RATIONALE FOR NEW MID - University of Pittsburgh



Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Division of International Development

July 2, 2001

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs proposes to create a new Master of International Development (MID) degree.

1. a. The following individuals are initiating the proposal:

Prof. Carolyn Ban, Dean, GSPIA

Prof. Louis A. Picard, Director, Division of International Development (GSPIA)

b. Responsibility Center: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

c. Program to be developed: Master of International Development (This degree would replace the current Master of Public and International Affairs/Economic and Social Development (MPIA/ESD))

d. Unit affected: Graduate School of Public and International Affairs and its Division of International Development.

e. Date of Proposal: July 2, 2001

2. RATIONALE FOR PROPOSED NEW MASTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND FOR REVISED DEGREE STRUCTURE

Overview:

While this is technically a new degree, in actuality, we are requesting approval to make de jure what is already de facto, i.e., that the Master of International Development be made a separate degree from the Master of Public and International Affairs. Since this is not, therefore, really creation of a new degree but rather renaming and moving to separate degree status an existing program, the issues are somewhat different than if we were creating a truly new degree de novo. We are, at the same time, requesting approval for two new majors within the MID degree.

Therefore, the three key questions we address are:

a) Why does this need to be a new degree, rather than a revised major within the MPIA degree (the current structure)?

b) Why do we wish to change the name of the degree from Economic and Social Development to International Development?

c) Why do we want to offer two new majors?

The rationale for these changes is based on organizational issues, academic issues, and marketing issues, which are presented below. We have also included the following attachments:

• Proposed curriculum for the Master of International Development degree

• Current MPIA-ESD curriculum

• Placement record of graduates from current ESD program

• Marketing plan

• Competitor Analysis

a) Why does International Development need to be a separate degree?

First, and most important, although the ESD is currently offered as a major within MPIA, this is, frankly, an administrative fiction. The program is run as a separate division (the Division of International Development), with a separate division director and faculty. All three masters programs require a common core, but there is no common divisional core shared by the ESD and MPIA students. Students come in having selected ESD or IA and are tracked separately and advised separately from the beginning. All this makes sense because the two programs prepare graduates for very different kinds of jobs. (See Attachment 3 for information on placement of ESD graduates.) It is this current separation organizationally and intellectually that leads us to say that creating a new degree is simply making formal what already exists within the school.

Second, the leadership team within the school (the deans and division directors) agreed, as we began the process of curricular reform over two years ago, that one of our goals was to rationalize and standardize the vocabulary used within the school. Prior to the reform process, we had a dizzying array, not at all consistent across programs and unclear in meaning. They included concentrations, specializations, certificates, and focus fields. After consulting with the Provost’s Office, we concluded that we would choose to offer “majors” in all our degrees, as majors would appear on transcripts, an important benefit. We would also, within some programs, offer minors, which would be more flexible. ESD has for many years used the term “focus fields,” which was certainly unique but not very clear. For the sake of clarity and consistency, we would like, in International Development, to also be able to offer majors, but that is currently impossible, since ESD (or ID, assuming the name change is approved) is itself a “major.” So our only choice would be to return to some other term, such as concentration. But a concentration, while it appears on the transcript of the graduate, is not as clear a statement about the rigors of the students’ academic experience as is a major. Rationalizing the program structures, as well as moving toward more focused curricula based on majors, has been a central part of the school’s strategic plan for the past several years.

Current enrollments warrant both the separate divisional status (which already exists) and separate degree status. Table 1 shows enrollments in our three, two-year masters programs over the last four years. As it makes clear, the current enrollment in the MPIA/ESD is roughly comparable to enrollment within the MPA degree, while the MPIA degree remains the largest of the three programs. We expect that creating a new degree with a new title, combined with more aggressive marketing, will yield a slowly growing group of new students for this program. The numbers tell only part of the story. In recent years, the ESD program has attracted some of the top students to GSPIA, based on test scores and job experience. The student body in this program tends to be older, to have higher levels of experience, and to be more international in composition than for the International Affairs program.

