Master's in Community Development and Applied Economics

Program Overview

The Department of Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE) offers graduate students hands-on learning experiences both in and out of the classroom that empower them to make impactful contributions to their communities and the world. 

Our graduate programs in CDAE boast faculty with expertise in economics (both ecological and neoclassical), food systems, public policy, ecological economics, renewable energy, public communication, consumer affairs, and community economic development. Students engage in a transdisciplinary approach to research that prepares them for leadership positions in the non-profit and government sectors, as well as in socially and ecologically responsible businesses. Students may choose graduate courses from within CDAE or from a broad cross-section of graduate courses in other UVM colleges.

Concentrations

Students may choose to pursue a Graduate Certificate alongside their MS degree.

• Community Resilience and Planning
• Electrical Enginneering
• Complex Systems
• Public Health
• For a full list of certificates and the requirements for certificates and micro-certificates

Curriculum

Required courses include:

• CDAE 6510 Research Methods
• CDAE 6540 Advanced Microeconomics
• CDAE 6920 Graduate Seminars (taken in each of the first three semesters)
• Approved Statistics/Research Course
• CDAE 6260 Community Economic Development
• CDAE 6590 Applied Econometrics
• CDAE 6391 Thesis Research

Four elective courses: these can be taken from within CDAE or in other units, including Certificate courses.

Deadlines

January 15th for funding consideration, otherwise rolling.

Admissions

• GPA = 3.00 or equivalent from bachelor's degree.
• Required academic prerequisites include course work in microeconomics and calculus or a CLEP exam. Admission may be granted without these prerequisites, in which case you must compete them in your first semester in the graduate program.
• Resumé
• To be considered for funding, applicants are invited to submit (i) a writing sample, (ii) evidence of research experience (e.g., term papers, class projects, research reports and/or other descriptions of past research experience from academic or professional lives) and/or GRE scores.
• To be considered for funding, please submit your CDAE MS application by January 15 of the year in which you wish to enroll. Limited funding is available for the best qualified students enrolling in the fall semester.
• Three letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate’s academic potential for graduate work and motivation for pursuing the M.S. in CDAE.
• For international students whose native language is not English or who have not completed undergraduate degrees in English, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, IELTS or Duolingo scores must be submitted. 

Outcomes

As an alum of the CDAE MS program, you will be well-positioned for a career in an array of community development-related fields.

Just a few examples of alumni careers:

• Analyst, Goodworks Ventures
• Project Analyst, SSG Advisors
• Program Manager, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
• Owner/Consultant, Small Systems Consulting
• Founder, Al Freshco
• Project Manager, ICF International
• Director, Center for Women and Enterprise Vermont
• Energy Analyst, NH Office of Energy and Planning
• Research Specialist, Center for Rural Studies, UVM
• Knowledge Manager, Resonance Global
• Program Specialist and Undergraduate Advisor, UVM
• Associate Professor, UVM
• Outreach Coordinator, Middlebury College Office of Sustainability Integration
• Land Treatment Planner, Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Assistant Professor, Colby College
• Director of Operations, Child Development Division, VT Department of Children and Families
• Energy Efficiency Analyst, National Grid
• Senior Lecturer, CDAE, UVM
• PhD Candidate, Penn State University
• Government Administration, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, D-HI
• Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Deputy Director and Co-Founder, GreenWave
• Community and Economic Development Coordinator, Village of Johnson, VT
• Watershed Coordinator/Director, Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District
• Data Analyst, Philadelphia Department of Health
• Agricultural Development Coordinator, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
• Regional Director, Amigos de las Americas
• Marketing Director and Food Safety Coordinator, Northeast Organic Farming Association
• Policy and Outreach Staffer, Office of US Senator Bernie Sanders
• Director of Public Policy, Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
• Hunger Council Organizer, Hunger Free Vermont
• Executive Director, Vermont Community Garden Network
• Senior Research Associate, Center on an Aging Society
• Director of Business Development and Marketing, Visiting Nurses Association
• Lecturer and PhD Candidate, UVM

Costs and Funding

A limited number of research and teaching assistantships are available to the top applicants. Submit your application to the program by January 15th to be considered for an assistantship. Funding offers are made in March.

UVM graduate tuition and fees

More

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are eligible for the Coverdell Fellowship and the Peace Corps Recruiter position.