Overview
The Bachelor of Science in Community Development, offered by the Department of Architecture and Environmental Design (AED), prepares students to learn to understand and think critically about the social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics shaping various types of communities. Particular emphasis is given to empowering disadvantaged communities to address inequalities and improve their long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The program enables students to lead efforts to create and maintain healthy, sustainable communities by providing a broad-based understanding and awareness of multi-dimensional aspects of urban and suburban community challenges in a metropolitan regional context and the means of effecting change from both grass-roots and public policy perspectives.
Students will learn how to engage stakeholders; assess a community's assets, needs and opportunities; plan what the community wants to achieve; and develop strategies, programs, and policies to improve quality of life. Learning will extend beyond the classroom with hands-on experience through service learning, field research, informal gatherings, and workshops.
Campus Location: Main
Program Code: TA-CMDV-BS
Admissions
For more information on how to apply, please visit Tyler's Community Development admissions page.
Accelerated Program
Eligible undergraduate students can also choose the +1 accelerated BS in Community Development and MS in City and Regional Planning program. The accelerated degree program enables students to complete both degree programs in 5 years by taking up to 12 specified graduate credits to fulfill the undergraduate degree requirements. Upon graduation from their undergraduate program, students move seamlessly into their graduate program, which they complete in one additional year.
To be eligible for the program, students must be declared Community Development majors; have a minimum of 3.25 cumulative GPA in at least 45 credits of coursework taken at Temple; be able to complete their undergraduate degree according to the specified academic plan; and be able to complete the graduate degree in one additional year including two summer semesters of graduate coursework. Community Development majors apply to the +1 accelerated program in March of their sophomore year.
Study Abroad
Students who plan to study abroad should arrange to meet with their academic advisor and the Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses office as early as possible, preferably during the freshman year, in order to explore options and plan the sequence of courses that would be most appropriate.
Career Opportunities
In the Community Development program students prepare to tackle the challenges of the community development worker in the 21st century, specifically how to empower culturally, economically or geographically disadvantaged communities to address inequalities and improve their long-term social, economic and environmental sustainability. Graduates are prepared to serve as the critical link between communities, local governments, and state and federal programs in various positions including community organizing, nonprofit organizations, private foundations, community development corporations, community investment specialists and more.
Contact Information
Sasha W. Eisenman, PhD, Architecture and Environmental Design Department Chair
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Dixon Hall, Room 201
580 Meetinghouse Road
Ambler, PA 19002
267-468-8168
eisenman@temple.edu
Jeffrey P. Doshna, PhD, AICP, Program Head, Planning and Community Development
Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Architecture Building, Room 213
2001 N. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
doshna@temple.edu
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Community Development.
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Summary of Requirements
The degree of Bachelor of Science in Community Development may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the satisfactory completion of a minimum of 122 semester hours of credit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 overall and in the major.
At least half of the courses required for the major must be completed at Temple University.
University Requirements
- MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement assessment.
- Students must complete requirements of the university General Education (GenEd) program.
- Summer or semester study abroad will satisfy the GenEd Global/World Society requirement.
Program Requirements
- The courses fulfilling requirements for the Community Development major must be completed with a minimum grade of C- to apply towards degree requirements.
- All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. CDEV 2596 and CDEV 3197 are the specific writing-intensive courses that are required for Community Development majors.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics for Psychology 1 | ||
| Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences 1 | ||
| Elements of Statistics 1 | ||
| Social Statistics 1 | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Economy | ||
| Macroeconomic Principles 1 | ||
| Microeconomic Principles 1 | ||
| ARCH 1502 | Investigations into Built Environment Professions 1 | 1 |
| Community Development Core courses | ||
| ARCH 1196 | History of Form of Cities | 3 |
| CDEV 1113 | Introduction to Community Development | 3 |
| CTRP 1017 | City Planning Principles and Practice | 3 |
| CDEV 2013 | Community Redevelopment and Revitalization | 3 |
| CDEV 2155 | Housing and Community Development | 3 |
| CTRP 2524 | Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 3 |
| CDEV 2596 | Community Planning Analysis (WI) | 3 |
| CDEV 3113 | Nonprofit Management | 3 |
| CDEV 3197 | Community-based Organizations (WI) 1 | 3 |
| CDEV 3313 | Community Development Finance | 3 |
| CDEV 3455 | Community Engagement and Empowerment | 3 |
| CDEV 4889 | Community Development Workshop 1 | 3 |
| CDEV Methods and Practice Electives | ||
| Select from the following courses for a total of 12 credits: | 12 | |
| Environmental Justice in Communities | ||
| Cooperatives | ||
| Grant Writing for Non-Profits | ||
| Healthy Community Design and Development | ||
| Placemaking: Revitalizing Urban Communities | ||
| Gentrification and Equitable Development | ||
| Community Economic Development | ||
| Topics in Community Development | ||
| Special Topics in Community Development | ||
| Independent Study in Community Development | ||
| Directed Reading/Study in Community Development | ||
| Internship and Professional Practice in Community Development 1 | ||
| Urban Form and Design 2 | ||
| Land Use Planning | ||
| Environmental Planning 2 | ||
| Sustainable Food Systems Planning 2 | ||
| Ecological Planning and Development 2 | ||
| Sustainability in Suburban Communities 2 | ||
| Sustainable Community Design and Development 1, 2 | ||
| Internet and Digital Technologies for Community Engagement | ||
| Transportation Planning 2 | ||
| Introduction to Emergency Management Planning | ||
| Topics in Community & Regional Planning | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| CDEV Interdisciplinary Electives | ||
| Select from the following courses for a total of 6 credits: | 6 | |
| Seminar: Special Topics in History and Theory 1, 3 | ||
| Seminar: Special Topics in Site and Context 1, 3 | ||
| Engaging Places: Observations | ||
| Housing and Community Design 1 | ||
| Socially Engaged Arts Practices in Communities | ||
or CART 3011 | Introductory Seminar in Community Arts | |
or CART 3911 | Honors Introductory Seminar in Community Arts | |
| Art and Environment in American Culture | ||
| Research and Project Planning Seminar in Community Arts | ||
| Introduction to Web Design | ||
| The Art of Infographics 1 | ||
| Real Estate Fundamentals 1 | ||
| Real Estate Practice 1 | ||
| Doing Well by Doing Good: Where Innovation and Entrepreneurship Meet Social Impact | ||
| Leadership in Organizations | ||
| Facilitating Group Decision-Making | ||
| Community and Crime Prevention | ||
| Urban Crime Patterns | ||
| The Politics of Inequality | ||
| The Politics of Poverty | ||
| Gender, Race, Class, and the City | ||
| Women and Poverty | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 61 | |
- 1
This course has a prerequisite(s) or registration restriction(s).
