Graduate Certificate in Community and Economic Development at Pennsylvania State University

The Graduate Certificate program in Community and Economic Development prepares student to confront the multidimensional challenges faced by community development practitioners. The main objective of the certificate program is to educate professionals who will assume leadership roles in helping establish and maintain viable communities. Recipients of the certificate will become deeply involved in assisting localities with a variety of issues, including: developing new organizations and new industries; growth management; protecting the environment; revitalizing downtown areas; enhancing the local quality of life; assisting educational, social, health and human service systems; and developing vital infrastructure--in short, working with communities to help them shape their own futures. The certificate program will teach the theory, skills and tools that allow practitioners to address the important issues in community and economic development. The certificate program emphasizes topical problems, drawing from the experiences of both students and the faculty. Students in Community and Economic Development gain a broad understanding of the dynamics of communities and their social, economic and political systems. With this training, recipients will have a wide range of career opportunities in an expanding job market. Some work for local or regional governments, industrial development authorities and chambers of commerce, major corporations, non-governmental organizations, or consulting firms. Others may work for development authorities, housing authorities, planning commissions or environmental planning and development agencies.

Students will demonstrate an understanding of:

1. LOCAL COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANNING: Concepts, strategies and techniques of local economic analysis, planning, and development.
2. SOCIAL PROCESSES: The social organization, processes and changes that define a community.
3. PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGIES: Application of sociological and economic principles and strategies to problem solving in the community context.
4. THEORIES AND PROCESSES: Theories, concepts and framework of community and economic development within the framework of community decision-making models.
5. GOVERNMENT FINANCING: The interaction of population characteristics, land use, municipal funds and taxation and how they impact the management of local government jurisdictions.
6. ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES AND METHODS: Application of research methodologies and data collecting, techniques to analyze and recommend solutions to community and economic development issues and problems.