BS-RCDSCD - Rural Community Development, Social and Community Development track, B.S.

The School of Arts and Sciences offers a major in Rural Community Development. This interdisciplinary degree focuses on equipping students with the skills and abilities to create positive change in the social, economic, political, and cultural aspects of rural communities. The program emphasizes critical thinking skills, cultural understanding, and social responsibility and provides opportunities for hands-on learning and internships. Students are prepared to pursue a variety of career paths in community planning, non-profits, public administration, governmental agencies, chambers of commerce, and agencies serving individuals and families or for graduate study in psychology, sociology, and human services among others.

Students in other majors may also earn a Minor in Rural Community Development.

The Rural Community Development program requires 120 semester credit hours plus course and one PE activity course for a total of 123 semester credit hours.

• Students should follow their advisor’s recommendations for appropriate selections in Core Curriculum Area A1, Area A2, and Area D.

• Credit toward graduation not allowed for the following combinations of science courses:

  • Principles of Biology and non-Science Biology courses (see Biology Course Descriptions for specifics),

  • Principles of Chemistry and non-Science Chemistry courses (see Chemistry Course Descriptions for specifics), and

  • Principles of Physics and non-Science Physics courses (see Physics Course Descriptions for specifics).

• The maximum number of hours that will be awarded for credit for completion of internships is 9 credit hours.

• When a course is authorized in multiple areas of a degree program, students completing the course to meet requirements of one area must take a different course in the subsequent area(s) to meet the requirements of the subsequent area(s) (i.e., No course can be counted multiple times in a degree program).

• A baccalaureate degree program requires at least 21 semester hours of upper division courses in the major field and at least 39 semester hours of upper division work overall. Upper division is defined as 3000- and 4000-level courses.