Concentration in Economic and Community Development in our Master’s Degree Program

Economic development concerns itself with the well-being of a society and its members, and with the socio-cultural, institutional, political, and economic processes that serve to promote (or retard) progress in this regard. Since the subject, by its very nature, is comprehensive, the predesigned concentration in Economic and Community Development in our master’s degree program covers a broad range of topics, including local community development, regional economic development, and development of national economies, especially for developing countries. The essence of the challenge to planners, policy analysts, managers, advocates, and others who work on behalf of economic development is to discover and implement means to directly or indirectly create jobs, raise productivity levels and incomes and promote human development and human capabilities.

Positions Resulting from a Concentration in Economic and Community Development

The positions students with a concentration in Economic and Community Development in our master’s degree program have taken are quite varied (see next paragraph). That variety illustrates how the knowledge transmitted in the predesigned concentration in Economic and Community Development in our master’s program spreads into different areas of public affairs. Moreover, the analytical frameworks developed in the primary concentration requirements provides a good conceptual framework for other concentrations, such as science and technology policy, environmental policy, foreign affairs, urban and regional planning, social policy, and policy analysis.

What Our Economic and Community Development Concentration Graduates Do

Previous positions held by graduates who have a concentration in Economic and Community Development in our master’s degree program include: planner in the St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development; Women's Small Business Development Project supervisor with the Peace Corps in Nepal; researcher on the Minnesota Governor's Task Force on Poverty and Jobs; health services researcher at the Veterans Health Administration; Credit Program director of Refugee Employment Services for Lutheran Social Service in Minnesota; industrial consultant to the Costa Rican Ice Machine Industry; regional director of the Minnesota Project's Small Business Program; development intern at the U.S. Agency for International Development; and legislative aide to various Congress people in Washington D.C.

Foundational course for Economic and Community Development concentration

PA 5501 — Theories and Policies of Development* (3 cr)

Select elective courses from below (to bring total concentration credits to 9 or more)**

PA 5113 — State and Local Public Finance (3)

PA 5204 — Urban Spatial and Social Dynamics (3)

PA 5212 — Managing Urban Growth and Change (3)

PA 5221 — Private Sector Development (3)

PA 5301 — Population Methods and Issues for the US & Third World (3)

PA 5311 — Program Evaluation (3)

PA 5414 — Child Human Rights:  Work and Education (3)

PA 5501 — Theories and Policies of Development (3)

PA 5511 — Community Economic Development (3)

PA 5521 — Development Planning and Policy Analysis (4)

PA 5522 — International Development Policy, Families & Health (3)

PA 5561 — Gender and International Development 

PA 5590 — Topics in Econ. and Community Development: Economic Competitiveness(3)

PA 5722 — Environmental and Resource Economics Policy (3)

PA 5821 — Humanitarianism (3)

PA 5890 — Topics in Foreign Policy and International Affairs: Globalization and the World Food Economy (3)

PA 8203 — Neighborhood Revitalization Strategies and Theories (4)

PA 8204 — Creating Good Work: Economic and Workforce Development (4)

APEC 5581 — Human Capital and Household Economics (3)

APEC 5651 — Economics of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy (3)

APEC 5731 — Economic Growth and International Development (3)

APEC 8701 — International Economic Development, Growth, and Trade (3)

ECON 8311 — Economic Growth and Development (2)

ECON 8312 — Economic Growth and Development (2)

ECON 8313 — Economic Growth and Development (2)

EDPA 5080 — Gender, Education & International Development (3)

EDPA 5101 — International Education and Development (3)

EDPA 5104 — Strategies for International Development of Education Systems (3)

EDPA 5121 — Educational Reform in an International Context (3)

EDPA 5501 — Principles and Methods of Evaluation (3)

ESPM 5251 — Natural Resources in Sustainable International Development (3)

GEOG 5385 — Globalization and Development:  Political Economy (4)

GEOG 5007 — Theories of Development and Social Change (3)

GEOG 5385 — Globalization & Development:  Political Economy (4)

GEOG 5401 — Geography of Environmental Systems & Global Change (3)

GWSS 8401 — Gender, Space and Resistance (3)

ESPM 5251 — Natural Resources in Sustainable International Development (3)

POL 5485 — Human Rights and Democracy in the World (3)

** Not all courses on this list are offered every year. Some courses may have prerequisites. Students may select other courses for this concentration in consultation with their faculty and professional advisors.

Affiliated Faculty

Ragui Assaad, professor  (on leave 2011-12)

Deborah Levison, professor

Greta Friedemann-Sanchez, assistant professor

Ed Goetz, professor

Robert Kudrle, professor

James Ron, associate professor

Eric P. Schwartz, Dean and professor

Ryan Allen, assistant professor

 

Deborah Levison, Concentration Head
266 HHHCTR
dlevison@umn.edu
(612) 625-3540