What is Community Development?

Community development is a systematic effort to enhance the organizing, planning, development, and management capacity of community-based organizations and public agencies seeking to improve the overall quality of life in Memphis neighborhoods.

Program Goals

• Introduce students to the critical environmental, economic, and social problems.
• Expose students to innovative policies, programs, and practices.
• Facilitate service-learning, volunteerism, and applied research to promote innovative policy solutions.
• Use reflective strategies to improve professional practice and connect emerging organizational challenges and policy issues.
• Integrate theoretical, classroom-based learning and engaged, experiential learning.

Intern Placement

Graduate students are placed at nonprofit organizations, community development corporations, and government agencies working on community development initiatives and, where possible, link to the priority areas/neighborhoods of the Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development.

Fellowship Length

Students accepted into the program will participate in the program throughout the length of their professional degree program (typically two years).

Compensation

All students will receive a tuition and fee waiver from the UofM Graduate School, academic credit for a seminar course, and a stipend for 20 hours of work each week. 

Funding

The HCD Fellowship program is jointly funded by the City of Memphis Department of Housing and Community Development and the Graduate School at the University of Memphis.

Eligibility and Deadlines

All incoming and current graduate students in Anthropology, City Planning, Public Administration and Social Work are eligible to apply. Applicants will be selected based on their areas of focus interest and essay responses. 

Fellowship awards will be made by a committee of advisors from the local CDC community. Awards will be made in June.

For more information on the Fellowship program, call (901) 678-1635 or email suapp@memphis.edu. 

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