Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance

Iowa State University, Kansas State University, North Dakota State University South Dakota State University, University of Nebraska

Community Development

For those committed to people and places ...

Program - Master's Degree - Course Schedule - Faculty - Contacts
Benefits - Learning Outcomes - Careers
General Program Information: Cost, Admissions, Financial Assistance, Grade Translation
Computer System Recommendations, Frequently Asked Questions
For faculty

The Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA) is a consortium of eleven universities offering fully online graduate programs. Each university brings a unique strength to the multi-institution academic programs. In a multi-institution degree program, you apply, and are admitted at one university; enroll in all your courses at that university; and, graduate or receive a certificate from that university. However, your online courses are taught by the best faculty in the discipline from several universities.

The master’s of Community Development degree program is for community leaders, practitioners, and for those committed to people and places. It provides the skills, information, and networks needed to facilitate sustainable and prosperous community change. Finally, this degree program equips practitioners with the tools necessary to build community for the 21st century.

We welcome those working in all areas to help communities and regions build their capacity for an inclusive, sustainable future. We welcome those who volunteer their time and resources to support community. Most of all we welcome those with a passion for working toward a brighter future and a willingness to share their experience and wisdom with others via our Internet community.

As a student in the master’s of Community Development degree program, you have the opportunity to study with leading educators and researchers from several different universities representing a diversity of fields and scholarship, including Community and Regional Planning, Architecture, Sociology, Native American studies, Economics, and Natural Resources. We have designed this program for people doing community development work in non-profit organizations, colleges, communities, community organizations and governments.

The 36 credit master's degree program consists of:

• Community Development Orientation, 1 cr.;
• five required 3-credit courses;
• five 3-credit courses from at least two of the specialization tracks;
• depending on the institution where students are admitted a Practicum or Creative Component or Thesis for up to six credits.

Core courses

• Community Development Orientation, (1 credit)
• Community and Natural Resource Management (3 credits)
• Community Development I: Principles and Strategies of Community Change (3 credits)
• Community Development II: Organizing for Community Change (3 credits)
• Community and Regional Economic Analysis (3 credits)
• Community Analysis (3 credits)

All courses will be taught at least once every two years.

Natural Resource Management Track

This track provides specific tools that enhance the ability of community development professionals engaged in planning, water and wastewater, forest, park or range management, recreation, and similar areas to work with their communities to plan, develop and monitor the conservation and development of natural resources with multiple functions.

• Ecological Economics (3 credits)
• Indian Country Agriculture and Natural Resources (3 credits)
• Sustainable Communities (3 credits)
• The Policy and Politics of Coastal Areas (3 credits)

Working with Native Communities Track

This track is designed for students working within or in partnership with Native communities. In this course students will understand the unique characteristics of Native communities, culture and governance which affect community development. This track incorporates a variety of methods for understanding and working in Native communities including historical analysis, case studies, asset-based approaches, talking circles, narratives, mapping techniques, and Appreciate Inquiry. Students will utilize team learning and cross-cultural comparisons throughout the track. Topics covered in one or more courses include partnerships with Native communities, effective community development strategies within native communities, and wellness approaches to community economic development. Special topics may include youth, natural resources, and health as indicated by student interest.

• Introduction to Native Community Development (3 credits)
• Building Native Community and Economic Capacity (3 credits)
• Youth Development in Native Communities (1 credit)
• Wellness in Native Communities (1 credit)
• Indian Country Agriculture and Natural Resources (3 credits)

Building Economic Capacity Track

The purpose of this track is to strengthen the competencies of students interested in community economic capacity building. This will be accomplished through five courses that include information, strategies, and appropriate tools and will include courses on: building institutional capacity for community economic development, economic development strategies/programs, cost-benefit analysis, community economic base study, and impact analysis.

• Economic Development Strategies and Programs (3 credits)
• Land Management Planning (3 credits)
• Impact Analysis (1 credit)
• Cost Benefit Analysis (1 credit)
• Local Economic Analysis (1 credit)
  

Non-Profit Leadership Track

This track focuses on the role of leadership in community development and change.  It includes situating leadership conceptually in the community development process, reviewing the effectiveness of different styles of leadership, and relating shared and inclusive leadership to community building and learning.  Examination of group and individual communications strategies, including intercultural communication, is another element of this track.  Finally skills and processes that facilitate effective shared leadership are explained and tried out.  These include facilitation, conflict resolution, use of participatory techniques, and others.

