Community Organization, Planning and Administration
COPA prepares students to become administrators, planners and community organizers. Our philosophy views macro-practice as central to the development of services and the well-being of communities in urban settings. Students develop skills in advocacy, community organizing, financial management, fundraising, grant writing, marketing, leadership, policy analysis, political practice, program development and evaluation, and working with boards and volunteers.
Types of Employment Settings
- Advocacy organizations
- Community action agencies
- Development corporations
- Government
- Human resource departments
- Neighborhood and community centers
- Political offices
- Public interest groups
- Social welfare providers
- Schools
- Trade associations
- Voluntary health and welfare councils
Curriculum
629 Evaluation of Research: Community Organization, Planning and Administration
Research for macro-practice, emphasizing qualitative methods, participatory action research, program evaluation, needs assessment, mapping and GIS to understand urban environments.
639 Social Policy for Managers, Planners and Community Organizers
Analysis of efforts to improve local human services organizations and agencies with consideration of political, social, demographic and organization contexts.
648 Management for Community and Social Services
Methods and principles of management in urban settings with primary emphasis on strategic management, finance analysis and innovative project development.
686ab Field Practicum for COPA Concentration
Supervised field placement to develop depth of skill and practice in area of concentration.
Students can also choose from a variety of electives to build clinical knowledge in population-specific topics, including addiction, older adults, domestic violence and military families. Additionally, we recommend COPA students take the 665 Program Development and Grant Writing for Social Workers elective. The COPA concentration also offers specialty tracks in a specific area of interest, including the Public Child Welfare and Systems of Recovery from Mental Illness sub-concentrations, and the CALSWEC Mental Health option.