Economic development masters programs

Wooldridge currently serves as an instructor in the Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business in the areas of finance, banking and economic development. As the director he operates in a regional outreach capacity connecting community and campus seeking to develop student academic learning opportunities as well as create jobs and wealth to improve the economic conditions in the region.

Previously he served as the District Director of the Murray State University Small Business Development Center for over 10 years overseeing regional outreach and the delivery of consulting and training services through two regional centers to pre-venture and existing businesses throughout the 24 counties of western Kentucky. Wooldridge is a former entrepreneur and has over 20 years of experience in the banking and financial services community.

He has held numerous positions in the banking industry and has experience with business development, corporate compliance, credit analyses, business restructuring, bankruptcy administration and corporate lending.

Additionally he is a graduate of the Kentucky School of Insurance, the Kentucky School of Banking, and received his certification through the Kentucky Institute for Economic Development. He instructs across many different topics including, finance, lending, underwriting, business management and operation, corporate turnarounds and restructuring, leadership and economic development. He is married and has two children. Taimerica counsels development groups and businesses worldwide on issues of strategic planning, site selection, industrial and commercial real estate development, organizational design and best practices.

The company has more than 80 clients in North America. The company also has a practice in energy economics. Ed has more than 30 years of experience in the practice of economic development, having led major development groups in Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana prior to the founding of Taimerica. Bee has earned a number of achievements and awards during his career, including a Distinguished Service Award conferred by the American Economic Development Council in His past professional service includes elections to the boards of the American Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic Development Council.

He has authored ten peer reviewed articles on leading edge economic development topics in globally recognized publications such as Economic Development Quarterly, The Economic Development Journal and Economic Development Review.

Open Search Menu. Open Menu. The credit-hour Master of Science in Organizational Management MSOM program blends coursework in organizational management, economic development, and entrepreneurship. We are located on the second floor of the south wing of the Bellamy Building. List your programs. Master Degrees. Masters of Science.

Masters of Arts. Student Resources. See Results. Universities in the US dominate the world rankings and the country also offers a wide var… Read more Economic development is the study of national economies and how countries can improve the economic and social well-being of its citizens. Online BAs Bachelors. Read more about studying in USA. Please see the Graduate Admission section of this catalog for a complete listing of materials required to complete a graduate application.

This credit program's curriculum consists of 5 required core courses 15 credits , 4 concentration courses 12 credits in the form of electives 1 based on your area of interest, and a final capstone course 3 credits. The typical enrollment sequences below are for fall or spring term starts 2 and are based on a part-time schedule. A shortlist of suggested electives is listed below.

Students should seek academic guidance from their advisor to determine elective choices and when to take them. A request for transfer credit may be submitted to the School for Graduate Studies.

Typically, 9 credits are acceptable for transfer subject to the Transfer Credit Policy located elsewhere in this catalog. In addition to approval by your academic advisor, the coordinator of your program also must approve these credits.

To begin planning your degree program, think about your long- and short-range goals, the area you want to investigate or learn more about, policy areas that interest you, or any gaps that you have noticed in your education. Your academic advisor can assist you in thinking through these areas of interest and the ways in which they can be made into appropriate electives. If you are considering doctoral study, you also should investigate the requirements of programs that interest you so that you can incorporate their requirements into your Master of Arts degree.

Degree program planning should begin in your second term. Changes in the sequence of courses should be made in consultation with the program coordinator to insure course availability and to maintain the basic structure of the program. The final project represents the capstone experience in the program. The purpose of this option is to reinforce the knowledge and skills required to analyze policy issues, develop defensible positions on policy issues and clearly communicate a position in the form of a policy memo which is standard fare in the work of legislators, elected officials, agency heads and other organizational leaders involved in the formation of policy.

The policy memo includes the exploration of a critical issue, the development of alternative approaches to the issue and a reasoned, evidence-based, defensible argument about how the issue should be addressed. It is important to keep in mind the distinction between a policy memo and other academic papers. In a policy memo getting at the truth through the exploration and the interpretation of what is known about an issue is more important than developing new knowledge.