Master of Arts in Diverse Community Development Leadership

The M.A. in Diverse Community Development Leadership (DCDL) is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students for leadership and community development within the context of highly diverse urban communities. The program provides graduates with both the theoretical foundations needed to understand the dynamics of diversity (such as differences in cultural background and experience, belief structures, racial experience, gender and sexual identity, and socioeconomic status) and the nature of conflict. Graduates will also gain the practical skills needed to manage conflicts and work with diverse groups to create a productive, collaborative community that can implement solutions to pressing problems.A central characteristic of the M.A. in Diverse Community Development Leadership program is its pedagogical commitment to engagement with local communities. Throughout the program, students engage with community partners through experiential learning assignments that advance student learning while also supporting the work of community partners. Students develop both theoretical foundations and practical skills as they learn to address different aspects of community partners’ needs through the perspective of different course topics. The program culminates with a final course where students spend 6 units on a project that is based on community needs. By offering both theoretical foundations and practical skills, the M.A. in Diverse Community Development Leadership program equips graduates to be effective leaders in an evolving and increasingly interdependent world.