Community Development
Community Development Courses in DASS
What is Community development?
Community development is about people working together for social justice. Communities may be defined in many ways such as people living near each other, sharing a common background or experiencing a common problem. Community development and community work are very long established ways of working but recent social policy has put this approach firmly on the agenda. Ideas about social inclusion, participation, voluntary action and empowerment are leading to new partnership initiatives between the voluntary and community sector, local government, the NHS, education and business. Our degrees are an innovative response to these developments in this large and growing sector of employment.
Professional Accreditation
The England Standards Board endorse programmes that meet National Occupational Standards for community development work. Our Foundation and Degree courses have received this status and have been described as ‘a model of good practice’.
Our degrees
Foundation degree in Individual and Community Empowerment (ICE)
This course is for those who are employed (or sometimes volunteering extensively) in the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). The degree is Endorsed by the England Standards Board (ESB) as a professional qualification in community development. The period of study is 2 years. Successful students can proceed to the Honours level of the Community Sector Management degree.
BSc (Hons) Community Sector Management
This is a 3 year honours programme and is open to anyone with an interest in this sector. It combines a study of community work and development, policy, management, equality and diversity. The degree is relevant to careers in the voluntary and community sector (VCS) such as community development worker, fundraising manager, volunteer co-ordinator, capacity building officer or in organisations concerned with Regeneration, Health, Education, Crime Reduction, Community Trusts and Charitable organisations.
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MSc Organisation and Community Development This is our post graduate qualification and is unique among Masters in the field of community development in concentrating on the integration of policy, evidence based methods for community development, and management. The focus is consistently on community development as a strategy rather than the operation of large organisations. Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Many are refugees or work with refugees but we welcome all students interested in community development. The course is only offered part-time so that students can reflect on (paid or unpaid) community work they undertake during the course.
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 A student of the Masters in Organisation and Community Development |
Related Courses in DASS
News
Employers Forum
Our Foundation degree recently held a meeting with employers at which Stephen Thake, Reader at our Centre for Social and Evaluative Research spoke on social enterprise and unclaimed community assets.
First cohort of Community Sector Management students achieve First Class degrees!
Three of our first cohort of graduating students have received first class degrees. A tremendous achievement as all three balanced work, study and family life.
Short Course: Conflict Transformation and Diaspora communities
Arising out of the Masters Course, DASS is now involved in looking at how refugee organisations can be involved in helping to resolve issues that have forced people to flee their countries. DASS is working with the organisation Responding to Conflict http://www.respond.org/ to deliver a pilot programme to address how Diaspora Communities can be involved in peace building activities in their countries of origin or countries of exile.This course first ran in January 2008, and a follow up course will run in July 2008.
Training for the Nigerian Local Empowerment and Environmental Management Project (LEEMP)
DASS and PPRE Limited have been awarded a contract to run a training course and study tour for civil servants from Nigeria who will be overseeing a community development project. The civil servants visited the UK in November and December 2007 on a programme of classroom study and visits to communities in London and Lancashire. The LEEMP programme and training are funded by the World Bank.
