Help make communities better places to live, learn and play.
Start your journey at K-State and learn to facilitate sustainable and prosperous societal change while acquiring the skills, information and networks to build community in the 21st century.
Community development is a practice-based profession that promotes increased quality-of-life for residents of rural and urban communities of place, identity and/or interest through economic opportunities, sustainable initiatives, organization, education and participative democracy. The online community development master’s degree will prepare you for a variety of careers or allow you to advance further within this profession.
Choosing K-State means you get a robust program with tenured faculty, professors of practice with years of hands-on experience in the field, and dedicated staff to help you on your journey through the program. You also have access to amazing library resources as well as most campus resources.
What you can expect while at K-State:
While at K-State, you will have dedicated staff members who will assist you throughout your educational journey. From the time you apply until the time you graduate, you’ll work with faculty in the LARCP department at KSU as well as other universities in the IDEA network. You’ll also work with students from across the country and world!
This program includes courses that are flexible so you can plan class and study time around your day, although some courses may have optional sessions at specific times. The degree can be completed part-time or full-time. Work with your advisor to determine the best courses and load for you.
All students are required to meet the general university admission requirements.
Students who do not have a 3.0 minimum GPA in the final two years, or approximately the last 60 credit hours, may be admitted on a contingent basis after review of their official transcript.
Additional Documentation Your application must include the following:
Letter of intent: Provide a one-to-two-page letter describing why you want to study community development. Be specific about how the program can help you achieve your professional goals and any particular focus areas you hope to pursue. This document is also an opportunity to provide additional information about yourself and your aptitude for graduate study in community development. Statements should be addressed to the faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning (LARCP), the academic home of the community development program.
If transcripts are not in English, you must furnish a translation by an appropriate authority.
An unofficial transcript: This should be form the institution where you received your bachelor's degree. You will be asked for an official transcript after notification of admission.
Three letters of reference: These should preferably be professional references; however, if you know your references at work and personally, this is acceptable.
Applications for the Community Development program are accepted until the first day of the semester for which you are applying.
This program is offered through the Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA), which offers you a unique chance to take classes from multiple, high-quality universities. Expand your professional network by collaborating with classmates and expert faculty from across the country who bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the coursework.
Once you have chosen K-State to be your home university and are admitted, you will work with your Community Development program advisor and the IDEA Campus Coordinator to enroll in classes. Your Community Development advisor is responsible for handling information at K-State, and your Campus Coordinator assists you through IDEA processes and is your link to distance education resources across the universities.