- 2
+1 accelerated program students will take the approved graduate level CTRP courses in lieu of free electives in years 3 and 4. These students should consult with advisor before taking CTRP courses to fulfill Methods and Practice electives, to avoid conflicts with the graduate curriculum requirements.
- 3
Students should consult with their advisor before enrolling in Special Topics courses as topics may vary.
Note: CDEV students are not eligible for the minors in Community Development or City and Regional Planning.
Suggested Academic Plan
Bachelor of Science in Community Development
Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year
Note: The symbol after the course number indicates that the class is offered ONLY in the semester indicated.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) = offered fall only | ||
| (S) = offered spring only | ||
| (SE) = offered spring of even numbered years | ||
| (SO) = offered spring of odd numbered years | ||
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| CDEV 1113 | Introduction to Community Development (F) | 3 |
| ARCH 1196 | History of Form of Cities | 3 |
| ARCH 1502 | Investigations into Built Environment Professions | 1 |
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW] or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| CTRP 1017 | City Planning Principles and Practice | 3 |
| Select one of the following Economics courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Economy | ||
| Macroeconomic Principles | ||
| Microeconomic Principles | ||
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| GenEd Quantitative Literacy [GQ] | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| CTRP 2524 | Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 3 |
| CDEV 2013 | Community Redevelopment and Revitalization | 3 |
| Select one of the following Statistics courses: | 3 | |
| Elements of Statistics | ||
| Social Statistics | ||
| Statistics for Psychology | ||
| Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences or Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences or Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences or Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences | ||
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CDEV 2155 | Housing and Community Development (SO) | 3 |
| CDEV 2596 | Community Planning Analysis [WI] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Free Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| CDEV 3113 | Nonprofit Management (F) | 3 |
| CDEV 3455 | Community Engagement and Empowerment | 3 |
| CDEV Methods & Practice Elective I | 3 | |
| Free Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CDEV 3313 | Community Development Finance | 3 |
| CDEV Methods & Practice Elective II | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Free Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| CDEV 3197 | Community-based Organizations [WI] (F) | 3 |
| CDEV Methods & Practice Elective III | 3 | |
| CDEV Interdisciplinary Elective I 2 | 2-3 | |
| Free Electives 1 | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 14-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| CDEV 4889 | Community Development Workshop (S) | 3 |
| CDEV Methods & Practice Elective IV | 3 | |
| CDEV Interdisciplinary Elective II 2 | 4-3 | |
| Free Electives 1 | 5 | |
| Credit Hours | 15-14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 122 | |
- 1
Consult with your advisor for suggested options.
- 2
If one of the CDEV Interdisciplinary Electives is taken for 2 credits, then the second CDEV Interdisciplinary Elective must be 4 credits in order to meet the 6-credit CDEV Interdisciplinary Electives requirement for the major.
Study Abroad
Rome Option
Students who plan to study abroad are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor as early as the freshman year. A semester abroad would require using free electives that ordinarily would be taken in other semesters. It will take careful planning with an advisor to ensure that the degree is completed as efficiently as possible, and that course prerequisites or courses normally taken in the semester on Main campus are completed before the semester abroad. ARCH 3070 or ARCH 3241 counts as an interdisciplinary elective. Internships, if available, can count as a Methods and Practice elective by registering for CDEV 4885. Prior approval of the internship by the planning and community development program head is required.
Japan Option
Students who plan to study abroad are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor as early as the freshman year. A semester abroad would require using free electives that ordinarily would be taken in other semesters. It will take careful planning with an advisor to ensure that the degree is completed as efficiently as possible, and that course prerequisites or courses normally taken in the spring of junior year on Main campus are completed before the semester abroad. GenEd courses are offered at the Japan campus and can be substituted where appropriate for free electives. ARCH 3242 counts as an interdisciplinary elective (spring only). Internships, if available, can count as a Methods and Practice elective by registering for CDEV 4885. Prior approval of the internship by the planning and community development program head is required.
Other Study Abroad Options
Students who plan to study abroad are encouraged to meet with an academic advisor as early as the freshman year. Other study abroad options should also be discussed with the planning and community development program head.
Accelerated Programs
Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.
The following accelerated program is available to students in the Community Development BS:
Tyler School of Art and Architecture