The Community Development Experience, or CDE100, is a new credit-bearing offering for students looking to connect with community partners through civic engagement and hands-on professional experience. Students who successfully complete a CDE100 will receive one non-tuition credit at the end of their experience.
CDE100 Eligibility & Requirements:
- Duration of 12 Weeks minimum
- Minimum of 50 hours worked over course of the CDE
- The internship must be hosted by an official nonprofit organization
- Student must have a current GPA of 2.7 or higher
- Students must have completed 2 or more semesters, with at least one semester completed at Emerson College.
- A CDE does not have to be a traditional internship nor does it have to directly relate to your program of study
For questions about internship criteria or eligibility, email careers@emerson.edu
Please note that Community Development Experiences also require completion of an academic course component. Continue reading for information on what the course entails as well as its objectives.
About CDE100 Coursework:
The Community Development course is designed to provide experiential learning through civic engagement/community work for the undergraduate students of Emerson College. It will support their career development outside of the classroom and develop their social awareness by working with a range of communities and initiatives. Through working on projects in partnership with nonprofit organizations, students will develop career competencies such as critical thinking, interpersonal communication, and intercultural awareness, key areas for workplace readiness while educating Emerson students on how to use their skills to be agents for change.
Registered students will complete a reflection assignment about their learning and skill development through Canvas, administered by the Career Development Center.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about how non-profit organizations are established and how they actualize their mission and vision.
- Develop the 8 NACE Career Readiness Competencies with a focus on their top 3 through project-based work.
- Through the experience, students will learn about diverse communities in the Boston area and beyond.
- Learn how to articulate their experience for their resume and cover letter content and for interview prep.
Steps to Submitting Your CDE:
- Secure a CDE.
- Submit an Experience Proposal through Handshake.
- A CDE100 course registration code will be emailed to you.