Programs

Community and Economic Development

(15 credit hours) The Community and Economic Development concentration prepares students for professional positions that help people develop sustainable communities and enhance the economy at the local and regional level. Students may not use MPA core courses to fulfill concentration requirements.

Required Courses: (6 credit hours)

The following two courses are required:

SPEA-L 563 Planning and Community Development (3 cr.)
SPEA-L 622 Local Economic Development (3 cr.)
Electives: (9 credit hours)

Group I - Select one of the following three courses:

SPEA-E 518 Vector-based Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.)
SPEA-M 547 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs (3 cr.)
SPEA-P 507 Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs (3 cr.)

Group II - In consultation with a concentration advisor, select two courses from the above list and from the following courses:

AADM-Y 551 Cultural Planning and Urban Development (3 cr.)
SPEA-D 573 Development Economics (3 cr,)
SPEA-D 576 Approaches to Development (3 cr.)
SPEA-D 578 Introduction to Comparative and International Affairs (3 cr.)
SPEA-D 669 Economic Development, Globalization, and Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
SPEA-F 609 Seminar in Revenue Theory and Administration (3 cr.)
SPEA-F 610 Government Budget and Program Analysis (3 cr.)
SPEA-F 667 Seminar in Public Capital and Debt Theory (3 cr.)
SPEA-I 516 Public Management Information Systems (3 cr.)
SPEA-L 564 Local Government Management (3 cr.)
SPEA-L 568 Management of Local Government Services (3 cr.)
SPEA-M 602 Strategic Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)
SPEA-N 521 The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (3 cr.)
SPEA-P 541 Benefit Cost Analysis (3 cr.)
SPEA-P 562 Public Program Evaluation (3 cr.)
SPEA-R 563 Sustainability in a Tri-sectoral World (3 cr.)
SPEA-S 596 Sustainable Development (3 cr.)
Or other relevant SPEA courses may count toward the elective requirement with the approval of a community and economic development concentration advisor.

Academic Bulletins

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