All students must meet the Requirements for the Accelerated Master’s Degree Pathway.
Overview
The Accelerated Master’s Entry Pathway in Community Development and Applied Economics (AMP-CDAE) offers University of Vermont students the opportunity to secure a sound undergraduate and graduate program of study in 5 rather than a minimum of 6 years. The program closely integrates both programs of study, and enhances competitiveness in a marketplace stressing broad undergraduate and focused graduate education. The AMP-CDAE welcomes students majoring in one of CDAE’s undergraduate majors, as well as related majors such as environmental studies, food systems, and other social science disciplines. Application to the program is typically made during a student's junior year.
Specific Requirements
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO GRADUATE STUDIES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
The Accelerated Master’s Entry Pathway requires that students fulfill the same entrance requirements as for all candidates for the Master of Science in Community Development and Applied Economics and be accepted in order to matriculate and advance to candidacy. The following criteria must be met to gain admission to the AMP-CDAE:
• A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the beginning of the second semester the candidate's junior year
• 3 letters of recommendation attesting to the candidate’s academic performance
• A strong motivation and academic potential for graduate work articulated in a statement of purpose
Required academic prerequisites include course work in microeconomics and calculus, equivalent to UVM courses ECON 1450 Principles of Microeconomics and MATH 1212 Fundamentals of Calculus I. Other courses, including non-UVM courses or a CLEP exam, may be considered. Students must complete at least one of the prerequisites prior to enrolling in the AMP-CDAE. The remaining prerequisite must be completed within the first year of enrollment.
Completed applications will be reviewed in the month of May and a formal decision on admission will be rendered by the CDAE faculty by no later than May 15 of each year to afford potential new AMP-CDAE students the opportunity to enroll in Summer Session.
Following formal Graduate College admission to the Accelerated Master's Pathway, up to 9 credits of approved graduate course work may be taken that may be counted toward both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.
MINIMUM DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The degree requires a total of 36 credits, of which 27 to thirty are from advanced courses in CDAE and other related fields, plus a minimum of 6 credits of thesis research. A written comprehensive examination and an oral defense of a thesis are also required. A student's thesis research is often an integral part of faculty-led, ongoing research projects in CDAE.
Students in the graduate program must have a 3.00 grade point average to remain a degree candidate. A student may be dismissed from the Graduate College if two or more grades below a "B" are received.
Five courses and graduate research seminars are required:
| CDAE 6510 | Research & Evaluation Methods | 3 |
| CDAE 6540 | Advanced Microeconomics | 3 |
| CDAE 6920 | Graduate Seminars | 1 |
| Approved statistics/research course (options include CDAE 6350, PA 6080, PA 6110, EDRM 6310, and NR 6430) | 3 | |
| CDAE 6260 | Community Economic Development | 3 |
| CDAE 6590 | Applied Econometrics | 3 |
| CDAE 6391 | Master's Thesis Research | 6+ |
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
A written examination must be completed by the student's third semester of full-time enrollment. Each thesis committee member will provide one question to the candidate and the committee will specify the amount of time that the candidate has to submit their responses. The intent of the comprehensive exam is to guide the student toward successful completion of the oral and written thesis defense.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
Successful completion of any prerequisite courses, and at least 15 graded graduate credits earned in compilation of the graduate GPA, including all core courses. A GPA of 3.00 or greater is also required.