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Sustainable Community Development
This program is for those with an undergraduate degree or equivalent. The diploma is applicable to a wide range of occupational, professional and academic fields. By combining courses from several disciplines with a specially designed core of study and opportunities for guided practice, the program provides unique perspectives on sustainable community development.
間眅埶AV Requirements
General undergraduate admission to the University and formal application for program approval with the centre is required. Students must complete a bachelor's degree or equivalent before applying to this program.
Application deadlines: May 1 for fall term, October 1 for spring term, February 1 for summer term, Intercession and summer session.
For complete application information:
Program Requirements
Students complete a total of 30 upper division units, including 16 units in the following required courses.
A theoretical foundation for understanding sustainable development at the community level; including an integrated approach to environmental, economic, and social aspects of development. Emphasizes economic and policy instruments, and planning tools, for engaging in and implementing SCD. Prerequisite: SCD certificate program approval and CED, SCD or REM 201 or SCD diploma program approval or completion of 60 units or permission of the director for SCD. Students with credit for CED or REM 301 may not complete this course for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.
Third required course for the SCD Certificate. Introduction to the theory and practice of social enterprise within a SCD context, including the appropriate form of social enterprise for a particular purpose. Prerequisite: CED, SCD, or REM 301, or permission of the director for SCD. Students with credit for CED or REM 401 may not complete this course for further credit.
Fourth required course for the SCD Certificate. Concerned with approaches SCD leaders require as agents of change, including: tackling complex community issues in addition to offering innovative tools for engaging others in meaningful collaboration processes. Prerequisite: CED, SCD or REM 301, or permission of the director for SCD. Students with credit for CED or REM 403 may not complete this course for further credit.
Provides students an opportunity to apply ideas and models acquired in the program to a practical problem in sustainable community development. Required for SCD PBD students. Certificate students must apply for special permission to take this course. Enrollment is limited. Prerequisite: CED or SCD 301, 401, 403 and permission of the Director for SCD. Students with credit for CED or SCD 404 may not take this course for further credit.
In addition to these required courses, students must complete at least 14 units in elective courses. Select electives from the SCD electives (SCD 410, 412) and from a variety of departments, in consultation with the Centre for Sustainable Community Development’s (CSCD) academic advisor. A list of is available but students may also propose courses that meet the following requirements.
- the proposed course must be an upper division course (300-400 division) or higher.
- the elective proposal must be submitted and approved, in writing, before enrolling and include the course description. Students should complete electives early in the enrolment period.
- the proposed course must meet the CSCD’s content requirements for being thematically related to SCD or applicable skills for SCD field work. It must be sufficiently related by topic to SCD (e.g. underdevelopment, regional planning, public planning processes) and/or provide research and other skills relevant to SCD practice (e.g. business management, organizational behavior, fieldwork methodologies, qualitative and quantitative analysis). Determination of relevance and applicability will be made by the CSCD director or their designate.
- a proposed directed studies course from another department requires a detailed study plan to be approved in advance by the CSCD director and the chosen faculty supervisor. The project’s final report must be submitted to the centre as well as to the named faculty member.
Students are responsible for prerequisite or other clearances to gain course entry. Many departments waive introductory courses for those with extensive experience. However, other 間眅埶AV departments give course enrolment priority to their own students and will not necessarily permit SCD students to enrol. Check all Calendar entries and consult both department and CSCD advisors before enrolling.
Other restrictions may apply.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credit for work done at other institutions, before or after admission to the program, may be approved provided it meets SCD requirements for relevance to sustainable community development and provided that at least 18 of the total units are completed at 間眅埶AV. All other requirements for transfer credit under general post baccalaureate programs regulations apply.
Applications for transfer credit must be initiated at the time of application for admission to 間眅埶AV or by requesting a Letter of Permission from the admissions office. A GPA of 2.5 in all required and elective courses must be maintained in order to be credited toward the diploma and for continuance in the program.
More information on the centre and its programs is available at the Centre for Sustainable Community Development and its website
For calendar technical problems or errors, contact calendar-sfu@sfu.ca | Calendar Changes and Corrections