Community Development (online)
The Master of Science in Community Development (MSCD) program is designed to provide knowledgeable and skilled personnel for a variety of social organizations, including development corporations, for-profit entities, and state and local government agencies. The program synthesizes theories on the formation and modification of individual and group behavior patterns with opportunities for practical application through internships and research in diverse community settings.
The Division of Social Sciences and History has brought together a faculty diverse in academic training, experience and culture in order to provide a rich and varied learning experience for our students. Approved in 1995, this thirty-six hour program has graduated over one hundred students. We promote innovation, creativity, cooperation and participation, in the classroom and in communities. Based upon wide ranging theoretical foundations, skill development, and participation, we encourage students to work with communities to meet community needs.
Students interested in applying to the MSCD program should follow the instructions below. Items 1 and 2 should be submitted through the Graduate Admissions website at Delta State University. When completing item 3, please have your score sent to DSU. Item 4 should be submitted to the graduate coordinator (contact information listed below). For additional information about the program, please see the section titled “Master of Science Degree in Community Development” in the Graduate Catalog.
Requirements for admission:
1. An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in the proposed area of study or a related area.
2. a. A minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0
OR
b. At least three years of successful relevant professional experience supported by three letters of recommendation from practitioners in the field.
3. An official GRE test score to be submitted within the first semester of graduate study.
4. Candidates for admission must submit the following: 1) A written statement describing why they wish to enter the program and how the program can lead to career success. 2) Three letters of recommendation from professors and/or employers. At least one letter should come from a professor who is familiar with the applicant’s work. 3) A current resume, and 4) A graded writing assignment from an upper-level undergraduate class OR professional writing sample from work at current agency.
Applications will be reviewed three times per year, no later than April 15, July 15, and December 15, by the Community Development Graduate Committee.
It is recommended that students enter the program with three completed hours in statistics and research methods and six completed hours in social sciences, or three completed hours in the social sciences and three completed hours in economics or management or finance.
The Community Development Graduate Committee may require that students take one or more undergraduate courses prior to their formal admittance into the MSCD program. The courses will be identified on the basis of need and will be recommended to the students upon notification of the status of the students’ admission application.
The Community Development Graduate Committee may also request formal interviews with prospective students prior to their formal acceptance.
For more information about the Community Development program, contact Dr. Leslie Green-Pimentel at lgreenpimentel@deltastate.edu.
Liberal Studies
The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) degree program promotes an interdisciplinary approach to graduate education by offering a diverse set of humanities and social science tracks. This program is designed for students who want to pursue advanced understanding of the nature of societal values and ideals that influence the human condition in the context of past and present human behavior and institutions. Students are exposed to perspectives that are useful for solving real problems while deciphering major philosophical, cultural, and social concepts about the world around us. The program targets full-time and part-time students from diverse back- grounds and stages in their professional lives, whether they are or returning to school for graduate education as practicing lawyers, ministers of religion, policy makers, teachers, politicians, administrator or are recent graduates who want to sharpen their analytical, critical thinking, writing and research skills by working with a highly qualified and diverse group of faculty. Students can choose from one of the following tracks that reflect an interdisciplinary approach to education:
- Evolving Human Voices: Studies of the Written Word (with emphasis in English and Literature)
- Gender and Diversity Studies (with emphasis in Sociology)
- Globalization Studies (with emphasis in Geography)
- Mississippi Delta Studies (with emphasis in History)
Admission Requirements:
- Have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
- Have earned a grade point average of 3.2 or higher on all undergraduate coursework;
- Candidates for admission must submit a written statement describing why they wish to enter the program and how the program can lead to career success.
- Candidates must also submit three letters of recommendation from professors familiar with the applicant’s work.
- Candidates must submit a resume.
- Submit a graded writing assignment from an upper-level undergraduate class.
Graduation Requirements:
- Fulfill the general requirements for a graduate degree at Delta State University;
- Complete graduate work consisting of core courses and elective hours as specified;
- Earn a grade point average of at least 3.0 overall; Earn a grade of B or higher in GLS 600;
- Pass an oral and/or written comprehensive exam administered by a committee appointed by the MALS coordinator;
- With the consent of the advisor, elect to research and write a thesis for 6 hours credit;
- Earn at least one-half of all hours toward the MALS degree at the 600 level.
For more information, please contact Dr. Charles Westmoreland, cwestmoreland@deltastate.edu
(662) 846-4174.