• Grant Development & Management (3 credits)
• Non-Profit Management (3 credits)
• Community Leadership & Capacity Building (3 credits)

Writing and Math Help at our Universities

Creative Component Guidelines

For further information please refer to the contact information on the partner institution's web sites.

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Iowa State University
Cornelia Flora
Susan Fey

Kansas State University
Sheri Smith

North Dakota State University
Gary Goreham
Karen Murie

South Dakota State University
Meredith Redlin

University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Bruce Johnson

Student Advisory Council

The Student Advisory Council (SAC) is made up of students in the program who are mentors for new students, as well as the student voice for programmatic decisions. They meet via teleconference on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month. If you have an issue you would like the SAC to address, feel free to email one of the members:

Lisa Atkinson, latkinson@bluespringsgov.com
Karen Blewett, Karen.Blewett@gov.ab.ca
Linda Diehl, lindad@ksu.edu
Abbie Gaffey, agaffey@iastate.edu
Suzanne Jamison, sznjmsn@gilanet.com

 

• You will receive a graduate degree from a top tier university, taught by nationally recognized experts in the field of community development.
• A variety of perspectives and cutting edge material in community development will be explored, through your interaction with a diverse faculty from several different institutions.
• Networking opportunities will emerge from your electronic learning community.

Community Development training is essential because it:

• Initiates social action processes and helps to maintain balance to improve social, economic, cultural, and environmental situations.
• Encourages people to see the whole picture.
• Engages citizens in democratic decision making and action.
• Teaches critical thought, ethical consideration, careful planning, and involvement of all stakeholders.

To learn more about the program from a student's perspective, click on the links below:

• Karen Blewett

To listen to an interview with faculty members, click on a link below:

• Jan Flora
• Meredith Redlin
• Steffen Schmidt
• Sheri Smith

Upon successful completion of the Master’s Degree in Community Development the student will be able to:

1. Apply critical thinking skills to understanding and evaluating how communities work and take action, as well as how to use, design and evaluate tools and strategies to assist communities in making change.
2. Have a broad conceptual view of community and organizational decision-making processes and strategies and identify, use, design, and evaluate tools and strategies for promoting broad-based decision making and action.
3. Apply critical thinking skills to identifying, using, designing, and evaluating strategies to improve economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions.
4. 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.
5. Appreciate the norms of behavior for the profession.

Global economic restructuring and the devolution of government services have created significant challenges for communities in the United States and other countries, particularly those in rural areas. Meeting those challenges will require community developers to think and act in innovative ways. The master’s degree in Community Development is designed to help community development professionals meet those challenges.

The program will interest students seeking a professional career in community development and specifically those community development practitioners who wish to augment their training to enable them to work more effectively in their current position. The former would include students in various disciplines, including community and regional planning, sociology, economics, political science, and geography. The latter would include practitioners in local planning departments, community economic development organizations, cooperative extension services, housing agencies, parks and recreation agencies, tribal programs, and non-profit organizations focusing on community enhancements.

 Volume 3 Issues     

• Volume 3, Number 1, March 2008
• Volume 3, Number 2, April 2008
• Volume 3, Number 3, May 2008

Volume 2 Issues

• Volume 2, Number 1, March 2007 (PDF format, 151 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 2, April 2007 (PDF format, 138 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 3, May 2007 (PDF format, 160 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 4, June 2007 (PDF format, 187 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 5, July 2007 (PDF format, 128 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 6, August 2007 (PDF format, 150 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 7, September 2007 (PDF format, 147 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 8, October 2007 (PDF format, 147 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 9, November 2007 (PDF format, 180 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 10, December 2007 (PDF format, 144 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 11, January 2008 (PDF format, 134 kb)
• Volume 2, Number 12, February 2008 (PDF format, 140 kb)

       Volume 1 Issues

• Volume 1, Number 1, March 2006 (PDF format, 160 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 2, April 2006 (PDF format, 171 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 3, May 2006 (PDF format, 171 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 4, June 2006 (PDF format, 167 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 5, July 2006 (PDF format, 165 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 6, August 2006 (PDF format, 153 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 7, September 2006 (PDF format, 178 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 8, October 2006 (PDF format, 153 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 9, November 2006 (PDF format, 148 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 10, December 2006 (PDF format, 166 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 11, January 2007 (PDF format, 163 kb)
• Volume 1, Number 12, February 2007 (PDF format, 147 kb)