Overview

The Community Development BSc program from Portland State University empowers individuals and groups of people by giving them the skills they need to effect change within their communities. Our curriculum promotes participative democracy, sustainable development, rights, economic opportunity, equality and social justice. We want to see the changes that you make!

As a multi-disciplinary, social science program, students can customize their focus of study, drawing from the multitude of academic disciplines and departments within PSU’s College of Urban and Public Affairs. In addition to coursework, the Community Development program takes a hands-on approach, incorporating significant field research in which students work with agencies and organizations throughout the Portland metropolitan area.

Career opportunities:

Our graduates find meaningful opportunities to work for positive social change, advance social justice, and environmental sustainability, and support the development of diverse communities. Graduates often are employed by government, nonprofits, social services, educational institutions, and businesses, depending on their skills and experience. Our graduates have found work in organizations like:

City of Portland Bureau of Developmental Services
Home Forward
Columbia Sportswear
Mercy Corps
League of Oregon Cities
Oregon Food Bank
YWCA
Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Healthy Communities

Theory and Philosophy of Community Development

Urban Environmental Issues

Community and the Built Environment

Measuring People and Communities in the Urban Context

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-07-22 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-05 00:00:00
Starting 2026-09-30 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-08-01 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-01-06 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-05 00:00:00
Starting 2027-03-31 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-05 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

110

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IELTS

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Credits

180 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Portland, United States

Disciplines

Community Development View 165 other Bachelors in Community Development in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

2.5

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

You must have a cumulative (overall) grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 when converted to the U.S. 4.0 grading scale.
Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement. You may be admitted to Portland State University and an Intensive English Language Program (IELP) pathway if you do not meet PSU's English Language Proficiency Requirement. Learn more about PSU’s English language programs.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

34599 USD / year

≈ 34599 USD / year
Out-of-State

34599 USD / year

≈ 34599 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12999 USD / year

≈ 12999 USD / year

Living costs

Portland

United States

1271 - 2262 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Community Development.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career opportunities:

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Portland

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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