serve as prerequisites for most ECDV courses.

• AEEC 501 Microeconomic Theory (or equivalent)
• AEEC 502 Macroeconomic Theory (or equivalent)
• AEEC 540 Econometrics (or equivalent)

Core Course Requirements

All courses with the ECDV prefix are new courses to be developed specifically for DED students. The intent is to offer ECDV and some other courses in a “face-to-face, flexible delivery” format. Specific delivery methods may vary depending on the mix of students admitted and their particular needs. This might mean that the course meets once per week in long sessions over several weekends; uses some combination of class meetings and internet or two-way television; or perhaps meets off campus (other means of delivery possible).

After completing AEEC 501, 502, and 540, students need to take ECDV 650, 651, 661, and 662. These courses provide the basic theories and tools of economic development and will serve as prerequisites for many courses to follow. After taking these seven courses, course sequencing is more flexible.

Unless otherwise specified, all courses are 3-semester-hour courses.

• ECDV 550 Introduction to Local and Regional Development
• ECDV 651 Economic Development Theory
• ECDV 661 Regional Economic Modeling I
• ECDV 662 Regional Economic Modeling II
• ECDV 664 Population Economics
• ECDV 668 Economic Development Finance
• ECDV 671 Sustainable Economic Development
• ECDV 692 Seminar in Economic Development (take twice with different subtitles)

Electives and Specialty Areas

Students are required to complete at least one specialty area (9 hours) and complete elective courses (by advisement) sufficient to fulfill minimum credit requirements.

Current Electives

• ECDV 666 Economics of Transportation
• ECDV 670 Research in Economic Development
• ECDV 673 Research Methods

Examples of Possible Specialties

• Specialty in Public Sector Economics and Development
  • AEEC 522 Public Sector Economics I (Expenditure)
  • AEEC 523 Public Sector Economics II (Taxation)
  • ECDV 624 Seminar in Economic Development and the Public Sector

• Specialty in International Development
  • AEEC 528 Economic Development (Developing Nations)
  • AEEC 520 International Agricultural Trade Theory and Policy (or ECON 581)
  • ECON 581 International Economics (or AEEC 520)
  • ECDV 685 Seminar in International Economic Development

• Specialty in National Development
  • ECDV 681 Urban Economic Development
  • ECDV 682 Rural Economic Development
  • ECDV 683 Seminar in National Economic Development

• Specialty in Regulated Utilities
  • ECON 585 Public Utilities Regulation
  • AEEC 554 Advanced Public Utilities Regulation
  • AEEC 555 Seminar in Public Utilities Regulation

Internship/Project Requirement

Students complete 12-15 hours with at least six credit hours of each.