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The Department of Economic and Workforce Development is part of the College of Science at Southern Miss.

The University of Southern Mississippi established a strong reputation for excellence in economic development with its pioneering master;s degree in the 1980s. Since that time, over 175 students have participated in the program. Southern Miss offers the only master's degree program in North America devoted entirely to providing academic training in the profession of economic development. Its uniquely qualified alumni occupy important positions in various state, regional, and local economic development and planning agencies in 17 states, as well as England. The program's extensive record of teaching, research, and service and its growing network of alumni and faculty foster Southern Miss' nationwide recognition among economic development professionals.

The past success of the master's program is due to its emphasis on experiential learning in the form of actual agency research and technical assistance and through the internship/apprenticeship process. Continuing this emphasis, all candidates are required to complete a minimum of four hours of apprenticeship. For practicing professionals, this requirement is associated with the candidate's work. In-residence students satisfy the apprenticeship through placement in an economic development agency. Foreign students who are unable to satisfy this requirements are assigned alternative work through the Center for International Education.

Ties to Professional Economic Development Associations

The Department of Economic and Workplace Development is closely tied to a number of professional economic development associations. These national, regional, and state associations provide opportunities for our students to make presentations, to maintain and enhance their professional skills, to network with development professionals, and to uncover job opportunities.

The Department of Economic and Workplace Development, through work with the Center for Community and Economic Development, headed by Kim Compton, is also coordinating the education and training program for the American Chamber of Commerce Researchers Association.

The Department is also involved in the professional and educational programs of the International Economic Development Council, the Southern Economic Development Council, and the Mississippi Economic Development Council.

Ties to the Lott Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The Center for Community and Economic Development is a university center program of the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. It is located on the Hattiesburg campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. Established in 1989, the center is charged with marshalling the university's resources to promote quality economic and community development and to increase employment and income in south Mississippi.

The center engages in research, technical assistance, and information dissemination. Research includes both basic and applied research in the areas of data management and community analysis. Technical assistance includes workshops and training sessions, technology transfer, and client referral. Projects are accepted based on their potential to affect economic growth, employment, and income in the center's 37-county service area.

A part of the College of Science and Technology at The University of Southern Mississippi, the Department of Economic and Workplace Development offers two primary degree programs. For more information, feel free to contact us.

Join our facebook page, Southern Miss Economic Development Friends & Alums.

Workplace Training and Development

The Workplace Training and Development (WTD) master's program emphasizes both the research and theory framework of Workplace training and development and performance as well as its practical applications.

The emphasis of the program is to define and design training and non instructional interventions that can improve performance at the worker, the work process, and the organizational level. Human performance improvement in organizations requires more than an understanding of training design and delivery. The WTD master's program provides students with the tools they need to better understand factors that affect job performance such as job expectations, task design, incentive systems, feedback systems, performance strategies and tools, job aids, and resources. Students learn to think strategically and design interventions that will positively impact workplace learning and performance.

The Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute

The Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute at The University of Southern Mississippi serves as a research and outreach center for best practices in workplace learning and performance.

WLPI offers the Master of Science in Workplace Training and Development to emphasize both the research and theory framework of Workplace training and development and performance as well as its practical applications.

Located on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, Miss., the WLPI is within minutes of major interstates and an international airport.  WLPI is perfectly located to provide easy access for students.