Department website: https://publicadmin.wvu.edu/home
Certificate Offered
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Community Development Policy and Practice
Nature of the Program
The Graduate Certificate in Community Development Policy & Practice (CDPP) is offered through the Department of Public Administration. This 18-credit hour program of study is designed to enable both traditional students and in-service practitioners to prepare for, enhance, and advance their careers in the field of community development, with an emphasis on applied research and service-learning. Community development is a wide-ranging profession that pursues holistic improvements to local social, economic, and environmental quality of life. From community organizing to economic development, these activities take place in diverse public, nonprofit, and private enterprise.
Faculty
Chair
- Scott Myers - Ph.D.
Professors
- L. Christopher Plein - Ph.D. (University of Missouri)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Eberly Professor of Outstanding Public Service, Legal and Political Foundations, Public Policy Analysis, Social Policy, Community and Economic Development - Margaret Stout - Ph.D. (Arizona State University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Local Government, Community Development, Public Policy and Public Planning
Associate Professors
- Paolo D. Farah - Ph.D., LLM, JD (College of Europe, University of Paris)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Public Policy & Admin., Legal & Political Foundation, Sustainability, Socio-Economic & Cultural Rights & Justice, Human Rights, Technology & Innovation - Maja Husar Holmes - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Public Management and Public Leadership - Karen Kunz - D.P.A. (University of Illinois, Springfield)
Regular Graduate Faculty, Financial Management, Corporate Use of Public Funds, Political Economy
Professors Emeriti
- Nancy L. Adams - Ph.D. (Fielding Institute)
- Gerald M. Pops - Ph.D. (Syracuse University)
- David G. Williams - Ph.D. (State University of New York at Albany)
Admissions
Certificate in Community Development Policy and Practice
This 18-credit hour program of study is designed to enable both traditional students and in-service practitioners to prepare for, enhance, and advance their careers in the field of community development, with an emphasis on applied research and service-learning. The Community Development Policy and Practice (CDPP) creditial is available to certificate seeking students, as well as those pursuing another graduate degree. Candidates must meet the university requirements for admission. The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
List of Admission Requirements:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application here.
- Transcripts from all institutions attended.
- A 1-2-page statement of purpose that describes the applicant’s career interests and experience in community building and development work, explains the applicant’s ability to conduct applied research in small rural communities, demonstrates the applicant’s commitment to social, economic, and environmental justice, and confirms availability for online, synchronous class sessions and occasional fieldwork in host communities (no more than two visits in any semester).
International Applicants:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application here.
- International applicants should view additional requirements here and here.
- English language proficiency is required in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship. See here.
Application Deadline:
- The CDPP Certificate program admits students on a rolling basis, with Fall starts strongly recommended.
For questions, please contact: publicadmin@mail.wvu.edu
Admission Requirements 2024-2025
The Admission Requirements above will be the same for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
Major Code: CG42
Graduate Certificate in Community Development Policy and Practice
Certificate Code - CG42
Graduation requirements: Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students must also earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all courses applied to the certificate and a minimum grade of B- in PUBA 650, PUBA 750 and PUBA 755.
Certificate Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
CORE COURSES | ||
PUBA 650 | Local Governance | 3 |
PUBA 750 | Public Planning | 3 |
PUBA 755 | Sustainable Community Development | 3 |
ELECTIVES | 9 | |
Select 9 credit hours from the following: | ||
Social Equity in Public Service | ||
Public Engagement | ||
Advanced Public Service Research | ||
Advanced Topics | ||
Program Development in Community Education | ||
Program Evaluation in Comm Ed | ||
Graduate Graphic Design | ||
The Creative Economies | ||
Advanced Urban Forest Management | ||
Geographic Information Science | ||
Field Methods in Historic Preservation | ||
Local History Research Methodology | ||
Practicum in Cultural Resource Management | ||
Nonprofit Organizations | ||
Land Use and Resilience Law | ||
Local Government | ||
Administrative Ethics | ||
Outdoor Recreation Behavior | ||
Tourism Planning | ||
Financial Management and Grant Writing | ||
Feminist Theory | ||
Total Hours | 18 |
Certificate Learning Outcomes
Community Development Policy and Practice (CDPP)
- Investigate and determine the components of local quality of life and analyze how they are pursued by local governments, organizational collaborators, and citizens.
- Distinguish, critique, and recommend public planning approaches and apply them to a range of issues in a specific context.
- Investigate and interpret how community development methods contribute to social, economic, and environmental sustainability and apply them to a specific context.
- Develop and apply specialized skills for social, economic, or environmental development at the local level.
- Develop and apply research skills used in community development.