B.A./B.S. Community Development

The Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning offers an undergraduate major in community development. Community development is a process in which people act together to promote the social, economic, political, and physical well-being of their communities. 

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. Students specialize in one of three areas of concentrated study: Community Organization and Change, Housing and Economic Development, Communications and Community Development.

Students may also pursue the following minors: a 27-credit minor in community development, a 30-credit minor in real estate development, and a 27-credit minor in sustainable urban development. 

Career Opportunities

Career opportunities are available in not-for-profit organizations, private consulting firms, and state, regional, and local governments. Community development practitioners work on a range of issues including housing, community organizing, transportation, the environment and economic development. The major prepares students for postbaccalaureate employment or graduate work in a professional academic field.

See the PSU Career Center's profile of the Community Development degree.

Admission Requirements

Students may take courses in the major before formal admission. However, required core curriculum courses USP 302 and 303 are restricted to students who have been formally admitted to the community development program and who have declared their major with the University Admissions Office. Learn more about admissions...

Core Curriculum

Prerequisites

• UNST 220 Understanding Community (4 credits)
  • And accompanying required mentored inquiry.
• SOC 200 Introduction to Sociology (4 credits)
• ECON 201 Principles of Economics (4 credits)
• PS 200 Introduction to Politics (4 credits)

The Community Development program begins with a three-term colloquium typically taken during the junior year:

• USP 301 Theory and Philosophy of Community Development (4 credits)
• USP 302 Methods of Community Development (4 credits)
• USP 303 Community Development Field Seminar (4 credits)

Other Required Courses (12 credits):

• USP 311 Introduction to Urban Planning (4 credits)
• USP 428 Concepts of Community Development (4 credits)
• USP 430 Urban Studies Research Methods (4 credits)

The senior year culminates in community-based work either in the form of an individual internship (USP 409, 6 credits), or participation in an approved capstone. All students in the Commuity Development Program must also select an area of concentration

Concentrations

• Community Organization and Change
• Housing and Economic Development
• Communications and Community Development

Community Organization and Change

Required (11 credits)

• USP 426 Neighborhood Conservation and Change (4 cr)
• USP 429 Poverty in the Urban Community (3 cr)
• USP 450 Concepts of Citizen Participation (4 cr)

Choose 4 elective courses from among the following:

• USP 312 Urban Housing and Development (4 cr)
• USP 313 Urban Planning: Environmental Issues (4 cr)
• USP 314 The City in Film (4 cr)
  
• USP 317 Introduction to International Community Development (4 cr)
• USP 385 History of American Cities (4 cr)
• USP 386 Portland Past and Present (4 cr)
• USP 424 Healthy Communities (4 cr)
• USP 425 Community and the Built Environment (4 cr)
• USP 445 Cities and Third World Development (3 cr)
• USP 480 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr)
• ANTH 416 Urban Anthropology (4 cr)
• BST 484 African-American Community Development (4 cr)
• GEOG 462 Sense of Place (4 cr)
• HST 434 U.S. Social and Intellectual History (4 cr)
• PS 431 State and Local Government and Politics (4 cr)
• SOC 320 Globalization (4 cr)
• SOC 337 Minorities (4 cr)
• SOC 376 Social Change (4 cr)
• SOC 420 Urbanization and Community (4 cr)
• SOC 423 Stratification (4 cr)
• SOC 424 Groups, Interactions, and Identity (4 cr)
• SOC 436 Social Movements (4 cr)
• SOC 460 Youth Subcultures (4 cr)
• COMM 437 Urban Communication (3 cr)

Housing and Economic Development

Required (11 credits):

• USP 312 Urban Housing and Development (4 cr)
• USP 423 Real Estate Development (4 cr)
• USP 451 Community Economic Development (3 cr)

Choose 4 elective courses from among the following:

• USP 313 Urban Planning: Environmental Issues (4 cr)
• USP 317 Introduction to International Community Development (4 cr)
• USP/FIN 360 Real Estate Finance I (3 cr)
• USP 385 History of American Cities (4 cr)
• USP 386 Portland Past and Present (4 cr)
• USP 419 Population and Society (4cr)
• USP 424 Healthy Communities (4 cr)
• USP 425 Community and the Built Environment (4 cr)
• USP 426 Neighborhood Conservation and Change (4 cr)
• USP 427 Downtown Revitalization (3 cr)
• USP 429 Poverty in the Urban Community (3 cr)
• USP 445 Cities and Third World Development (3 cr)
• USP 455 Land Use: Legal Aspects (3 cr)
• USP 456 Urban Transportation: Problems and Policies (3 cr)
• USP 468 Oregon Land Use Law (3 cr)
• USP 480 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr)
• USP 490 Green Economics and Sustainable Development (3 cr)
• BST 484 African-American Community Development (4 cr)
• ECON 465 Economics of Labor Markets (4 cr)
• GEOG 332 Urban Geography (4 cr)
• GEOG 345 Resource Management (4 cr)
• GEOG 432 Urban Landscapes (4 cr)
• GEOG 462 Sense of Place (4 cr)

Communications and Community Development

Required (8 credits):

• USP 426 Neighborhood Conservation and Change (4 cr)
• USP 450 Concepts of Citizen Participation (4 cr)

Choose 2 of the following 5 courses (8 credits):

• COMM 215 Introduction to Intercultural Communication (4 cr)
• COMM 218 Interpersonal Communication (4 cr)
• COMM 322 Political Communication (4 cr)
• COMM 337 Communication and Gender (4 cr)
• COMM 437 Urban Communication (4 cr)

Choose 2 elective courses from among the following:

• USP 314 The City in Film (4 cr) 
• USP 385 History of American Cities (4 cr)
• USP 457 Information Cities (3 cr) (not offered 2012/2013 school year)
• BST 484 African-American Community Development (4 cr)
• SP 212 Mass Communication and Society (4 cr)
• COMM 220 Public Speaking (4 cr)
• COMM 313 Communication in Groups (4 cr)
• COMM 314 Persuasion (4 cr)
• COMM 324 Critical Thinking and Argumentation (4 cr)
• COMM 340 Interviewing (4 cr)
• COMM 415 Problems of Intercultural Communication (4 cr)
• COMM 423 Organizational Communication (4 cr)
• WR 227 Introduction to Technical Writing (4 cr)
• WR 228 News Writing (4 cr)