Master in Community Development Policy and Practice (M.A.)

The Online MA in Community Development Policy and Practice program (MCD) prepares you for a career in community and economic development. While earning this online, cohort-based community development degree, you will tackle real-world situations through a capstone community project and engage with leading experts and academics in a program designed for working professionals just like you. Through coursework and experiential opportunities, you will learn practitioner-focused and community-centered approaches and strategies in development finance, policy analysis, organizational development and project management for participatory and impactful change. Professionals with five or more years of relevant work experience can enroll in the 12-month Executive MCD program with reduced degree requirements (30 credits vs. 36 credits for the MCD program) and lower tuition cost.

• The MCD program is fully online and is ideal for working professionals
• Gain effective community development skills and tools through an applied four-term capstone project in your community which can be done with your organization as part of your work
• Connect with respected field experts across disciplines, including faculty and peers
• Start in the fall, spring, or summer and graduate in as little as 12 months (Executive MCD) or 14 months (MCD)
• The MCD program consists of 12 courses (36 credits)
• The GRE is not required to apply to this degree program

Program Delivery & Location:  Core academic courses for the MCD degree are offered online with choices for taking elective courses online or in person on UNH campuses. Students who choose to participate in the Washington DC Colloquium experience will join students from other Carsey programs for a week in Washington, DC. And, students are free to carry out their capstone projects in their chosen community.

MCD Sample Degree Plan (36 Credits):  Fall Start

MCD Sample Degree Plan:  Spring Start

NOTES:

¹

With full faculty support, students carry out a four-term capstone project in their communities by completing actionable assignments throughout the series of four (4) applied project courses. 

²

A variety of MCD elective courses and other Carsey graduate courses are offered each term (ELECTIVES). This includes the MCD Independent Study course (DPP 990) taken under the guidance of an MCD faculty member. Students wishing to pursue elective courses outside of the MCD program should consult with their Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and approval.

Students enrolled in the Carsey School's MA in Community Development Policy and Practice program (MCD) are required to complete a 36-credit program, consisting of 12 courses including a four-term capstone project:

• Five (5) CORE Curriculum Courses
• Four (4) EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Curriculum Courses
• Three (3) ELECTIVE Courses

These provide the applied foundational community and economic development skills in strategy, practice, and analysis for a successful career in community development. In this program, students will examine each of the core interdisciplinary areas within the cross-cutting lenses of public policy, data collection, and analysis as students directly apply what they learn in the classroom through a capstone project centered on community engagement for sustainable development. Further opportunities for depth and specialization are provided through a variety of elective courses which vary each year as well as the opportunity to conduct independent studies to delve deeper into a specific aspect of a student's community or capstone project.

¹

With full faculty support, students carry out a four-term capstone project in their communities by completing actionable assignments throughout the series of four (4) applied project courses. 

²

A variety of MCD elective courses and other Carsey graduate courses are offered each term (ELECTIVES). This includes the MCD Independent Study course (DPP 990) taken under the guidance of an MCD faculty member. Students wishing to pursue elective courses outside of the MCD program should consult with their Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and approval.

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

Accelerated Master's Progam Eligible: Yes-MCD Only (not applicable for the Executive MCD program)

The 36-credit Community Development Policy and Practice (M.A.) program (MCD) allows eligible undergraduate seniors to enroll in graduate level courses which can fulfill requirements for both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Students can apply to the Accelerated Master's MCD program during their junior or senior year. Please review details on eligibility requirements for admission.

Eligible students who are admitted to the Accelerated Master's MCD program may complete up to 12 credits (four 3-credit courses) at the 800-level during their undergraduate senior year (unless otherwise indicated below), Credit earned counts toward both the undergraduate program and graduate degree.

The 36-credit Community Development Policy and Practice (M.A.) program (MCD) is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with the below undergraduate programs.

The graduate 800-level courses listed below have been approved to be completed in the undergraduate senior year and earn credit toward both the undergraduate programs listed below and the Community Development Policy and Practice (M.A.) degree program.

Accelerated Master's students should always consult with their Graduate Academic Advisor for course selection guidance.

College of Health and Human Services

College of Professional Studies - Online

Program Learning Outcomes

• Develop interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to integrate theory, policy, data collection, and analysis.
• Acquire an understanding of complex development issues and problems.
• Apply learning to real-world situations.
• Effectively communicate findings to various audiences both verbally and in writing.

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Deadlines

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

• Fall:  August 1
• Spring: December 15
• Summer: April 15
• Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham, Online

New England Regional: Not Needed

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission, or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

• Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
• Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of recommendation: 3 required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Letters should include academic and professional references.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Prepare a brief but careful statement regarding:

1. Reasons you wish to do graduate work in this field, including your immediate and long-range objectives.
2. Your specific research or professional interest and experiences in this field.

Resume

Resume is optional but recommended.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are strongly encouraged to contact Carsey Admissions prior to starting their application and to apply as early as possible to insure visa’s and other necessary paperwork are received in a timely manner. All international applicants are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. Please note that English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.

Note: international applicants are not required to complete a preapplication for this program.