b) Rationale for changing the name to International Development

The current name of the degree (technically a major within the MPIA degree) is “Economic and Social Development.” This is an out-dated term. We reviewed our competitors’ programs to see what they called their degrees. The vast majority use some variant of the term “international development.” The newest major competitor is Harvard’s Kennedy School, which added a new degree last year called the Master in Public Administration in International Development. Their focus is entirely on macro-level economic analysis and planning. Other major competitors:

• American University School of International Service: Masters of Arts in International Development Studies

• Cornell University: Master of Professional Studies in International Development

• Duke University: Master of Arts in International Development Policy

• George Washington University: Masters of Arts in International Development Studies.

We have included a copy of a competitor analysis as attachment 5.

As can be observed from the competitor analysis, the term that is held in common is “International Development”. The actual degrees vary from Master of Arts to Master of Public Administration to Master of Professional Studies. For GSPIA, adding International Development on to our existing degrees is less than acceptable. To have a Master of Public Administration in International Development begs the question of how it is consistent with our existing MPA with three majors. A Master of Public and International Affairs in International Development suffers not only from the inconsistency with our recently restructured MPIA degree but also from a wordiness that hampers marketing efforts. The degree title, Master of International Development, presents a very clear and parsimonious picture of our program while maintaining consistency and complementariness with our existing degrees.

This name change, then, will help us to market the program effectively. Given that this program attracts many students who have considerable work experience, as well as the highest percentage of international students of our masters programs, the web has become our most important method of marketing the program. Changing the name will help us to appear on the search engines when students look for a program in international development. One of the most important of these is “.” We are currently listed under both international development and economic development and, in fact, have paid for banner ads that ensure we appear at the beginning of both lists with a small “banner” that connects directly to our website. But all our competitors are listed under ‘international development.” The competition listed under “economic development” is quite different. That label tends to be used by smaller or less prestigious schools (such as Alabama A&M, which offers a degree in planning and international economic development) or by several schools that offer degrees in community economic development or rural development. Clearly the club we want to join is “international development.”

c) Rationale for new majors: GSPIA has undergone a curriculum review of all its

masters programs, moving from generic degrees to requiring students in each degree program to select a major. This reflects the need for a solid grounding in a specific field in order to be competitive in the job market. In addition, developing two or three majors for each degree enables the school to focus its resources on our strengths, building centers of excellence and supporting a niche marketing strategy, rather than trying to be all things to all students. We have completed that process with the MPA and the MPIA degrees. This year was devoted to a careful assessment of our strengths in international development and study of our competitors, as we developed two majors, each of which prepares students for a different career path in the field of international development. The school’s strategic plan specifically called for such a review of the ESD curriculum this year. The plan initially proposed three majors, but the review led us to conclude that, given the size of the faculty and student bodies, two majors was a more realistic structure.

The current ESD program is built around a series of seven “focus fields.” The list is far longer than the school can support with high quality faculty, and the existing degree structure requires only three courses in a “focus field” and a large number of electives. The revised program provides more depth in the major, requires also two courses in a “minor” (typically the other major, although individualized minors can be developed), and retains the requirement for a country-specific seminar, as well.

Rationale for these two specific majors

The first proposed major is entitled: NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations] and Civil Society. This is the major in greatest demand among current ESD students, and at least two-thirds of our incoming students for fall 2001 have expressed an interest in this field. There are two reasons for this trend. First, the explosive growth of NGOs world-wide, especially in developing and transitional countries, has created a great demand for staff who are committed to the cause supported by the NGO (and these range from community development to human rights to education to political reform, among many others) and who also have solid management skills. Second, GSPIA has pursued a conscious strategy, over the past three years, to build on our outstanding reputation as one of the top programs in the US in management of non-profits by building a program in international NGO management. We hired a new faculty member with international NGO experience and added courses in this field. Combining NGOs with the term “civil society” makes it clear that this major goes beyond management skills applied in the NGO setting. We address the broader policy issues of the role of NGOs and civil society in the governance of individual countries. And we also focus on attempts by NGOs to develop international strategies in such areas as trade policy, the environment and human rights, for example. In order to be successful as NGO leaders, graduates need to understand the political environment within which NGOs operate, as well as the issues of accountability for NGOs.

