MANHATTAN — To help educate people interested in fostering positive social, economic, cultural and environmental change, Kansas State University will launch a new online graduate certificate in community development. Applications are currently being accepted and courses will start in fall 2017.
The certificate program will join the online master’s program in community development already offered through the university’s College of Architecture, Planning and Design’s landscape architecture and regional and community planning department. Students completing the certificate will be able to take their credits into the master’s program should they choose to continue.
“Our new graduate certificate in community development is perfect for a variety of students,” said Huston Gibson, associate professor of landscape architecture and regional and community planning and director of the university’s community development program. “Those who already have a master’s degree in another area but are seeking a credential in community development; those working concurrently on another master’s degree who wish to place an emphasis on community development; or those who simply do not desire a master’s degree at this time yet find themselves in a position where a certificate in community development will enhance their current degree, program, workplace standing or career goals.
“It is also a great way for students curious about our Master of Science in community development to test out the program with a less intimidating commitment that still produces a tangible outcome,” Gibson said.
The certificate is a 12-hour program offered completely online. The courses provide a foundation in community development that allow students to explore subtopics such as land development, housing, community economic strategies, immigrants in communities and sustainable communities.
The program provides educational tools for those pursuing a career in a variety of areas, including community and regional planning, parks and recreation, housing, environmental and social justice, and nonprofit sectors, among others.
The new certificate is offered through the Great Plains IDEA, a consortium of universities that utilizes teaching expertise at each institution to offer high-quality online programs. Community development partners in addition to Kansas State University are Iowa State University; University of Nebraska, Lincoln; North Dakota State University; and South Dakota State University.
Learn more about the community development online graduate certificate, or begin the admission process at global.k-state.edu/architecture/community-development/certificate/.