Contacts: Peter Butler, Associate Professor, Extension Specialist, Director, School of Design and Community Development Peter.Butler@mail.wvu.edu
Alan R. Collins, Ph.D., Professor, Resource Economics and Management Alan.Collins@mail.wvu.edu
Degree Offered
- Doctor of Philosophy
Nature of the Program
The Ph.D. in Human and Community Development (HCD) is intended for applicants with a professional background in community development and design, landscape architecture, interior architecture, fashion design, design and merchandising, or applicants who have significant prior experience improving the social, cultural, and/or economic conditions of communities by working with government or educational institutions. The program provides students with access to a variety of courses and faculty expertise to help candidates develop an interdisciplinary perspective of human and community development, through research in two or more fields. To this end, the program is flexible and relies on the intellectual maturity and curiosity of the student and the guidance of the student's graduate committee, to develop a student-centered curriculum.
The Ph.D.degree is the most advanced degree offered and prepares students for careers at the highest level of the profession as a faculty member, staff in a research organization or governmental and non-governmental agencies, or as a consultant. This program is currently administered by the School of Design and Community Development in partnership with the Resource Economics and Management Division within School of Natural Resources.
Admissions for 2026-2027
A regular graduate student is a degree-seeking student who meets all the criteria for regular admission to a program of their choice and be under no requirements to make up deficiencies.
For regular admission, a student must:
- Possess a master degree from a college or university in a discipline relevant to human and community development and have at least a grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
- Provide three letters of reference from persons acquainted with the applicant’s professional work, experience, or academic background.
- Submit a written statement of 500 words or more indicating the applicant’s goals and objectives relative to receiving a graduate degree, and identify a potential faculty advisor.
- A design portfolio (physical or digital) is encouraged for applicants who come with a design background, such as environmental planning and design, landscape architecture, community planning, and so on.
- For the Area of Emphasis in Agricultural and Extension Education: At least two years equivalent of full-time relevant professional experience.
Major Code: 1732
A candidate for the Ph.D. degree in Human and Community Development must meet all University, College, School, and Program requirements as outlined in the WVU Graduate catalog.
Program Requirements
All Ph.D. degree candidates are required to follow a planned program of study. The student develops the plan of study during their first year in the program in conjunction with the graduate committee. The plan must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator of the School of Design and Community Development and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the Davis College.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all courses applied toward degree requirements. | ||
| Block 1: School of DCD Grad Seminars Sequence | ||
| DSM 694 | Seminar | 1 |
| LARC 694 | Seminar | 1 |
| AGEE 694 | Seminar | 1 |
| Block 2: Core Requirements | ||
| AGEE 642 | Agriculture Education Research Methods and Design | 3 |
| Quantitative Statistical Analysis | 3 | |
| Data Analysis/Interpretation | ||
| Statistical Methods 1 | ||
Additional courses as approved by Program Coordinator. | ||
| Introduction to Qualitative Research | 3 | |
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods | ||
Additional courses as approved by Program Coordinator. | ||
| Advanced Research Methods and/or Analysis | 3 | |
| AGEE 670 | Thesis and Dissertation Proposal Development * | 1 |
| Block 3: Required Area of Emphasis | 12 | |
Agricultural and Extension Education | ||
Fashion and Design | ||
Community Development | ||
| Block 4: Two Specializations | 18 | |
Specializations are 9 credit minimum areas of study, as determined by committee. | ||
| Block 5: Research Requirements | ||
| Candidacy Exam | ||
| Research ** | 12 | |
| Dissertation Defense | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 58 | |
- *
Suggested semester immediately before beginning dissertation research.
- **
AOE Specific 697.
Areas of Emphasis
Agricultural and Extension Education Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AGEE 650 | Program Development in Community Education | 3 |
| AGEE 651 | Program Evaluation in Comm Ed | 3 |
| AGEE 680 | Advanced Principles of Teaching and Learning | 3 |
| AGEE 570 | History and Philosophy of Land Grant Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Community Development Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AoE Cognate Expertise * | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- *
Program built from 500-level and above in ARE, ENCP, ENLM, LARC, RESM, and/or RPTR.
Design Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DSM 512 | Global Fashion Affairs | 3 |
| DSM 560 | Sustainability in Fashion | 3 |
| DSM 622 | Fashion Theory | 3 |
| Electives (DSM and FDM 500-level and above) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Human and Community Development
Learning outcomes for this degree program include:
- Complete a core consisting of quantitative and qualitative research methods, graduate seminars, and teaching practicum;
- Demonstrate competency in their chosen field(s);
- Demonstrate the capacity to produce research that can be accepted for publication in interdisciplinary journals of the social sciences;
- Be proficient in oral and written communication skills in order to have research accepted by and presented at professional conferences; and
- Show the ability to organize and to assess a community engagement project.