Listing a major with NGOs in the title was therefore a conscious strategy to help us market our strength. On the domestic side (MPA degrees) we took the lead 10 years ago in introducing what was then termed a specialization in non-profit management. Now such programs have proliferated, but we are still ranked in the top 10 nationally. As we did our market analysis of competitor programs in International Development, we realized that we are once again ahead of the curve. There are currently no other top schools offering a specific major or specialization in NGO management. We have the opportunity, building on our strengths and linking to the non-profit management major in the MPA, to be among the leaders in this field. We are also developing a related research agenda, so that we can help shape the field intellectually and train doctoral students in this area. In sum, this major builds on one of our unique strengths. It is important that it be visible in our marketing materials and on our website and that the transcript that students receive include the term “NGO” in their major.

The second proposed major is entitled Development Planning and Environmental Sustainability. Development planning was, in the past, the dominant approach to international development, reflected in the old degree title’s use of the term “economic development.” When GSPIA was founded in 1957, this was a central part of its curriculum and mission. While central planning has fallen into disfavor in most developed countries, many developing countries still emphasize governmental planning as a strategy for fostering economic development, and some of the students attracted to this major are, in fact, sent by their country’s government to learn these specific skills. But this planning is increasingly taking place within a market environment, rather than a planned economy. Our strength in development economics, coupled with the strong faculty in the area of Global Political Economy, within our Division of International Affairs, gives us a competitive advantage here. US and international aid organizations (including USAID, the World Bank, and a number of others) also still need staff with solid grounding in economics and an understanding of economic planning issues.

We added the term “environmental sustainability” to this major to reflect new trends within the field and strengths within the school. Sustainability has become the short-hand term in the field for development that does not destroy the environment or the resources upon which continued growth depends. Increasingly, economic planners are being forced to address the issues of the impact of economic development on the environment. New factories, new transportation systems, and the rapid growth of cities that accompany growth are all having a major impact on the environment. Building on our strengths in environmental policy (in which we offer a minor within the MPA), we can offer a major that brings the traditional development planning approach into the 21st century by emphasizing the need to understand the broad, long-term impact of different development strategies. Our market analysis shows that some of the stronger schools are starting to offer courses or concentrations in sustainable development. In fact, the Heller School at Brandeis has named its program the Master of Arts in Sustainable International Development. While we think MID is a better overall title, this is reflective of the importance of the sustainable development movement in this field.

While demand for this major will, most likely, be less than for the NGOs and Civil Society, there remains continued interest in development planning at the macro level, as well as in project planning at the level of individual development projects. Adding the focus on environmental sustainability should make this major more attractive for both U.S. and international students.

3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED NEW PROGRAM

Table 2, on the next page, shows graphically the comparison between the curricula in the old and new degrees. The major changes are as follows:

• The new degree requires one less core course, reflecting needs for different economics courses depending on the major selected.

• The new degree replaces seven focus fields with two majors.

