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New Mexico State University

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)




Questions

  1. When did the DED program begin?
  2. What is the difference between a professional doctorate, like the DED, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)?
  3. Is the DED targeted to any particular group of potential students?
  4. What are the admission requirements for the DED?
  5. I meet the minimum admission requirements.  Will I be accepted into the DED program?
  6. I don’t quite meet the minimum admission requirements. Shall I apply anyway?
  7. How will DED courses be delivered?
  8. What are the goals of the DED program?
  9. What is the profile of a DED graduate?
  10. The admission requirements ask for a “related Master’s degree or equivalent coursework.”  What does this mean?
  11. Who teaches the DED courses?
  12. What is the relationship among the DED, the College of Business, and the College of Agriculture?

Answers

  1. When did the DED program begin? The DED Program began in Fall 2008. Plans are to admit new students each Fall semester.
  2. What is the difference between a professional doctorate like the DED, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)? A professional doctorate is considered to be a practitioner’s degree while a Ph.D. is considered to be a research degree. Medical doctors, veterinarians, lawyers, and the like typically hold professional doctorates (MD, DVM, JD). Read A Brief History of the Doctorate.
  3. Is the DED targeted to any particular group of potential students? The DED is designed as a practitioner’s degree.  As such the primary targets are students who are working in, or interested in working in, applied economic development at the local, regional, national, or international level.
  4. What are the admissions requirements for the DED? This information is provided on our Admission Requirements webpage.
  5. I meet the minimum admission requirements. Will I be accepted into the DED program? The admission requirements are the minimum qualifications for consideration. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission.  Admission is competitive.
  6. I don’t quite meet the minimum admission requirements. Shall I apply anyway? You should contact the DED director and discuss your qualifications before applying. He/she might be able to make some useful suggestions on what you might do to enhance your qualifications.
  7. How will DED courses be delivered? Because the DED is a professional doctorate we anticipate that some students will be mid-career and will desire to continue their careers as they study. Others will be traditional, residential students. Although we will not be able to accommodate every student’s preferences perfectly,  we plan to be flexible in delivering the classes to reasonably accommodate this mix of students. Some examples of flexible delivery might mean that a course meets on weekends rather than weekdays, meets in intense summer sessions, meets off campus occasionally or uses face-to-face meetings supplemented by the use of distance education technologies. Actual delivery methods will depend on the mix of students in a particular class or cohort of students. Applicants, both resident and non-resident, should understand that they may sometimes accrue additional expenses for travel, etc., related to flexible delivery.
  8. What are the goals of the DED program? Unlike graduates of regular Ph.D. programs, DED graduates are not expected to go into academic research; they are expected to actively apply their skills and knowledge to make a difference in local economies. Our graduates will use the academic knowledge of economics to solve real problems in the field. Students and faculty will work on actual economic development problems submitted by state and local governments. We will challenge our faculty to think about economic development more broadly, and to deal with some very practical issues. Students will get an overview of economic development from local, regional and international perspectives; explore existing theory in the field and how it is applied; and learn the tools used for financial analysis of economic development projects.
  9. What is the profile of a DED graduate?
    • The DED graduate has the ability to read and understand academic literature in economic development and apply the accumulated body of knowledge in the field to practical economic development problems.
    • The DED graduate has solid grounding in standard economic theory (micro/macro) and an appreciation for alternative theoretical perspectives.
    • The DED graduate has excellent written and oral communication skills and is able to use said skills to communicate to diverse audiences.
    • The DED graduate has at least one specialized area of knowledge outside of the boundaries of general economic development.
    • The DED graduate is competent in the use of econometrics and other research tools useful in economic development.
    • The DED graduate has completed at least one substantial real-world applied economic development project.
  10. The admission requirements ask for a “related Master’s degree or equivalent coursework.” What does this mean? The DED is an economics degree. Therefore, a background in economics with appropriate math and statistical training is necessary.  Economic development involves a wide variety of issues, so students with varied backgrounds will be considered, as long as the economics, math, and statistics prerequisites are met successfully.  Examples of related degrees include Master of Economics, Master of Agricultural Economics, Master of Business Administration, or Master of Public Administration among others. Priority will be given to applicants who have completed the Master’s degree at the time of application, however, students with significant related graduate coursework will also  be considered.
  11. Who teaches DED courses? Courses are taught primarily by faculty in the Department of Economics and International Business and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business.  Courses in some of the specialty areas that supplement the core are taught in other University departments.
  12. What is the relationship among the DED, the College of Business, and the College of Agriculture? Both colleges have an equal stake in the DED program. The Department of Economics and International Business (College of Business) and the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business (College of Agriculture) have offered a joint Master’s degree since the 1970s.  Thus, both colleges and departments have a long history of cooperation.  Also, by working together the DED program will be stronger for its association with the Cooperative Extension Service, housed in the College of Agriculture, and the Arrowhead Center, housed in the College of Business.