Through interdisciplinary coursework and research in community settings—often in collaboration with community organizations or coalitions—students have opportunities to become participant-scholars in change processes, and learn human ecological theory and participatory and application-focused research methods in the process.

The CSCR graduate program is designed to train educators and scholars to be highly qualified for positions in research and teaching within universities, cooperative extension, community-based groups, foundations, and other nonprofit and non-governmental organizations. The Department of Civil Society and Community Studies (CSCS) collaborates with communities, civil society organizations, and social movements to co-create a just and sustainable future for all.

As a department, CSCS:

• Strives for social justice, common good, and sustainability for current and future generations;
• Elevates the power of those who are marginalized by various forms of oppression and dominant cultural norms;
• Embraces the multitude of ways of knowing and being in the world;
• Engages with the wider community in our work as researchers, teachers, and members of civil society;
• Uses systems thinking, mixed methods, and community-engaged research approaches to gain a holistic and comprehensive understanding of community issues and how to address them;
• Emphasizes positive youth development, asset-based evaluation and programming, and appreciative inquiry; and
• Seeks to understand and honor the various ways people come together to effect policy and programmatic change in their communities.

 

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Build Professional Skills

Our CSCR program is designed to train educators/scholars to be highly qualified for positions in research and teaching within universities, cooperative extension, community-based groups, foundations, and other nonprofit and non-governmental organizations. Specifically, CSCR students build a range of sought-after skills and abilities in:

• Scholarship and research
• Publishing
• Teaching
• Outreach and application
• Professional development