Dennis is joined by Kirk Garton, program director of OUEDI - OU Economic Development Institute. OUEDI alumnus Dennis discusses the OUEDI curriculum and the process of completing the classes, which are available online and in person.

OU EDI Core Requirements

OU EDI has aligned its curriculum to meet the education standards and requirements set by the IEDC Education and Certification Committees. These committees and OU EDI have identified three core areas considered to be the building blocks of economic development: Business Retention and Expansion (BRE), Real Estate, and Credit Analysis.

Each OU EDI Participant Must Study these Three Core Areas by Completing the Following Courses:

Business Retention and Expansion (16 hours)

Real Estate Development and Reuse (16 hours)

Economic Development Credit Analysis (24 hours)

OU EDI Elective Requirements

In addition to the core areas, OU EDI has developed a curriculum intended to give the participants a broad-based education and to develop the skills necessary to be successful economic developers, while simultaneously covering four of the topic areas necessary to prepare for IEDC's CEcD certification exam.

Economic Development Marketing and Attraction

Economic Development Strategic Planning

Entrepreneurial and Small Business Development Strategies

Managing Economic Development Organizations

Community and Neighborhood Development

Workforce Development

OU EDI and IEDC have worked closely to ensure that OU EDI graduates will have fulfilled the necessary classroom contact hours in the three core areas and the elective areas of concentration to satisfy the education requirements necessary to sit for the CEcD exam.