The Department of Resource Economics and Policy administers the Master of Science
in Resource Economics and Policy, and participates in the Master of Science in
Resource Utilization and the Master of Science in Ecology and Environmental Sciences.
The graduate program is designed to provide students with an applied masters
degree focusing on the economic analyses of public policy issues relating to natural
resource use, environmental quality, marketing of natural resource based products,
agricultural production, and economic development of rural communities. While
focusing on the applied aspect of the program, the faculty also works to ensure
the program provides the opportunity for students to obtain the necessary preparation
to excel in a Ph.D. program.
All students take a core of graduate courses; the focus of the core courses is
to provide students with a solid understanding of economics, statistics, and research
methods. Elective courses are chosen in consultation with each student’s advisory
committee; it is with these courses that students seeking a terminal masters degree
add breadth to their programs and students choosing to continue their education
can include additional courses to prepare for their Ph.D. course work. Given the
focus of the Department’s research program, students generally choose applied
topics that have important public-policy implications.
We believe that the core courses and our close working relationships with our
graduate students on their theses and projects, provide graduates with the foundation
for successful professional careers. Recent graduates have gone on to attain leadership
positions in state government, to become economic analysts for federal agencies,
to work for economic and environmental consulting firms, or have continued their
educations at some of the leading Ph.D. institutions in the country.
An undergraduate degree in economics or a related field is desirable, but is
not essential for admission to this program. The Department is much more concerned
with the applicant’s capacity for graduate study and the quality of previous work.
However, there are certain prerequisites that the student is required to complete
before entering the graduate program. These prerequisites are:
- Intermediate microeconomic theory (equivalent to UM’s ECO 420)
- Statistics (equivalent to UM’s MAT 215 or 232)
- Calculus (equivalent to UM’s MAT 114, 126, or 151)
Other general admission criteria are described in the general section of this
catalog.
The Master of Science in Resource Economics and Policy has both thesis and non-thesis
options. The core courses for the M.S. degree provide the student with the tools
and problem solving skills applicable to the economic analysis of a wide variety
of public policy issues. Elective courses allow students flexibility in designing
programs to meet their needs.
The non-thesis option of the program is designed for students who wish to obtain
greater breadth in their coursework and job experience through a project rather
than undertake a thesis.
Requirements of the program include a minimum of 30 graduate degree credit hours.
A program of study is developed in consultation with the student’s advisory committee.
The areas of interest, background, and future needs of the student will be considered
in planning the program of study.
The graduate program in Resource Utilization is an interdisciplinary program
to train students in the use, development, and conservation of our natural resources.
The Department of Resource Economics and Policy, the Department of Forest Management,
and the Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences support the Master
of Science program in Resource Utilization. Requirements of the program include
a minimum of 30 graduate degree credit hours. A minimum of 12 credit hours (exclusive
of thesis credits) of 500 and/or 600 level course work is required. The Resource
utilization Program only offers a thesis option. See entry under ” Resource Utilization.”
The M.S. program in Ecology and Environmental Sciences is designed for students
who wish to pursue an interdisciplinary program of study for their graduate programs.
Each student chooses a primary and secondary area of study. Students advised by
the faculty members in the Department of Resource Economics and Policy would choose
the Policy Concentration for their primary area of study and would choose a natural
science area as their secondary area of study. Students can choose courses in
their primary and secondary concentrations to form a study area. For example,
recent graduates advised by the Department have focused on issues such as surface
water quality, land use, and marine fisheries management. The Department, because
of the training and skills of the faculty, approach environmental policy from
an economic perspective. In turn, students supported on a Graduate Assistantship
from the Department are required to take a core of research, economic, and statistics
courses, or demonstrate they have this knowledge from previous course work, in
order to actively participate in faculty research projects.
Each graduate student who pursues one of the graduate programs administered by
the Department must pass an oral examination near the end of the student’s program.
The Department has a number of research and teaching assistantships available
for qualified students on a competitive basis. Efforts are made to match the student’s
interests and background with the needs of the Department. For details on assistantships
and for other information, contact Todd Gabe, Graduate Coordinator, Department
of Resource Economics and Policy by phone at (207) 581-3307 or via e-mail at todd.gabe@umit.maine.edu. Further information can be found on the web at www.ume.maine.edu/~rep/rep.htm.
George K. Criner, Ph.D. (Washington State, 1983), Professor and Chair. Production, marketing,
and waste management.
Kathleen P. Bell, Ph.D. (University of Maryland, 1997), Assistant Professor. Resource and Environmental
Economics, land use, spatial analysis.
Kevin J. Boyle, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, 1985), Professor of Environmental Economics. Resource and
environmental economics, nonmarket valuation.
Hsiang-Tai Cheng, Ph.D. (VPI&SU, 1985), Associate Professor. Marketing, econometrics.
Timothy J. Dalton, Ph.D. (Purdue University, 1996), Associate Professor. Production economics
and international development.
Todd M. Gabe, Ph.D. (The Ohio State University, 1999), Associate Professor. Regional and
community economic development.
Alan S. Kezis, Ph.D. (Washington State, 1978), Professor and Associate Dean. Marketing.
James D. Leiby, Ph.D. (North Carolina State, 1986), Associate Professor. Management and Production
Economics.
Dierdre M. Mageean, Ph.D. (The Open University, England, 1989), Associate Professor. Associate
Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. Research interests:
migration; population environment interaction; rural poverty and rural development;
human dimension of global change.
James C. McConnon, Ph.D. (Iowa State, 1989), Associate Professor and Associate Extension Professor.
Business and Economic Specialist.
Jonathan D. Rubin, Ph.D. (University of California, Davis, 1993), Associate Professor and Interim
Director, Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy. Resource and environmental
economics.
Stewart Smith, Ph.D. (Connecticut, 1977), Professor. Sustainable development and agricultural
policy.
Mario F. Teisl, Ph.D. (Maryland, 1997), Associate Professor, Environmental economics.
Gregory K. White, Ph.D. (Washington State, 1976), Professor. Resource economics, internet, and
food marketing.
James A. Wilson, Ph.D. (Wisconsin, 1971), Professor and Associate Director, School of Marine
Sciences. Economics of information and institutions, marine economics.
Graduate School
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