May 27, 2011
Catholic University's Department of Business and Economics announces the creation of a new master's program in Integral Economic Development Management (IEDM).
This program is the first to create and implement an integrated perspective to measure and evaluate development programs, taking into account the social dimension of every person.
While there are a multitude of international organizations and private businesses responding to the needs of the global community, "we have a problem measuring impact and effectiveness," says Maria Sophia Aguirre, program chair. Basing the success of development efforts on a country's gross domestic product (GDP) is not an answer, Aguirre says, because "for example, the GDP does not measure happiness or health."
To encourage sustainable progress, the IEDM program will take an approach that seeks to strengthen the civil and social institutions involved, while maintaining an integrated view of the person in society.
An example of this approach is the successful program to expand child immunizations globally in developing countries. Groups are not simply providing vaccines to centralized institutions in developing countries. They have worked on the ground with schools, clinics, and families to ensure that children receive the necessary medical care. As a result, more than 80 percent of the children in targeted areas have received immunizations.
The program is designed to help students who wish to work at private or public organizations in economic development. It will provide them with the management skills necessary to build and support a strong institution, but also focus on the context of social development.
Students graduating from the program will have developed:
The program can be completed in one calendar year of full-time study. There is also a part-time option available. The 36 credits of classes are scheduled so that students can complete an internship or maintain employment while enrolled in the program.
The curriculum covers accounting, econometrics, management, finance, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and project development, in the context of the interplay between the areas of politics, global health, food and nutrition, energy and environment, education in developing countries, and community development.
Applications for fall 2011 are due by July 15 for international students, Aug. 1 for students in the United States. For more information, visit http://iedm.cua.edu or contact Beatriz Lopez, program director, at lopezbe@cua.edu .