Community-Based Leadership & Development Certificate
The Certificate in Community-Based Leadership & Development is designed for students who want to be positive change agents and who seek to effectively engage, center, and empower community members when working towards social justice.
In order to train students in this vision of leadership, the curricula prioritizes student learning within and across the following three areas:
- Participatory democratic skills, paths of civic engagement and personal empowerment;
- Knowledge and analysis of the operation of power and inequality in politics and policy, across social groups, and within institutions and organizations;
- Applied, engaged, community-based service work and research in our metropolitan community.
A core element of this Certificate is its focus on courses with service-learning projects and/or collaborative research with community organizations, to give you practical experience in current and local efforts, exposure to types of community organizations and processes, and applied understanding of concepts and theories from coursework. The Certificate can complement your major or it can be taken as a stand-alone credential.
As an interdisciplinary Certificate, students will have the opportunity to choose among a variety of electives in different subfields, such as health and the environment, community development, Michigan politics, entrepreneurship, and gender and sexuality.
Information about the Certificate
15 credits are required for the certificate.
Non-degree students are required to take one Foundations course focusing on civic engagement, cultural competency, and/or diversity. (3 credits)
Degree and non-degree students must complete one of the following courses:
- SOC 200: Understanding Society (3 credits)
- HHS 210: Intro to Social Work (4 credits)
Degree and non-degree students must complete one of the following courses:
- HHS 350: Comm Organizing for Health (4 credits)
- POL 334: Organizing and Leadership (3 credits)
Degree and non-degree students must complete one of the following courses:
- AAAS 304: Detroit History and Culture (3 credits)
- BA 320: Project Management and Leadership Skills (3 credits)
- HHS 250: Intro to Environmental Health (4 credits)
- POL 322: Michigan Government, Politics, & Public Policy (3 credits)
- POL 323: Urban Politics (3 credits)
- POL 484: Revitalizing Cities (3 credits)
- URS 300: Urban and Regional Studies(3 credits)
- WGST 404: Dissed: Differ, Power, Discrimination (3 credits)
- WGST 451: Family, Sexuality, Rights (3 credits)
Degree students complete two and non-degree students complete one of the following courses:
- AAST 3151: Public History in Arab Detroit (3 credits)
- AAST 3634: History of Islam in the US (3 credits)
- ANTH 376: Power & Privilege in SE Mich (3 credits)
- COMM 364: Writing for Civic Literacy (3 credits)
- CRJ 363: Criminal Justice System and Policy (3 credits)
- CRJ 417: Crimmigration (3 credits)
- CRJ 483: Justice, Crime and Environment (3 credits)
- ENT 403: Social Entrepreneurship (3 credits)
- HHS 313: Metro Impact of HHS (4 credits)
- JASS 315: Media Production for Metropolitan Community (4 credits)
- SOC 435: Urban Sociology (3 credits)
- SOC 476: Inside Out Prison Exchange (4 credits)
- URS 450: Senior Capstone in Community Research (3 credits)
Notes:
- If a course changes to be non-ASL or community-engaged it will no longer count toward this list, to be determined by the Director of the Urban & Regional Studies Program.
- Students may petition to transfer in 3 of the 15 required credits.
- A minimum 2.5 GPA in the courses within the certificate is required.
- Number of Pass/Fail Classes Allowed: 1
Sample Plan of Study for a non degree student:
Fall
- FNDS 1202: Democratizing Democracy: Expanding, Suppressing, Idealizing, & Ignoring the Right to Vote in America
- SOC 200: Understanding Society
Winter
- POL 322: Michigan Government, Politics, & Public Policy
- POL 334: Organizing and Leadership
- CRJ 417: Crimmigration
Sample Plan of Study for a degree-enrolled student:
Fall
- HHS 210: Intro to Social Work
- HHS 350: Comm Organizing for Health
Winter
- AAST 3634: History of Islam in the US
- BA 320: Project Management and Leadership Skills
- HHS 313: Metro Impact of HHS
- Current students need a GPA of 2.0 to declare for the certificate.
- Post-degree and guest students need a 2.5 GPA to declare.
- Transfer students may petition to transfer in 3 of the 15 required credits. Petitions will be evaluated by the Director of the Urban and Regional Studies program. Transfer GPA needed to declare is 2.0.
- A GPA of 2.5 is needed to complete the certificate for all students.
- This certificate is considered a stand-alone program.
Knowledge of approaches to community change in historical and cultural contexts
- Demonstrate knowledge of the history of community development, community organizing, and social movements, with a particular focus on communities of color, indigenous communities, and other marginalized communities.
- Describe and assess strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to community organizing, community development, advocacy, and leadership.
Critical research and analytical skills
- Research and critically analyze social, political, and economic issues, and public policies, with an emphasis on those that relate to indigenous communities, communities of color, and other marginalized communities.
- Conduct participatory or collaborative research that values community history, culture and self-defined interests.
- Explain the processes and goals of community-based participation in the development of programs and policies that contribute to the social, economic, political, and environmental improvement of communities and cities.
Applied skills in collaborative leadership and inclusive problem-solving
- Analyze power dynamics and develop action plans related to community organizing, development, advocacy, media, and personal leadership.
- Develop skills in communication, project management, leadership development, coalition-building, and collective action.
Department of Social Sciences
4901 Evergreen Road
Dearborn, MI 48128
View on Map