Community Development and Applied Economics

The Department of Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE) offers hands-on learning and experiences both in and out of the classroom that empowers our graduates to make impactful contributions to their communities. Through our classes and experiential learning opportunities we strive to: 1. Identify and design solutions to complex issues facing local and global communities including climate change, social inequity, organizing, and sustainable development 2. Develop core values rooted in community engagement, effective communication, teamwork, sustainability, reflexivity, empathy, and responsibility 3. Reflect on how our actions impact communities and how we can best support sustainable development through research, education, and outreach that serves the public interest 4. Apply what we learn in the classroom in a real-world setting through service-learning, travel study, internships and research These theories, skills, and contexts are explored in depth and reinforced in students’ advanced coursework within their particular major. Our undergraduate majors include Community Centered Design, Community Entrepreneurship, Community & International Development, and Public Communication.