Are you a self-starter willing to take responsibility for designing your own major? Do you want to impact social, political and economic issues relating to communities and regions? Do you like thinking and acting in an interdisciplinary environment? The community and regional development major’s goal is to empower you to create your own pathway through UC Davis and life.
Senior Jose Flores says:
This is a major designed for students who know they want to make a difference in society but don’t know where to start.
Community and regional development majors study social relations
You’ll study social relations and how the field relates to building community, social, political and economic infrastructure. The course requirements to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in the major are among the most flexible of the 28 majors offered in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
You will customize part of your course of study, meaning every student’s experience is unique. In your classes, you will conduct in-depth research on communities and current events with opportunities to present your ideas and results to classmates and local policymakers.
The major also encourages you to get involved in internships both on and off campus, enriching your time here at UC Davis and helping you make the most of your academic experience.
Smaller program means strong sense of community
Our graduates talk about the strength of the program:
Community and regional development is a relatively small major. Being part of a small department means there are smaller classes, which create a strong sense of community among students and far more opportunities to get to know faculty. — Evelyn Farias ’15, undergraduate advisor for the UC Davis departments of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies and American Studies
Bryce Anable
The diversity among students in the major allows for open conversations, and for you to learn about difficulties and hardships that your classmates faced growing up in different communities. — Bryce Anable ’16, recruiting coordinator at Optimizely
Choose one or two emphasis tracks
Pursuing a degree in community and regional development means that you will complete a series of core courses, as well as choose an emphasis in up to two tracks that include:
Policy and planning and social services
Organization and management
Global community
The diversity of classes in these tracks means that the major has no “typical” student. And you’ll have the option to enroll in dozens of pre-approved courses in disciplines across campus.
In essence, you’ll pursue a self-directed educational program based on your interests, rather than simply completing a major department checklist.
Artisha Naidu
Artisha Naidu ’15, a research assistant at Sustainable San Mateo County, says she chose to pursue community and regional development for the track options because she “really liked how she was able to specialize and take courses from different majors.”
The major will also require you to complete an internship, helping you build connections and gain experience with possible future employers.
What do community developers do?
Students are prepared for careers in nonprofit and for-profit administration and management, public service, local government, educational fields, human resources, health care, law and advocacy, social work, marketing, advertising and public relations.
Many of our alumni enter graduate or professional school following graduation, while others obtain employment in a variety of fields. Some of our graduates currently hold positions as executive directors, research analysts, housing specialists, urban planning and event coordinators, and marketing and outreach managers.
“The CRD program not only exposed me to issues facing our local and global communities, but also provided tangible tools and applications that are helpful in my role as an urban planner.
“If you are passionate about making the world a better place and being effective at it, this is the major for you.”
“The most valuable thing I took away from the major was the internship experience. I was able to try out different work environments and see what I did and did not like. Not only did this make finding a job easier, it made finding the right job easier.”
“Simply put, community and regional development helps focus one’s passion and then amplifies one’s ability to become an effective change agent in a way few, if any, majors can.
“The major can prepare you for almost any profession. The freedom to tailor your educational experiences is a tool that is as invaluable as it is empowering. And it was that flexibility that exposed me to the myriad skills and lessons necessary to become a union organizer, a political media consultant and now a securities class-action attorney.”
“The greatest thing I took from the major was how we can all create change in so many different ways — from policy and research to planning and education.”
Kelsey Ay ’17 is a community and regional development major who works as the series coordinator for the UC Davis Forums, a distinguished lecture series. “Not only have I entered the workforce with the knowledge I need to do well, but this major has also prepared me to be successful as a leader, innovator and activist at work and in my community,” she says.
