COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Arts in Community Development is a structured, year-round graduate program designed to be completed in under 2.5 years if students follow the prescribed sequence. The program begins each May and combines on-campus residencies with online learning across seven terms, allowing students to balance academic study with professional and community engagement. Early terms focus on foundational and applied coursework, including setting the foundations for community change, systems thinking, strategic planning, program design and evaluation, and research methods in community development. Mid-program study emphasizes leadership, transformation, communication, and engagement, alongside elective courses that allow students to tailor their learning to specific interests such as governance, gender, or enterprise development. Later terms are dedicated to independent scholarly work, where students register in either a Master’s Thesis (CD 599) or, in exceptional cases, a Master’s Project (CD 598). The final stage culminates in a significant research-based output that addresses real-world community development challenges and is defended in an oral examination. The thesis option involves advanced research contributing new theoretical knowledge, while the project option focuses on applied analysis of policy or management issues, often in collaboration with community clients. Overall, the program integrates theory, practice, and leadership development across a flexible but structured timeline.