In this context of microeconomic, location-theoretical approaches to the spatial organization of the economy, students completing our program could be asked and should be able to

• Explain the fundamental forces which differentiate economic activities in space, and recognize the way in which these forces interact in realty: distance (costs) and scale (economies), land-intensity of activities and accessibility, agglomeration and neighborhood effects, considerations of "place" and "locality", historical inertia, etc.
• Recall, explain and actually use in (provide examples for) geographic contexts a few fundamental microeconomic concepts (such as):
  1. Opportunity costs (next best use) of resources
  2. Principle of comparative advantage (what a person, organization [corporation etc.], city, region, nation etc. does relatively cheaper, faster, better than it does other things)
  3. Principles associated with "marginal analysis" (the analytical approach which stresses importance of the margins of an activity: what happens to the costs, benefits [utility, profits] or combination of substitutable facets or activities as incremental changes are made to an independent variable e.g. in search of an equilibrium [a maximum, minimum or optimum]).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of deductive models that use simplifying assumptions to relate measurable variables (distance from a point of maximum accessibility; size of local economies; capital and labor resources) to measurable outcomes (rent levels; trade flows between regions; economic growth).
• Interrelate "spatial variables" with (what has traditionally been considered) non-spatial facets.

At the end of their studies, our students could be asked and should be able to

• Recall the attributes and trace some of the interdepencencies and processes related to the "inner-workings" of regional economies.
• Explain the importance of "basic" and "non-basic" actors and components of the regional economy and the relationships between the two.
• Identify the assumptions and shortcomings/caveats associated with specific types of economic base analyses.
• Explain why regional economic analysts are interested in economic developments outside their focal region and identify how such developments can be theoretically and analytically tied to developments within the region.
• Recall, demonstrate an understanding of and apply principles underlying the aggregation and disaggregation of data categories, involving regionalization, categories of industrial sectors, employment categories, job skills, socio-economic and socio-demographic groupings, and other "containers" for the analysis of economic data in geographic contexts.
• Explain the different roles of regional economic analyses using insights related to
  1. the composition of a regional economy and changes in such composition (of firms, industries, employment sectors, occupational categories, etc., as, for example in location quotient- or in shift-share analyses) and
  2. the interdependencies within and between industrial sectors and regional economies (as in flow analysis and input-output)
• On this basis of this understanding, students should then be able to draw inferences from knowing "what is where" to suggesting "which region is likely to interact with which other region" and "which region will develop faster than which other region."

Thus, at the end of their studies, our students could be asked and should be able to demonstrate their understanding

• of the underpinnings of economic movements and exchanges in space.
  1. How do information processes, behavioral variables and decisions affect interaction
  2. Patterns of interaction
  3. Impacts and implications of interaction

• as to how
  1. transportation and commuting
  2. interregional & international trade and capital flows
  3. in- and outmigration
  4. telecommunications
  are affected by and affect local, regional and national economies as well as international economic relations.

• how these different forms of interaction interrelate, i.e.
  1. Complement each other. For example
     1. Migration initiated by and resulting in information flows (possibly leading to cumulative processes)
     2. Telecommunication messages preceding, concurring with and following the flow of transported goods as part of a trading activity.
  2. Are substitutes for each other, as they are, for example,
     1. when commuters switch to patterns of partial tele- commuting, or when
     2. businessmen alternate between physical meetings and tele-conferences.
• as to how
  1. past interaction patterns (e.g. former colonial ties in present trade)
  2. socio-economic conditions and relations affect the formation of interaction network (ethnic or gender based information networks used for securing jobs)
  3. existing segregated residential location patterns or other forms of localization may lead to spatial mismatches and inefficient patterns of interaction or may prevent interaction (e.g. between central city dwellers and suburban job opportunities)

Thus, our students could be asked and should be able to

• Demonstrate their understanding of the relationships between locational, interactional and macroeconomic phenomena in the context of the study of regional economic development; for example,
  • How do the location decisions of individual firms affect economic well-being in regions through changing access to employment opportunities and changing structure of multiplier processes and economic linkage systems?
  • How is the knowledge of new technologies diffused through space and how does the geographical differentiation of innovation affect local economies and groups within such economies?
  • How do organizational structures and processes of organizational change (mergers, alliances) affect the spatial distribution of employment opportunities (by skills, gender etc.)
  • How does local or national regulation of production or labor affect the location of production or people?

Thus, in addition to acquiring basic understanding and skills in the following three areas, students are given the opportunity to deepen their competence in any one or a combination of these skills areas. Thus, graduating students could be asked or should be able to

1. Describe the general nature and demonstrate the application of one or more methods of quantitative regional and/or spatial analysis
2. Demonstrate a general understanding of the use of GIS methods to spatial-economic problems, such as in market area analysis or marketing.
3. Demonstrate a general understanding of alternative methods (and the competence to apply selected methods) of communication and presentation of intellectual ideas and practical projects and the usefulness and importance of such methods in processes of student (and "life-long") learning as well as in and among economic activities.

Thus, our students upon completion of their studies could be asked and should be able to

• Explain the reasons for and difficulties of primary information collection.
• Explain how case studies of people, places, or organizations can be compiled as a useful basis for research.
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of secondary information sources that permit comparisons of economic activities across places.
• Demonstrate an ability to trace the original sources as well as to assess shortcomings (and their analytical consequences) of each data source.
• Demonstrate an ability to compare and assess the consequences of the (lack of) correspondence of the regional and activity categories for which secondary data are supplied, on the one hand, and the "ideal" categories for the relevant research questions, on the other hand (including an ability to discuss selected issues related to the aggregation of spatial and economic data).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the confidentiality restrictions on government-collected data.

Thus, our students upon completion of their studies could be asked and should be able to:

• Suggest questions that would be useful or interesting to answer
• Conduct research that relates some empirical information to a deductive or inductive model or framework, in order to: make sense of an empirical pattern (or lack of a pattern); propose some action for a worker, consumer, business, or agency; uncover the shortcomings of the model or framework; and identify the sorts of information needed to fully understand the relationships being studied.
• Move from a general question to a specific question that can be addressed clearly and directly in a single piece of research. (" How does internet-based commerce affect international trade?" is a general question. " Did automobile-parts manufacturers who adopted internet-based procurement, inventory, and distribution systems change their facility locations in different ways than their non-adopting competitors?" is a researchable question.)
• Suggest ways in which the model or framework can be made operational? What variables are implied by the model or framework? How can you measure or get indicators for the variables?
• Identify the general information that would be useful to answer the question, and then identify what specific information can be compiled.
• Use tools of analysis (logic, statistics, mathematical models, cartographic tools, qualitative interpretation) to ask whether the model or framework helps make sense of the specific information.
• Draw conclusions that help guide anyone to whom the research question is important.
• Present the results of research.
  • Explain why the question was important, how the operational framework was created, how information was selected (with the shortcomings of this information and its sources), the way the information was analyzed or interpreted, and how the conclusions were developed.
  • Be able to present these results in writing and orally, with appropriate (carto)graphic and tabular support.

Thus, we expect our students to be able to demonstrate that they can

• Organize and execute individually and collaboratively projects which combine insights and skills from different sub-fields of geography and different investigative phases allowing students to relate their academic endeavors to their own areas of interest as well as to gain practical project management skills.
• Interact with peers including help others and receive help from others during the course of their project-related research (for example, guide a colleague to identify a researchable question or an appropriate interpretation) and other tasks (such as collaborating for an effective presentation).
• Provide constructive feedback for student presentations, just as they would of published papers, newspaper articles or public officials' statements.