Community Development
| Program and Application Information | |
|---|---|
| Program Coordinator: | Dr. Gary Goreham |
| Email: | gary.goreham@ndsu.edu |
| Department Location: | Minard Hall Rm. 428 |
| Department Phone: | (701) 231-7637 |
| Department Web Site: | www.ndsu.edu/ced/ |
| Application Deadline: | International application materials must be received before May 1 for the fall semester and prior to August 1 for spring and summer semesters. Domestic applications must be received at least one month prior to the start of the semester. |
| Degrees Offered: | M.A., M.S. |
| English Proficiency Requirements: | TOEFL ibT 71; IELTS 6 |
Program Description
The Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Emergency Management in cooperation with the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics offers a master's degree in Community Development. The degree is a multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary, online program in conjunction with the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (IDEA). Other institutions participating in this program include Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and South Dakota State University.
The primary audience for this program is community economic development officials and specialists already employed in the field.
The program requires a total of 36 credit hours, including 16 credits (six courses) of core courses, 15 credits in two of the four track areas, and up to six credits of thesis. The four track areas include Building Economic Capacity, Natural Resource Management, Working with Native Communities, and Non-profit Leadership.
Program Objectives
The objectives of the Community Development graduate degree program are to:
- Increase the skills, knowledge, and competencies of community economic development officials who are currently employed and have limited opportunity to participate in an on-campus degree program.
- Provide graduate training for individuals entering the community economic development career field who require training/degrees for career advancement.
- Enhance the community economic development skills, knowledge, and competencies of individuals working with Native American communities, natural resource-based communities, non-profit organizations, and/or state and local government.
Program Requirements
A total of 36 credits are required for the master's degree program. Students will write a thesis or complete a creative component (Plan B) to capstone the degree program, which will be worth six credit hours. The student's schedule of courses must be approved by the faculty adviser and the campus coordinator. Students may select either a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) option. The M.A. option requirement normally includes two (2) years of a foreign language. This requirement can be satisfied with undergraduate courses and/or a proficiency examination.
Students will be required to take all of the six core courses and an additional 15 credits selected from at least two tracks.
The core courses are:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CED 709 | Community Development Orientation | 1 |
| CED 711 | Principles and Strategies of Community Change | 3 |
| CED 713 | Community Development II: Organizing for Community Change | 3 |
| CED 715 | Community Analysis: Introduction to Methods | 3 |
| CED 717 | Community and Regional Economic Policy and Analysis | 3 |
| CED 719 | Community Natural Resource Management | 3 |
There are presently four tracks that have been developed from which students may choose. These include:
- Building Economic Capacity
- Natural Resource Management
- Working with Native Communities
- Non-profit Leadership
A sample schedule for a student in the Building Economic Capacity track may look as follows:
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| Community Development Orientation | 1 | Community Development II | 3 | Community and Natural Resources Management | 3 |
| Community Development I | 3 | Community and Regional Economics and Analysis | 3 | ||
| Community Analysis: Introduction to Methods | 3 | ||||
| 7 | 6 | 3 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| Economic Development and Strategies and Programs | 3 | Cluster and Regional Economic Development Workshop | 3 | Real Estate | 3 |
| Impact Analysis | 3 | Thesis | 2 | Thesis | 3 |
| Cost Benefit Analysis | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 5 | 6 | |||
| Total Credits: 36 | |||||
For additional information: http://www.ndsu.edu/ced/on_line_masters/