Table 2: Curriculum Change—Comparison of Current ESD Major with New ID Degree

Current Major

|School-Wide Core |

| |

|Principles of Economics |

|Quantitative Methods |

|Policy Analysis |

|Capstone Course |

| |

|Credit Hours = 12 |

|ESD Core |

| |

|Macro-Economics |

|Micro-Economics |

|Development Policy & Management |

|Development Economics & Policy |

| |

|Credit Hours = 12 |

|ESD Focus Fields |

|(3 courses required) |

| |

|Economic Development and Public |

|Policy |

|Social and Political Dimensions of |

|Development |

|Public & Development Management |

|NGOs, PVOs & Community |

|Development |

|Development Planning |

|Environmental Management & Policy |

|Human Resource Management in |

|Development |

| |

|Credit Hours = 9 |

|Other Requirements |

| |

|Regional Seminar |

|4 Electives |

| |

|Credit Hours = 15 |

|Internship |

| |

|Required but no credit hours awarded |

| |

|Credit Hours = 0 |

Total Credit Hours = 48

New ID Degree

|School-Wide Core |

| |

|Principles of Economics |

|Quantitative Methods |

|Policy Analysis |

|Capstone Course |

| |

|Credit Hours = 12 |

|MID Core |

| |

|Macro-Economics OR |

|Micro-Economics |

|Development Policy & |

|Management |

|Development Economics & |

|Policy |

|Credit Hours = 9 |

|ID Majors |

|(4 courses required) |

| |

|NGOs & Civil Society |

|Development Planning & |

|Environmental Sustainability |

| |

|Credit Hours = 12 |

|ID Minors |

|(2 courses required) |

| |

|NGOs & Civil Society |

|Development Planning & |

|Environmental Sustainability |

|Self-defined Minor |

| |

|Credit Hours = 6 |

|Other Requirements |

| |

|Regional Seminar |

|2 Electives |

| |

|Credit Hours = 9 |

|Internship |

| |

|Required but no credit hours awarded |

| |

|Credit Hours = 0 |

Total Credit Hours = 48

As discussed above, moving from seven focus fields to two majors and deepening the course requirements for the major gives the student a much more in-depth education in his or her chosen field. The minor requirement ensures some breadth, as well. And the new curriculum retains the requirement for a course focused on a specific country or region. We should note that neither the proposed MID degree nor our MPIA degree requires foreign language proficiency. Those students who simultaneously pursue a certificate in an area studies program are required to study a language or to demonstrate proficiency. A high percentage of the students currently coming into the existing degree program do, in fact, already have some language proficiency, and we encourage them to continue to strengthen their foreign language skills.

Faculty of the Division of International Development are currently reviewing both course content and current course offerings to align them with the new majors. This will include ensuring that electives are appropriate to provide depth in each major and that adjunct faculty resources are put to optimal use, given the new curriculum.

One part of the curriculum that does not change is the requirement for an internship, which is standard across all our masters programs. That requirement would be particularly important for students in the MID degree. We have worked hard to develop strong networks with NGOs in the US and overseas, such as CARE, international family planning organizations, Amnesty International, Eduparc (a South African educational NGO) and Demnet (a Hungarian human rights organization) so that they will welcome our students as interns. In addition, we have placed students as interns at the UN, the World Bank, the Department of State, and with major consulting firms conducting development planning projects. Over the past three years, we have also started a competitive process for awarding travel funds to students. Many of the travel awards go to students to support their travel costs for international internships.

4. Effects on other University programs

The proposed new MID degree would have no appreciable effect on other university programs, including GSPIA’s cooperation with the University Center for International Studies. Some minor adjustments may have to be made in the requirements for GSPIA’s joint degree programs, particularly with Social Work and Public Health, which would be reviewed after the approval of the new degree.

Since this is essentially renaming and restructuring an existing program, there would be no impact on space, library, or computing resources.

5. EVALUATION

All GSPIA programs are continuously evaluated. We track enrollments and yield rates of incoming classes, graduation and placement rates, and student satisfaction (via an annual student survey). We also meet both formally and informally with groups of alumni to receive feedback from them on the utility of the program and suggestions for program improvement.

As the new program is phased in over a two-year period, it will be evaluated using all of the above quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods. In addition, the Division Director will consult with students, alumni and potential employers in international development in the US and overseas to ensure that the curriculum remains current and reflects the needs of employers. The division will seek support for an external evaluation of the new program at the end of a three-year period.

6. Impact on academic and other staff

Creation of the new degree and of the two majors will have no immediate effect on staffing. GSPIA has the academic staff to deliver the new degree. Movement from seven focus fields to two majors will allow GSPIA to deploy its existing faculty more efficiently. As a part of implementation, we will also review courses currently offered by adjuncts to ensure best use of resources in support of the new curriculum. The clear focus provided by the two-major structure will certainly help drive the strategic decisions about hiring priorities, should faculty lines become available in the future.

