When the time comes to select a major, you want to make sure you choose one that meets the challenges of employment for the future and satisfies your personal interests. If you have several different interests, such as using mathematics to solve real-world problems or helping your community, you may think there's no way to combine them into one career. But at Clemson, you can.
Would you like a hand in shaping or revitalizing the communities of the future? Do you like analyzing data to find solutions to problems? Are you concerned about our natural resources? If the answers to these questions reflect your interests, then community and economic development may be the major you've been looking for.
Professionals in community and economic development (CED) organize people and institutions to promote economic development. This includes activities such as implementing economic programs, administering and managing natural resource and environmental protection programs, and working for the community's well-being. It's a major that attracts many different types of people, but those in CED are usually people-oriented and interested in serving and improving their community, conserving natural resources and planning for a future of social and economic growth and progress.
Clemson University offers the Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural and applied economics with a major in community and economic development. Clemson's CED program is the only one in this region and one of a few such programs in the country. In CED, your study will include areas such as Community Development, Economic Development, Natural Resource Economics, and statistical analysis. Students also select a specialization area and tailor their program of study toward specific career goals or interests.
Small classes in CED allow our students to get well acquainted during their academic career at Clemson. These close-knit relationships with each other and with the faculty enhance our students' ability to learn and provide support in acheiveing their goals. One of the many ways CED students interact after class is through the Community and Economic Development Club, which gives them a chance to do some fun things together. They also attend professional meetings, sponsor speakers of interest to the group, and go on field trips in South Carolina and other states. These experiences provide exposure to careers and different types of organizations, as well as allowing students to meet with potential employers for internships and permanent jobs after graduation.
Internships are available to CED majors. These short-term work opportunities give students additional hands-on experience and a look at the agencies and careers that appeal to them. Course requirements in the curriculum also incorporate a special projects class in which students participate in ongoing research projects.
CED students who qualify can participate in the University's Honors Program, which provides academically gifted students with more opportunities for experimentation and research in the classroom. And, for students who want international experience, there are cooperative exchange agreements with schools in France, Scotland, Costa Rica and other countries.
Department facilities
include computer labs and a reading room/library with
a library assistant available. CED students also use the University's
network of computers, which allows them to access information throughout the
world on the Internet and similar networks. The University's main library contains
1.7 million volumes, documents and serials, and the library is linked by computer
terminals to more than 11,000 other libraries through a nationwide bibliographic
network.
"CED really prepares you for public sector and governmental jobs. It is a package that is different from most majors but really does roll into one, and employers are really looking for that business and government both." CED Senior
Because of the program's diversity, flexibility and the opportunity to direct courses toward individual interests, CED students are prepared for a wide variety of careers. Students in our department have the added advantage of a college Career Development Office to assist in their job search, as well as the regular University Career Placement Center. Faculty and alumni contacts also play a key role in helping students find the right career.
CED alumni hold a variety of jobs. Some distinguished positions include those held by alumni Stephanie Green Mathis, who was in the Federal Scholars Program and went on to become the director of continuing education for Wilberforce University in Ohio, and Kenneth Robinson, who is economic development director for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
The University has an enrollment of 16,300 students and offers 73 undergraduate and 72 graduate areas of study in five academic colleges. The main campus, which lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on the shores of Lake Hartwell, comprises 1,400 acres and represents an investment of more than $547 million in permanent facilities. The University is midway between Atlanta, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C., and located in a beautiful area near mountains and lakes--an ideal location for recreational activities such as sailing, snow and water skiing, hiking, fishing and camping.
"The major has a great mix of the analytical and qualitative; there is a little of everything in it . . . you can focus in one area, but you don't have to. So, if you have a really broad, broad base of interest, and if you like to number crunch, but yet you like to be creative, it is the perfect major. You get to work with numbers and can also do something different." CED Junior
CED students enjoy small classes and a lot of one-on-one interaction with the faculty members; the student-faculty ratio is 5:1. All the department faculty have doctorates, and no graduate students teach required courses. The faculty members are active, not only in the classroom, but through consulting activities with industry and research with the University Extension Service and the Experiment Station. Their research and industry contacts give students exposure to innovations and technology unavailable to others.
In addition to
membership in professional organizations, many faculty members have been
recognized for their outstanding achievements and service:
Along with attention in the classroom and lab, our students receive guidance and direction in charting their career path. Every student is assigned an adviser who will help him or her in selecting the courses that meet individual career needs and University requirements.
"The one-on-one association with the professors really helps you decide which way you are going to go and what you are really going to specialize in. It has really helped me, I know. That has been one of the greatest strengths in the major." CED Senior
Some of the companies and agencies that recruit our students for
permanent positions and internships include:
For More Information:
If you
would like more information on the community and rural development program,
please write to us or telephone. We hope you can visit here in Clemson.
Department of Applied Economics & Statistics
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2004 by Department of Agricultural
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