Community Studies Major
(Online Bachelor of Arts Degree Completion Program)

OVERVIEW

The Community Studies major is an academic field related to the study of human experiences in particular localities and of the broad forces affecting community development over time. It focuses on social institutions and their interrelationships, structural properties, factors that influence community identity, and the challenges of community change. This major is designed to increase students’ knowledge of a range of social groups--their histories, cultures, economic and political systems, and environmental concerns. Community Studies enables students to live and work effectively in communities, provide the knowledge and skills to strengthen civil society and influence larger social systems, in local, national and international settings. Upon graduation, students will have a broad and rich understanding about the human experience in communities, which is grounded in knowledge and methods drawn from the social sciences, humanities, applied sciences and interdisciplinary fields

Program graduates have pursued graduate studies in law, environmental work, public policy, community organizing, human and environmental rights, non-profit management, healthcare, social policy, ethnic studies and education. Some students have pursued their graduate work in traditional disciplines, including anthropology, political science and sociology. Others seek careers in a variety of arenas including public agencies, private sectors, non-profit organizations and community service agencies.

Online Bachelor of Arts Degree Completion Program in Community Studies allows students the most flexible way to finish their degree. This 30-credit (ten courses) program offers returning students the opportunity to earn a BA degree online. The Online BA Completion Program is collaboration between the College of Public and Community Service (CPCS) and the Division of Corporate, Continuing and Distance Education (CCDE).

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Must have completed 90 or more credits in humanities, social sciences, natural and physical sciences, and fine arts.
• Must have maintained a 2.5 or better GPA.
• We will consider all credits from community colleges, four-year institutions, and CLEP.
• We will consider credits in social sciences, humanities, natural and physical science and fine arts. We also accept interdisciplinary majors and concentration.
• You are required to complete the full package of ten courses in the Online BA Degree Completion Program in order to earn a degree in Community Studies.
• If you are a new student to UMass Boston, you will need to file an undergraduate application form. If you are a returning UMass Boston student, you will need to complete the inter-college transfer application form, and apply for an inter-college transfer to this program.

Plan of Study/Curriculum

This program expects students to be in cohort groups. Those who choose a full-time study are required to take 4 semesters of courses to complete their studies. Those who select a part-time schedule are required to complete their courses in no more than 8 semesters. The program curriculum offers a well-rounded learning experience that provides students with both academic skills, and problem solving capabilities in community settings. The curricular offerings for the Online BA Degree Completion Program are:

• Media Literacy
• Social Research
• Community Formation: Concepts of Community
• Economic Distribution
• Community Portraits
• Debating Policy Issues
• Media and Community
• Statistical Reasoning
• Comparative Methods of Community Analysis
• Communities in Global Context

For more information, please visit our website at: www.ccde.umb.edu/degree/cpcs.