7. BUDGET IMPACT

The proposal has no budgetary impact on the GSPIA three-year budget. There will be no increase in the number of course offerings needed to mount the program. In fact, eliminating focus fields should have the opposite effect. What we expect will occur is a natural growth in enrollments based upon an increased market as the result of changes introduced in this proposal. Creating a new degree will lead to some expenses as we market the new program aggressively, but these are adequately covered by our current budget for marketing.

8. Faculty Groups and administrators consulted

This proposal was developed jointly by all faculty attached to the Division of International Development over a three-year period. Current and former MPIA/ESD students have also had an opportunity to comment upon the proposed curriculum. The proposed changes were also discussed by the GSPIA Board of Visitors. The Dean then consulted with some individual Board of Visitors members to ensure that their concerns were addressed. The Dean, the Associate Dean and the other Division Directors within GSPIA have been fully involved in discussions. The proposal has been approved by the Schools’ Curriculum Review and Evaluation (CRE) committee, and by its Planning and Evaluation Committee. On the basis of approvals and recommendations offered by these bodies, it was approved by Dean Carolyn Ban and forwarded for review by the University Council on Graduate Studies and approval by the Provost and the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees.

9. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a. No change in admission requirements is envisaged.

b. Rationale for and description of changes. See Section two above.

c. Availability and qualification of faculty for program. There are currently seven GSPIA faculty teaching in the MPIA/ESD. They are available to teach in the new degree. They will be clustered with approximately three to four faculty (plus adjuncts) in each major. There will be a coordinator identified for each of the two majors in the new degree.

d. Impact on students. There will be no impact on existing students. All will be able to finish their existing programs. The last entry into the existing program will have occurred in September of 2001. Students in the program at the time that the degree is changed will be given the option of transferring to the new degree.

e. Tuition and other support. Tuition and financial aid policies are set for GSPIA as a whole and will not be affected by this change. Over time, it is expected that tuition revenues will increase because of the attractiveness of the new program.

f. Enrollments. See above, Table 1, for enrollment trends in the current ESD program. It is expected that enrollments will increase slightly as a result of the changes proposed here.

g. Employment opportunities. The new degree and curriculum changes will better equip graduates to find employment at a professional level in non-governmental organizations, international contractors and bi-lateral and muli-lateral donors. We have included as an attachment a list of current positions held by a sample of recent graduates and a brief discussion of placement trends. NGO management, in particular, is a rapidly growing field, so creation of a major (which will appear on transcripts) should assist in placement.

h. Student and faculty affirmative action. Student and faculty recruitment will comply with GSPIA’s existing affirmative action policies.

i. This program is part of an effort to implement GSPIA’s commitment to excellence as articulated in its annual plan. The goal is to provide a stronger skills and knowledge base to its graduates. The proposed changes will provide a deeper and more systematic preparation for service in international development and will improve the school’s competitive advantage vis-à-vis its competitors in the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

ATTACHMENT 1:

PROPOSED CURRICULUM FOR THE

MASTER OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEGREE

Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Division of International Development

The Graduate School of Public and International Affairs proposes to create a new Master of International Development (MID) degree. The requirements are as follows:

I) School-wide Core (12 credits)

(Students must complete all courses)

PIA 2007 Quantitative Methods

PIA 2008 Economics for Public Affairs

PIA 2009 Policy Analysis

PIA 2096 Capstone course

II) ID Core (9 credits)

(Students must complete three courses)

PIA 2004 Microeconomics for Public Policy OR

PIA 2005 Macroeconomics for Public Policy

PIA 2501 Development Policy and Management AND

PIA 2510 Economic Development and Policy Choices

ID Major (12 credits)

(Students must complete four courses from one of the following majors)

• NGOs, and Civil Society

• Development Planning and Environmental Sustainability

ID Minor (6 credits)

Students have the choice of completing at least two courses from the major that is not designated as their primary field or of developing a minor in one of the other programs in GSPIA. Students may, with the approval of their advisor, develop a minor around a specific theme, such as gender and development, for example.

