Community Development B.A./B.S.

Overview

The Portland area is an exciting place to enroll in our undergraduate major in community development. We understand community development as a process in which people act together to promote the social, economic, political, and physical well being of their community. Students graduating with a degree in community development will be citizen activists, empowered to take leadership roles in public affairs.

Community-based participation in all aspects of government planning and administration is an established part of the political culture of our region. Neighborhood associations are actively involved in land use, housing, and transportation issues. The City of Portland has been practicing community-oriented policing for several years. Public schools are establishing community-based management councils and involving local business firms in curricular design. Community development corporations are growing rapidly in the range and sophistication of their activities. New community-oriented financial institutions and public-private partnerships are emerging to build and maintain affordable housing and to create jobs. We anticipate continued growth in these kinds of activities in the years ahead.

Community Development majors often find careers in not-for-profit organizations, private consulting firms, advocacy groups, and local, regional and state governments. Locally, a graduate may find a career with the City of Portland, Portland Bureau of Housing and Community Development, METRO, or any of Portland’s community development corporations. Community development practitioners work on a range of issues including housing, community organizing, transportation, the environment, and economic development.

For more information about careers in Community Development please see Portland State’s Career Center’s What Can I do with a Major in Community Development: http://www.pdx.edu/careers/majorcommunitydevelopment.html.

Community Development Learning Objectives

Graduates should be prepared for professional practice wherein they will:

1. Think critically using appropriate theoretical perspectives about community and community building: apply theoretical frameworks to analyze the elements of a community and understand the various forces working on it; differentiate evaluation from judgment; and evaluate their own perspectives.
2. Understand the importance of place: appreciate the sense of place that exists in all communities; observe the ways in which the natural and built environment of a community affects its social structures; and observe the ways in which locality is important to personal identity in a given community.
3. Uphold the values of democratic decision-making and participatory planning: enable people in the community to identify their assets and define their needs; include the public in defining the public good; and encourage self¬ governance.
4. Commit to civic engagement and civic responsibility: be informed about local issues; act from a motivation to give back to the community; step readily into the community organizer's role; and be entrepreneurial in support of the development of communities.
5. Build human capital: help to build community leadership; impact the development of others in a positive way; build community consensus; and facilitate communication to support community solidarity.
6. Act to promote social justice: recognize and appreciate social, cultural, and economic diversity; work against discrimination based on facts such as social class and race; work to empower the disenfranchised; and commit to inclusionary practice.
7. Understand the importance of maintaining an international perspective and awareness in Community Development: appreciate the diverse needs and perceptions of the global community, especially the Developing World; observe the ways in which actions in the developed world impact the Developing World; appreciate the unique assets of local global communities; appreciate the ways in which locality is important to community and personal identity; understand similarities and differences between domestic and international community development.

Curriculum

Community-based participation in all aspects of government planning and administration is an established part of the political culture of our region and an important element of a sustainable future. Neighborhood associations are actively involved in land use, housing, and transportation issues. The City of Portland has been practicing community-oriented policing for several years. Public schools are establishing community-based management councils and involving local business firms in curricular design. Community development corporations are growing rapidly in the range and sophistication of their activities. New community-oriented financial institutions and public-private partnerships are emerging to build and maintain affordable housing and to create jobs. We anticipate continued growth in these kinds of activities in the years ahead.

The curriculum is grounded in applied social science and incorporates a great deal of field research. The program takes advantage of the wealth of resources available in the Portland metropolitan area and draws from a variety of academic disciplines and departments.

In addition to the general University degree requirements, students in community development must complete the following degree requirements. Substitution of coursework is acceptable only by permission from the faculty adviser.