Community Development Certificate

Program Coordinator/Contact

Mary Emery, Department Head
Meredith Redlin, Professor/Graduate Coordinator
Department of Sociology and Rural Studies
Hansen Hall 004
605-688-4132

Program Information

The certificate in Community Development provides students the opportunity to study with leading educators and researchers from several different universities representing a diversity of fields including Community and Regional Planning, Architecture, Sociology, American Indian Studies, Economics and Natural Resources. This program is designed for people doing community development work in non-profit organizations, colleges, communities, community organizations and governments. The program welcomes those working in all areas to help communities and regions build their capacity for an inclusive, sustainable future; those who volunteer their time and resources to support community; and most of all those with a passion for working toward a brighter future and a willingness to share their experience and wisdom with others via the Internet community.  A student guide to the program is located on the department website.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Facilitate Communities/Community Action:  Apply critical thinking skills to understanding and evaluating how communities work and take action, as well as to use, design and evaluate tools and strategies to assist communities in making change.
• Promote broad-based decision making and action:  Have a broad conceptual view of community and organizational decision-making processes and strategies and can identify, use, design, and evaluate tools and strategies for promoting broad-based decision making and action. (Transferable Skill: Diversity Awareness)
• Identify strategies to improve economic, social, cultural, and environmental conditions: Apply critical thinking skills to identifying, using, designing, and evaluating strategies to improve economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions.
• Apply a systemic holistic approach:  Have a broad conceptual view of the need for communities to balance development among all the community capitals and identify, use, design, and evaluate strategies to assist communities and organizations in seeking balance.
• Appreciate the norms of behavior for the profession.

Course Delivery Format

The online program has been developed by faculty from the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains-IDEA). Courses will be entirely Internet based and will be taught by faculty within the Alliance (Iowa State University, Kansas State University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, and University of Nebraska). Courses are offered fall, spring and summer semesters.