MA Community Development and Youth Studies

Are you an ambitious graduate seeking to take your professional understanding of the youth and community sector to a higher level? Our Master’s in Community Development and Youth Studies offers you the opportunity to develop greater professional insight and expertise, along with essential career enhancing knowledge of leadership, management and research.

Course Details

The growing social and economic challenges to young people and adults in communities mean the need for highly trained, passionate and creative professionals in the areas of youth and community work have never been greater. The University of Bolton’s MA in Community Development and Youth Studies is designed to prepare future leaders for this sector, ready for a career changing lives by challenging discrimination and oppression through informal social inclusion.

The aim of this course is to extend your already considerable professional skills and knowledge with specialist modules that deepen your understanding of areas such as equality and diversity, community learning, and global community development and sustainability. Our expert team will help you gain critical reflection, analysis and evaluation skills that support your ability to determine the impact of professional interventions on the community and young people.

Combining this knowledge with the principles and techniques of academic research and investigation will help develop your evidence-based practice, and grow your skills in evaluating options and formulating creative solutions to complex problems. Studying leadership and management styles, theories and frameworks will support you to become more actively involved in the planning, delivery and transformation of services and interventions.

Overall, our aim is to help you gain the professional and transferable skills to move forward in your career, empowering young people and adults in communities.

Career Opportunities

As a graduate of our MA in Community Development and Youth Studies, you’ll have the skills and knowledge needed to lead and manage complex work with young people, adults and community groups. The course is ideal if you’re already working in the sector, if you wish to extend your knowledge, move into a more senior role or plan on embarking upon a career working with people in communities.

Community development and youth work seeks to actively engage communities to make sense of the issues that affect their lives, helping them to set goals for improvement and respond to problems and needs through empowerment and active participation. Qualified workers are in demand across a wide range of public settings.

What Can I Do With This Qualification?

Graduates our MA in Community Development and Youth Studies can choose to work in management or senior level positions in a wide range of settings. These can include schools and colleges, youth and community centres, local government, charities, faith groups, uniformed services, youth training schemes, housing associations, outdoor centres, substance and alcohol misuse support organisations, youth offending teams, LGBT groups, community-based groups, environmental groups, international and sustainability projects, as well as residential settings such as care homes.