Master of Arts in Diverse Community Development Leadership (DCDL) - About This Program

This online master's program prepares you for a career leading diverse organizations and communities. Designed for working adults, the program emphasizes contemporary social theory – with a focus on social justice – and features hands-on workshops and assignments.

In courses with other working professionals, you’ll learn how to:

• Lead diversity initiatives in communities, organizations, and agencies
• Help communities identify their core needs
• Strategically plan major goals and initiatives
• Write grant proposals and spearhead fundraising campaigns
• Coordinate programs and manage relations with community partners
• Research complex issues and recommend evidence-based solutions

Courses focus on organizational leadership models, social justice in diverse communities, conflict resolution, research methods, community partnerships, and communication management.

Implement Fair Practices in the Workplace

With this degree, you can lead diversity initiatives at major global companies. Especially important in today’s interconnected society, such professionals – educated with a management skillset – can ensure the fair and equitable treatment of all people within organizations. Additionally, as a professional in this field, you can plan and implement new, more diverse hiring practices in enterprises around the world.

A Career in the Public Good

In the public sector, you can lead city and county initiatives that help diverse communities thrive. Whether you hope to enact new state and federal policies, run for government office or build a more supportive community infrastructure – when you finish this program, the future is in your hands.

Justice through Leadership

In your courses, you’ll develop the leadership skills to help organizations and communities identify their needs, manage conflicts, and enact socially just practices and policies.

As you hone your leadership abilities, you’ll also examine modern systems of power, giving you the context to understand current social, political, and historical inequities. This strong theoretical and historical knowledge, which you’ll build throughout the program, is necessary to make informed and effective leadership decisions.

Equipped with the program's leadership framework, you can enter the field with the utmost confidence and move forward with the important work to come: disrupting unjust power dynamics and helping communities fulfill their self-defined goals.

Listening and Assessment Tools

In addition to leadership training, you’ll acquire the tools and strategies – among them, planning, assessment, monitoring, and evaluation – to successfully manage the social change process.

The program places particular emphasis on strategic and compassionate listening. One of the most important tools in community development, listening – and the strategies to do it well – allows you to assess a community's needs from the inside.

Once a community is heard, you can then work together to propose solutions, develop a strategic plan, and proceed to a real-world change. This program trains you to do that, empowering people and communities with a voice.

Learn by doing

In the program, you’ll identify and work with a local community partner. As you build practical experience, learning how organizations function in the real world, you’ll also develop a portfolio to share with prospective employers.

This, in addition to classroom instruction, will equip you with the practical management skills to lead teams and organizations in the implementation of social change.