V) Regional seminar (3 credits). Students must take at least one course with a geographical focus. With permission of the division director, students may fulfill this requirement through a cluster of two or more courses.

IV) Electives (6 credits). Students are encouraged to use these courses to strengthen

either their major, their minor field or their area study program.

V) Internship (0 credits). Students are required to complete an internship or have

significant work experience such that the internship requirement may be waived.

List of Courses for MID Majors

The courses assembled below should be used as a guide for choosing courses; students are encouraged to seek out courses offered in other programs. Frequency of offering varies and availability may change over time. Not all of the courses are directly concerned with developing countries; however, the methods or tools that are taught in those courses are applicable to international development.

It is essential that students receive approval from their advisors for their plans of study.

NGOs and Civil Society

This major addresses the conceptual issues in civil society and development, as well as how social and political factors broadly affect development. This specialization includes courses in NGO management, grass roots governance, technical assistance, and civil society.

NGOs and Development

PIA 2526 Micropolitics: NGOs and Development in Civil Society*

PIA 2096 Globalization and NGOs

PIA 2490 Skills in International Development

PIA 2170 Management of NPOs [Non-Profit Organizations]

PIA 2176 Training and Development for NPOs

PIA 2172 Fundraising for Non-Profit Organizations

PIA 2175 Leadership and Governance of Nonprofit Organizations

Civil Society

PIA 2490 Governance, Local Government and Civil Society*

PIA 2366 International Organizations

PIA 2576 Western Aid Policies in Central and Eastern Europe

PIA 2490 Women in International Development

PIA 2490 “Mafias,” Institutional Change and the State in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union

PIA 2705 Neighborhood and Community Development

PIA 2490 Ethnographic and Other Qualitative Methods: Applications to Research and Practice

*At least one of these two courses is required for the major

Development Planning and Environmental Sustainability

This major concentrates on the planning and economic analysis of public policy, stressing the socio-economic effects of various public policies. Students are expected to master the fundamental principles and tools of economic analysis and planning and develop the ability to assess and apply the results of professional economic studies to problems of developing countries. Program and project planning, monitoring, and evaluation are critical tools to making this assessment. In addition, courses address the need to balance economic growth with environmentally sound development strategies.

Development Economics and Environmental Sustainability

PIA 2115 Environmental Economics and Management

PIA 2490 Development, the Environment, and the Economy*

PIA 2116 Topics in Environmental Management

PIA 2490 Environmental Affairs of Eastern Europe

PIA 2572 Earnings and Employment in the Third World

PIA 2590 World Food Economy

Development Planning

PIA 2515 Planning and Policymaking for Development*

PIA 2151 Introduction to Management Science

PIA 2125 Metropolis and Region

PIA 2188 Economic Development Strategies & Practice

PIA 2715 Economic and Demographic Spatial Analysis

PIA 2755 Regional Development and Global Economy

Project Management

PIA 2704 Project and Program Design

PIA 2117 Public Program Evaluation

PIA 2490 Skills in International Development

PIA 2490 NGO and Private Sector Accounting

PIA 2561 Planning and Designing Development Projects*

PIA 2563 Planning and Designing Capacity Building Projects

PIA 2704 Project and Program Design*

PIA 2173 Project Development and Proposal Writing

*At least one of these courses is required for the major

Regional Seminars** (Select one)

PIA 2358 Regional Foreign Policy Workshop: The Middle East

PIA 2378 Political Economy of Advanced Industrial States

PIA 2437 The Dialogue Between China and Social Science Theory

PIA 2490 Topics Seminar in Eastern Europe and the Former

Soviet Union

PIA 2490 Brazilian Politics

PIA 2490 Western Aid Policies in Central and Eastern Europe

PIA 2574 African Development Seminar

PIA 2575 Seminar on Southeast Asia

** The ID degree may be done in conjunction with certificates in Latin America, Western Europe, Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe.

