Advanced Certificate in Community Leadership

The Advanced (Graduate) Certificate in Community Leadership provides students with the educational and professional credentials to help them pursue leadership-path careers in public service, specifically in locally serving nonprofits, community advocacy organizations, government agencies, and legislative offices. Using New York City and its diverse municipalities as the classroom, students learn how communities are organized, how nonprofits serve constituents, how to analyze the contemporary forces and trends in the field of community development and social change and build the skills necessary for fostering community empowerment.

Students deepen their understanding of the critical theoretical, conceptual, practical, and grassroots issues relating to community development and urban policy innovations. The curriculum of the Advanced Certificate in Community Leadership draws on a variety of academic disciplines and combines theory with practical applications in order to prepare students for leadership roles in community-based organizations.

Graduates of the program may pursue management-level positions at community-based non-profits and community-level public sector work relating to community organizing, equity, housing, economic development, climate change adaptation and resilience, political participation, and immigrant rights. In addition, students who complete the certificate program can apply the credits earned towards the MA in Urban Studies program we offer.

Candidates for admission to the Advanced Certificate in Community Leadership must possess a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) or higher from an accredited undergraduate institution. Applicants are also required to write a personal statement and upload a resume.