About the Community Development Program

The Master of Arts in Community Development is a practitioner-oriented degree program, designed for community development professionals who find their responsibilities demand enhanced skill sets and knowledge bases. The master's program seeks to prepare leaders in city neighborhoods to engage in effective grassroots community building by combining insights from business, politics, policy, economics, and social theory.

Course topics include:

• Practical applications and theoretical understanding of social change
• Community organizing
• Advocacy, ethics, and policymaking
• Advanced skills in statistical analysis, finance, and urban planning
• Established connections with lending institutions, funders, government officials, and community leaders

The core of this program is grounded in the historical and religious understanding of the creation of communities, theories of social change, and a critical review of current strategies and programs in community development. In addition, the program is built around the experiences of seasoned practitioners: community organizers, youth workers, executive leadership, community boards, and agencies and organizations committed to serving people in the Chicago area.

The program will equip leaders with:

• Skills to access critical resources
• Understanding that will aid in utilizing political and economic systems
• Networking opportunities that will build strategic alliances
• Knowledge in order to develop leadership from within communities