Course Offerings in Community Development (CDV)

301. Community Development I (3)

Introduces the theory of Christian Community Development, including the 8 key CCD Principles (CCDA), the relational framework for approaching poverty alleviation (When Helping Hurts), and the theory of Asset-Based Community Development.

302. Community Development II (3)

Building on Community Development I, this course addresses both principles and practices for effective community asset mapping, community listening, participatory planning and decision making, and community organizing and advocacy.

331. The Church and Financial Literacy (3)

Students will improve their own financial practices and understanding of the Biblical stewardship principles. Students will also learn how to lead financial literacy ministries in their churches that are contextualized for idle and low-income participants.

332. The Church and Job-Readiness (3)

This course explores the relationship between urban ministry and the issue of widespread unemployment and underemployment in communities of generational poverty. Students will learn how to lead job readiness ministries within the context of biblical principles for the purpose of helping individuals in generational poverty find work.

333. Special Topics in Community Development (3)

In-depth exploration of a particular topic concerning Christian community development.

401. Introduction to Social Innovation (3)

The course introduces students to the emerging field of social innovation, which seeks to create more effective, efficient, and sustainable solutions to poverty in the U.S.

441. Community Development Internship (3)

This course is an in-service program designed for the purpose of providing direct experience in specific community development, nonprofit management, cross-cultural ministry and/or community transformation initiatives. Students apply strategies and best practices learned in previous coursework. This experience will enable students to grow in their ability to analyze and evaluate objectively the effectiveness of their efforts, to reflect on and improve their own competency for community development work, and to process successes and failures alongside other students.