The Public, Non-profit and Community Leadership Undergraduate Certificate

The CU Denver Political Science Department’s Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership Certificate engages students in a focused curriculum in the local public leadership, and in the community organizing and development field, including field placements in internships with local community partners. The certificate is tailored to meet the needs of individuals in public and non-profit positions that require development of their leadership competencies and for individuals in informal community leadership positions who want to build their knowledge, skills, and effectiveness.

The program curriculum is anchored around the study and practice of local civic engagement, especially in traditionally marginalized communities. Students will be connected to meaningful work and networking opportunities in local government or in community settings, through community-based coursework, professional internships and service-learning opportunities. The certificate program provides critical education and effective skills-based training for students seeking careers in local government, in non-profit organizations, or in community organizing and development work. Students will be prepared to become change agents in their communities, while developing possible career paths in community-based advocacy/service organizations, public agencies,   or international development work.

The certificate is open to non-degree seeking students (with or without an undergraduate degree) as well as students formally pursuing an undergraduate degree at CU Denver.  The Certificate can be earned as a stand-alone University certificate, or it can be applied to a current or future degree program.  Non-degree seeking students who successfully complete the certificate program would be allowed to transfer in the credits received in the certificate program to complete the Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

The certificate can be earned either through our traditional on-campus courses, or entirely through classes offered in a weekend-intensive format in our New Directions program.  Students may take classes in either format desired.

Admissions and Declaring This Certificate

Any current or potential student wishing to declare this certificate should schedule a certificate advising appointment with either the Director of the New Directions program or with the Departmental Undergraduate Director, in order to register their intent to pursue the Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership Certificate and to develop a curriculum plan.

Certificate Requirements:

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1. Must complete 15 credits in PSCI coursework.
2. 6 credits must be upper division level
3. All credits must be taken in residence at CU Denver.  No transfer credits may apply.
4. A minimum GPA of 2.0 or better is required for all PSCI courses taken at CU Denver.
5. A minimum grade of C is required for all PSCI courses applied toward the certificate

 

Curriculum and Credit Requirements: 

Undergraduate Credit Requirement: the undergraduate certificate requires five “public and community leadership” courses (15 credits), which must include PSCI 4808 (Community Organizing and Development) and an appropriate field study course ( typical courses are an academic internship or PSCI 3914, The Urban Citizen).

Take the following required Public and Community Leadership course:

• PSCI 4808 - Strategies of Peacebuilding

Take one of the following field placement courses:

• PSCI 3914 - The Urban Citizen
• PSCI 4944 - CU in the City
• PSCI 3939 - Internship

Take 9 semester hours of elective Public and Community Leadership courses:

• PSCI 3035 - Political Movements: Race and Gender
• PSCI 3064 - Power and Empowerment in the United States
• PSCI 4025 - Local Governance and Globalization
• PSCI 4074 - Urban Politics
• PSCI 4075 - Gentrification and Social Equity
• PSCI 4084 - Local Government and Administration
• PSCI 4124 - Denver Politics
• PSCI 4206 - Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics
• PSCI 4207 - Theories of Social and Political Change
• PSCI 4248 - Gender, Globalization and Development
• PSCI 4265 - Social Justice And Globalization
• PSCI 4274 - Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building
• PSCI 4414 - Non-Profits and Social Change
• PSCI 5548 - Labor Law and Collective Bargaining
• PSCI 5424 - The Social Economy and Sustainable Development
• PSCI 5434 - The Cooperative Movement: Politics and Policy
• PSCI 4535 - Labor and Working Class Politics
• PSCI 4555 - International Women’s Resistance
• PSCI 4002 - Topics in Political Science (with advisor approval)
• PSCI 4840 - Independent Study: PSCI (with advisor approval)

 

Undergraduate Leadership Certificate Learning Outcomes

Undergraduate Leadership Certificate Learning Outcomes

Public, Non-Profit and Community Undergraduate Leadership Certificate

Outcomes Assessment Plan

Certificate’s Educational Goals: This credit-bearing undergraduate certificate engages students in a focused curriculum in the community organizing and development field, including field placements in internships with local community partners.  The program curriculum is anchored around the study and practice of local civic engagement, especially in traditionally marginalized communities.  We provide critical education and effective skills-based training for students seeking careers in community organizing and development, as well as for students seeking more active citizenship and civic engagement. This program contributes to a workforce and community of change agents—activists, organizers, social workers, leaders, researchers, and program directors—to work for change in low-income and otherwise marginalized communities.

Certificate Learning Outcomes:  Graduates of the Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership Certificate program will:

1. Analyze structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength
2. Critique public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context
3. Apply critical thinking skills to solve collective problems in a manner that improves the public good
4. Deepen involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges (including internships and other experiential learning opportunities), allowing students to reflect on the relationship between theory, political practice and potential career paths.