ATTACHMENT 2:

CURRENT MPIA-ESD CURRICULUM

Division of International Development

Curriculum for the MPIA-ESD Degree

Spring 2000

School-Wide Core (3 courses)*

1. PIA 2007: Quantitative Methods 1

2. PIA 2008: Economics of Public Affairs**

3. PIA 2009: Policy Analysis

*Internship required unless exempted.

**Students may meet the school-wide economics requirement by taking PIA

2004 and PIA 2005 in place of PIA 2008.

ESD Core (5 courses)

1. PIA 2501: Development Policy and Administration

2. PIA 2510: Economic of Development

3. PIA 2004: Microeconomics

4. PIA 2005: Macroeconomics

5. One Skills course

ESD Focus Fields (3 courses in a focus field, such as one of the following)

Economic Development and Public Policy

Social and Political Dimensions of Development

Public and Development Management

NGOs, PVOs and Community Development

Development Planning

Environmental Management and Policy

Human Resource Management in Development

Electives

5 courses including a required regional seminar

Capstone Seminar

1 course

Students should take 12 credits beyond the core within the ESD program

Note: This curriculum is only a guide. Course may or may not be available in any given year. See your advisor for additional information.

ATTACHMENT 3:

PLACEMENT RECORD OF GRADUATES FROM CURRENT ESD PROGRAM

ATTACHMENT 4:

MARKETING PLAN

Marketing Plan for the New Master of International Development Degree

GSPIA’s marketing strategies and action plan focus on increasing both our enrollments and visibility within our markets.

The overall marketing of GSPIA programs occurs on an ongoing basis in both direct and indirect ways. Student recruitment activities, mailings, events, open houses, advertising, the GSPIA web site, and promotional publications are examples of some of our direct, overall marketing efforts. Indirectly, GSPIA is marketed through a range of media, such as faculty publications and speaking engagements, hosting of symposia and conferences, informal referrals by alumni and current students, and faculty participation in regional, national, and international conferences and committees.

Additional marketing activities, specific to GSPIA’s current ESD program, include:

• Radio ads on WDUQ and B-94

• Quarterly print ads in Worldview, the National Peace Corps Association’s quarterly journal that is mailed to current and returned Peace Corps volunteers, and

• Personal marketing by faculty to appropriate audiences and organizations when they travel

Based on the assumption that the proposed MID degree and majors will be approved for implementation in the fall 2002, our new marketing endeavors will include, but not be limited to the following activities:

• Highlight the degree and majors on GSPIA’s web site

• Revise GSPIA listings on other web sites, such as

• Develop promotional pieces for distribution

o Degree-specific brochure

o One-page degree overview

o Formal degree announcement cards

• Include a lead article in GSPIA News, the GSPIA newsletter

• Revise radio ads for WDUQ and B-94 to announce the degree and majors

• Revise print ads for placement in Worldview to announce the degree and majors

• Revise GSPIA materials to reflect the degree and majors

o Recruitment poster

o School-wide brochure

o School-wide bulletin

o GSPIA web site

o GSPIA application

o GSPIA bookmarker

• Develop a publicity program with Pitt’s Office of News and Information

• Highlight the program and majors at fairs/events (whether for prospective, new or continuing students) that GSPIA faculty and staff attend

ATTACHMENT 5:

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

Table of Contents

Rationale for Proposed New Master of International Development and for

Revised Degree Structure 1

Detailed Description of Proposed Program 6

Effects on Other University Programs 8

Evaluation 8

Impact on Academic and Other Staff 8

Budget Impact 9

Faculty Groups and Administrators Consulted 9

Additional Information 9

Attachment 1: Proposed Curriculum for the Master of International Development 11

Degree

Attachment 2: Current MPIA-ESD Curriculum 16

Attachment 3: Placement Record of Graduates from Current ESD Program 18

Attachment 4: Marketing Plan 19

Attachment 5: Competitor Analysis 21

Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Proposal to Create New Degree:

Master of International Development (MID)

July 2, 2001

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