With a concentration in Community and Economic Development, you'll learn to develop and manage resources in ways that improve a place's quality of life—and do so in a responsible, sustainable, cost-effective way. The knowledge and skills you'll gain will give you what you need to improve the quality of life within communities and create change for the future.
You'll learn the theories, tools, and practical skills for creating positive, lasting change while studying economic development policy as it's applied in a broad range of contexts and settings. You'll gain expertise in the strategic management of all types of locales: neighborhoods, villages, cities, rural regions, states, and countries.
15
Community and Economic Development MPA students (Fall 2018)
1:3
Faculty: student ratio
86%
All O’Neill MPA placement rate
You'll begin by mastering the fundamentals reflected in our MPA program's core competencies. These five courses (15 credit hours) will give you well-developed analytical skills and a broad understanding of policy issues and government processes. In addition to these highly transferable core skills, the Community and Economic Development concentration has three required courses.
The following is an example of courses. Please work with your advisor as you make your schedule.
One of the following:
The remainder of the course work comes in a wide range of elective courses. These will allow you to tailor your Community and Economic Development concentration to your own specific interests. Working with your advisor, you'll select from many elective options, a sampling of which are below:
Combining your Community and Economic Development concentration with another MPA concentration—such as Public Management or International Development—may offer you unique advantages in pursuing a particular career. As they help you design you program, our faculty will work to accommodate your specialized professional interests.
Our MPA offers far more than traditional lectures and lessons. You'll also get the benefit of experiential learning—typically through an approved internship. What's more, your concentration's course work will culminate in a project-oriented course—a capstone—that lets you apply the knowledge you gained throughout the program.
Examples of current and past placements and internships:You can also join any number of professional student organizations that offer networking and current information on events in the industry.
“While I developed an interest in and passion for community and economic development work throughout my terms of service with AmeriCorps and my time working abroad, it was my coursework that really equipped me with the tools to be effective in this industry and career.”
“The biggest priority for any government entity is employment, job creation, and economic growth. This concentration honed my understanding of public policy-making process and provided deep insights on how to keep businesses, communities, and citizens' interests in mind when crafting clean energy policies.”
“From my visit on Experience Day, I felt at home here. Being surrounded by motivated and civically engaged classmates and faculty members is an empowering experience. I cultivated practical skills I will use in my future careers.”