Curriculum and Assessment Map: The Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership certificate requires students to complete five undergraduate courses.  Two courses are required:  PSCI 4914 (Community Organizing and Development) and an experiential learning course (from among three course options).  three courses are electives, and must be drawn from the following list of 12 courses.

• PSCI 3064         Power and Empowerment in America 
• PSCI 4025         Local Governance and Globalization
• PSCI 4074         Urban Politics
• PSCI 4124         Denver Politics
• PSCI 4206         Social Movements
• PSCI 4207         Theories of Social and Political Change
• PSCI 4248         Gender, Globalization and Development
• PSCI 4265         Social Justice and Globalization
• PSCI 4274         Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building
• PSCI 4324         Politics, Public Policy, and Leadership
• PSCI 4414         Non-Profits and Social Change
• PSCI 4535         Labor and Working Class Politics
• PSCI 4555         International Women’s Resistance
• PSCI 4002         Topics Courses—When Relevant and Approved by Program Advisor
• PSCI 4840         Independent Study—When Relevant and Approved by Program Advisor

Assessment of learning objectives is done upon completion of required courses that all certificate students must complete. The table below maps the learning objectives to required courses, and provides examples of typical assessments for each course with respect to each learning objective.

Learning Objective	PSCI 4914	Experiential Learning Course
Analyze Structural Roots of Community Problems and Strengths	Short Papers & Final Project
Critique Public, Non-Profit and Community Organizing and Leadership Strategies	Class Papers & Final Project	Regular Journal Entries and Final Field Analysis
Apply Critical Thinking Skills to Improve Public Good	Possible:  Final Community- Based Action Research Project	Field Supervisor’s Evaluation
Deepen Involvement with Diverse Communities	Possible:  Final Community- Based Action Research Project	Field Supervisor’s Evaluation

 

Assessment Data Collection and Analysis:  Assessment for each learning objective will be undertaken at the time of conclusion for any of the required courses, using the rubrics below. Assessments will be conducted by reviewing relevant course records, and in consultation with relevant instructors.  Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes for all students in the course will be conducted, providing evidence of the extent to which the opportunity to master learning objectives was provided to certificate student who might have been in the courses.

 

 

 

Learning Outcome 1:  Analyze structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations		Demonstrates a broad and sophisticated understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.   Shows strong ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life.
Meets Expectations		Demonstrates a solid understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.   Shows some ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life—but may demonstrate lack of depth in grasping either broader structural forces or in describing local manifestations.
Below Expectations		Demonstrates a limited understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.   Shows only limited ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life.

 

 

 

Learning Outcome 2. Critique public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations		Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of effective public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.  In field work, student demonstrates an ability to identify relevant challenges to effective leadership in a given context, and to identify/evaluate promising responses to those leadership challenges.
Meets Expectations		Demonstrates a solid understanding of different public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.  In field work, student might struggle to identify/evaluate multiple promising responses to specific leadership challenges in a given context.
Below Expectations		Demonstrates a limited understanding of different public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.  In field work, Student struggles to identify a promising response to specific leadership challenge in a given context.

 

 

Learning Outcome 3: Apply Critical Thinking Skills to Improve Public Good

 

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations		Community-based action research project and/or student’s performance in field internship demonstrates nuanced and sophisticated understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and impressively creative approach to addressing those challenges/opportunities.
Meets Expectations		Community-based action research project and/or student’s performance in field internship demonstrates solid understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and student demonstrates diligence and commitment in addressing those challenges/opportunities.
Below Expectations		Community-based action research project and/or student’s performance in field internship demonstrates only rudimentary understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and/or student lacks diligence and commitment in addressing those challenges/opportunities.

 

Learning Outcome 4:  Deepen involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges (including internships and other experiential learning opportunities), allowing students to reflect on the relationship between theory, political practice and potential career paths.

 

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations		Student demonstrates serious commitment to building connections between university resources and community needs and interests and a creative approach to the practical application of academic skills.
Meets Expectations		Student participates in relevant university-community partnership opportunities, but may not demonstrate a unique personal commitment to this work.   Student is capable, but does not stand out, in pursuing a practical application of their academic skills.
Below Expectations		Student is disinterested or undependable in completing relevant university-community partnership opportunities.   Student demonstrates rudimentary effort to pursuing a practical application of their academic skills.

 

 

Schedule for Learning Outcomes Assessment           

 

Achievement of learning outcomes for each student will be assessed at the time of each course’s conclusion.   Data will be reported upon the completion of the certificate by five or more students. Managing the assessment process will be the responsibility of the department certificate coordinator and/or Department Chair.