Organising for Social and Community Development (MSc)

Overview

The course is unique among Masters in the field of community development in concentrating on the integration of policy, evidence based methods, and management. The focus is on community development as a strategy.

The course builds on London Metropolitan's experience of running programmes for refugee organisations, examining and building on the analysis of the skills of refugees and the job opportunities that are available for them. The course is also relevant and appropriate to people not currently specifically working with refugees both because the skills and knowledge learned on the course is based on more general theory and practice and because all organisations and community development workers need to have competences that equip them to work inclusively with all sections of the community. The course stresses that social justice and participation are at the core of community development. We welcome international students who wish to practise community development in their countries of origin and home students who intend to work internationally.

The course will enable graduates to bring their knowledge and skills to bear on:

Organisations run by and for communities of interest, geography or identity
Organisations working with such communities
Statutory agencies with responsibility for community development
Private sector organisations interested in community engagement.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Applying and entry

PLEASE NOTE There is no official closing date for this course, but you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only consider your application if there are places available on the course.

Tel: 020 7133 4202
Email: admissions@londonmet.ac.uk

The minimum entry requirement will normally be a lower second class Honours degree or equivalent. Applicants will also be considered who have extensive relevant work experience.

Before entry applicants will generally be asked to submit a short piece of written work to demonstrate their study skills and ability to reflect on their experience.

The course is generally studied part-time. Anyone wishing to do the course full-time will need to demonstrate that they are able to arrange voluntary or paid community work during the course that they can reflect on.

Course contents

The course consists of six essential modules and a dissertation of 15,000 words.

The core modules include:

• Managing Self and Others
• Managing Change in Organisations and Systems
• Social Structures and Policies (UK focused) or Global Social Policies
• Community Development
• Organising for Social and Community Development Dissertation

Either or both:

• Project Management
• Researching Communities

Optional modules:

• Promoting Equality, Human Rights and Active Citizenship
• Conflict Transformation
• Leadership in Communities

If students do not do one of these modules, they can choose any other further module from the postgraduate prospectus with the agreement of the course leader.

Read more details about the modules

Assessment
This will include a range of methods including written reports, software projects and examination.

Careers

Graduates of the course are expected to be able to develop careers in community-based organisations, particularly those supporting refugee communities, voluntary organisations, and statutory bodies in the field of community development.

Most students intend to work in the UK but some students work overseas