Community-development specialists in the Chicago metropolitan area are increasingly being asked to undertake complex initiatives to enhance civic participation, housing conditions, job opportunities, mobility, safety, and many other aspects of neighborhood life. Globalization is changing the nature of their work and accelerating shifts in neighborhood employment and demography.
The Certificate in Community Development at DePaul University is designed to put community development specialists on the cutting-edge of organization planning, leadership development, and program evaluation. The program allows established and emerging professionals to broaden their perspective on urban-development programs in an interdisciplinary learning environment.
This certificate comprises four (4) eligible graduate-level courses (totaling 16 quarter hours). No more than two courses earned toward the certificate shall come from one department. Course requirements for the Certificate in Community Development can be found here.
Do you have questions about the Community Development Certificate? School of Public Service students, email SPSAdvising@depaul.edu, non-degree and non-SPS students contact LASgraduateoffice@depaul.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students interested in pursuing the certificate should apply through the online application system found on the DePaul website. Students should select the non-degree seeking option and choose the Community Development Certificate from the drop down menu. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact LASgraduateoffice@depaul.edu.
Students do not need to take the GRE to apply for the Community Development Certificate. They are required to submit official transcripts proving they have obtained an undergraduate degree before beginning the certificate program.
Students take regular graduate level courses with students from a variety of graduate programs at DePaul. Students in the certificate program pay regular graduate tuition, which can be found here.
DePaul University follows a quarter system. Classes run for 10 weeks in the fall, winter and spring. The days and times of courses for the certificate program vary by quarter and department. In general, classes in the School of Public Service (MPS) are taught on a once a week schedule in the evenings on the Loop campus. The GIS course is also taught once a week in the evenings but is held on the Lincoln Park campus. Courses in Sociology and Psychology are held on the Lincoln Park campus and usually meet two times a week during daytime hours, although some courses are taught in the once a week, evening format. Students should look at the course catalog for times and dates of specific courses.