UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

 

Academic Program Approval

 

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs.  Proposing department should complete this form.  For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

 

 

Submitted by: ___Saul Hoffman phone numbers x1907_                          

Department:  __Dept. of Economics ________

email address___hoffmans@lerner.udel.edu ____

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

 

Action:  _New MA Program in Economic Education

 

Effective term_________________________09F__________________________________

                                               

 

Current degree___________None – this is a new degree______________________

                                               

 

Proposed change leads to the degree of: ________N/A___________

                                                                                            

 

 

Proposed name:___________ MA in Economic Education_______

                                           

 

Revising or Deleting: 

 

Undergraduate major / Concentration:______________________________________

                                                                                       

 

Undergraduate minor:____________________________________________________

                                          

Graduate Program Policy statement change:___________________________

                                                                  

 

                Graduate Program of Study:  

                                        

                Graduate minor / concentration:___________________________________________

 

 

Note: all graduate studies proposals must include an electronic copy of the Graduate Program Policy Document, highlighting the changes made to the original policy document.

 

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum. How do they support the overall program objectives of the major/minor/concentrations)?

 

ECON 820, Economics of Education Policy (3 credits)

Survey of theory, policy and practice of the field of Economic Education, including human capital, educational financing, and the production of education.  Prerequisite: ECON801 and ECON822.  This is a required core course that is integral to the field of Economic Education.

ECON829 Economic Education Curricula (2 credits)

Survey of educational materials and methods in Economic Education and of related assessment studies, especially at the K-12 levels. This is a required core course that is integral to the field of Economic Education.

 

Explain, when appropriate, how this new/revised curriculum supports the 10 goals of undergraduate education: http://www.ugs.udel.edu/gened/

 

N/A

 

Identify other units affected by the proposed changes:  School of Education

 

Students in this program will take a minimum of 10 credits in the School of Education.  Please see the letter of support from Gail Rys, Assistant Director/Graduate Coordinator, School of Education.

 

Describe the rationale for the proposed program change(s):

 

Traditionally, professionals and researchers in the field of economic education have been trained in either economics or education, with little or no meaningful training in the other area. The field of economic education has grown in importance with the increasing complexity and importance of economics in today’s world, including issues such as globalization, consumer economics and financial literacy.  New scholars and leaders in this field need a deeper understanding of both economics and education than has been traditionally been offered. This new joint program will bridge the gap between these related disciplines. 

 

The broad goal of the program is to prepare a new generation of scholars and practitioners in the field of Economic Education, encompassing knowledge and research methodologies found in both Economics and Education. Graduates of the program will have a wide range of professional and academic employment opportunities including academic positions in Departments of Economics and Education; Centers for Economic Education (approximately 300 nationally, most affiliated with universities); education units within regional Federal Reserve Banks as well as other private sector businesses and foundations with an interest in economic and financial literacy; school districts and state departments of instruction; and education consulting and evaluation firms.

 

The University of Delaware already has substantial strength and expertise in the field of economic education.  The Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (CEEE) is a nationally recognized center, and its director, James O’Neill, is one of the most respected practitioners in the field. O’Neill is also a professor in the Department of Economics.  Bonnie Meszaros, Associate Director of the CEEE and Assistant Professor of Economics, is also nationally known in the design of economics curricula for grades K-12   The CEEE currently offers a Masters of Arts in Economic Education and Entrepreneurship (M.A.E.E.E.) that is designed to provide secondary school teachers with the training and expertise to teach economics in their own schools and to offer economic courses and programs to train other educators. This new Ph.D. program, with its embedded M.A., is designed to provide advanced training to researchers and professionals in the field of economics education.  The coursework, research expectations, and career path are all substantially different from the M.A.E.E.E.  No comparable programs are active at this time. 

 

The primary program being proposed at this time is a new PhD in Economic Education. The MA is being offered solely as an exit degree for students who must leave the PhD program prior to completion.  No students will be admitted directly into the MA program.

 

Program Requirements: 

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog.  If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the current curriculum and include a side-by-side comparison of the credit distribution before and after the proposed change.)

 

 The Master of Arts in Economic Education requires 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. The required coursework includes: 

 

ECONOMICS (REQUIRED CORE COURSES): 

                           ECON801            Microeconomic Theory                                                             3

                           ECON802            Macroeconomic Theory                                                            3

                           ECON822            Econometric Theory                                                                   3 

                           ECON823            Seminar in Econometrics                                                          3

ECONOMICS FIELD COURSES (ECONOMIC EDUCATION)

                           ECON820            Economics of Education Policy                                              3

           ECON829            Workshop in Economic Education Curricula                        2

           ECON868*          Research Paper                                                                            3

EDUCATION (REQUIRED CORE COURSES):

                          EDUC805 & 806     Proseminar I and II                                                                 8

          EDUC840                 Colloquium (2 terms)                                                              2                             

 

TOTAL REQUIRED CREDITS                                                                                                                  30          

*This requirement only pertains to M.A. students who terminate their matriculation after completing the master’s degree. Thus, students completing the M.A. in Economic Education as a terminal degree would complete 30 credits. Students completing a Ph.D. in Economic Education would complete a 27 credit hour M.A.

 

 

 

MA in Economic Education

Suggested Student Schedule*

FALL                                                                       

ECON 801                                                              3 cr.

ECON 822                                                              3 cr.

EDUC 806                                                             4 cr.

 

SPRING

 

ECON 823                                                              3 cr.

ECON 829                                                              2 cr.

EDUC 805                                                              4 cr.

EDUC 840                                                              1 cr.

FALL                                                                       

ECON 802                                                              3 cr.

ECON 820                                                              3 cr. ECON 868                                                              3 cr

EDUC 840                                                              1 cr.

 

* This schedule is one of many alternative ways to fulfill requirements.  Specifics would be determined by advisor and may depend on availability of courses in particular semesters.

 

 ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION:        (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

 

Department Chairperson                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Dean of College                                                                                                                    Date                                       

 

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

 

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies                                                                            Date                                       

 

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com.                                                                        Date                                       

 

Secretary, Faculty Senate                                                                                                   Date                                       

 

Date of Senate Resolution                                                                                                 Date to be Effective            

 

Registrar                                                                               Program Code                                      Date                                       

 

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & International Programs                                   Date                                       

 

Provost                                                                                                                                  Date                                       

 

Board of Trustee Notification                                                                                                           Date                                       

 

Revised 10/23/2007   /khs