The Bachelor of Science degree in Community & Organizational Development prepares students to advance positive change through communities and organizations.
Students tackle community, organizational, and societal challenges in collaboration with their peers and real-world partners, clients, and communities. Through project-based learning, applied research, and internship experiences, students learn how to make a positive human-centered impact on communities and society in meaningful and lasting ways.
The Community & Organizational Development degree allows students to tailor their learning and career pathways. Students are prepared for a variety of careers spanning community and organizational development, nonprofit management, executive leadership, social justice activism, community organizing, social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, higher education, government, philanthropy, social service agencies, and more. For additional information about possible career paths related to this major, check out What can I do with a major in Community & Organizational Development?. The Community & Organizational Development degree also offers excellent preparation for graduate school in areas such as law, medical and public health advocacy, public policy, human ecology, and more.
In addition to the hundreds of community-based organizations in the city of Madison, the Center for Nonprofit Studies (CommNS), housed in the School of Human Ecology, provides students with a hub for community-engaged teaching, research, and outreach focused on advancing the work of the civic and nonprofit sector. Students can participate in innovative non-profit initiatives, network with community and organizational leaders, and attend annual conferences, workshops, and speaker series.
How to Get in
Current UW–Madison Students
Students within their first 60 GPA credits at UW-Madison
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | No application required. All students who meet the requirements listed below are able to declare. For information on how to declare, see: https://go.wisc.edu/sohe-declare. |
| Courses required to get in | None. |
| GPA requirements to get in |
|
| Credits required to get in | None. |
| Other | Must be in good academic standing with their current school or college. |
All other UW–Madison students (who do not meet the declaration criteria above)
| Requirements | Details |
|---|---|
| How to get in | Application required. Meeting the requirements listed below does not guarantee admission. (https://go.wisc.edu/sohe-apply) |
| Courses required to get in | None. |
| GPA requirements to get in | None. |
| Credits required to get in | None. |
| Other | Must be in good academic standing with their current school or college. |
| Semester | Deadline to apply | Decision notification timeline |
|---|---|---|
| To apply for a fall start | The fifth Friday of the term. | Students will be notified about decisions approximately one month after the application deadline. |
| To apply for a spring start | The fifth Friday of the term. | Students will be notified about decisions approximately one month after the application deadline. |
| To apply for a summer start | This program does not accept applications to start in the summer. |
Prospective UW-Madison Students
All prospective UW–Madison students must apply through the central Office of Admissions and Recruitment.
Students who indicate interest in Community and Organizational Development on their UW–Madison application will be admitted to the major upon admittance to the University. In addition, students may indicate interest in Community and Organizational Development when registering for Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR).
University Requirements
All undergraduate students must complete both the following Core General Education (Core GenEd) and University Degree and Quality of Work requirements. The requirements below apply to students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution is Summer 2026 or later.
Students whose first term at UW-Madison or whose earliest post-high school college attendance at any institution occurred before Summer 2026 should refer to the archived Guide for the requirements that apply to them.
Core General Education (Core GenEd) Requirements
| Civics & Perspectives | 3 credits of Civics & Perspectives coursework. |
| Communication & Literacy | 6 credits of Communication & Literacy coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingenglishplacement |
| Humanities & Arts | 6 credits of Humanities & Arts coursework. |
| Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning | 6 credits of Mathematics & Quantitative Reasoning coursework. This requirement may be partially satisfied by a qualifying placement test score. For more information see this tiny url: https://go.wisc.edu/qualifyingmathplacement |
| Natural Science & Wellness | Complete both:
|
| Social & Behavioral Science | 3 credits of Social & Behavioral Science coursework. |
| Total Credits | 30 credits. |
For more information see the policy.
University Degree and Quality of Work Requirements
All undergraduate degree recipients must complete the following minimum requirements. Requirements for some programs will exceed these requirements; see program requirements for additional information.
| Total Degree | 120 degree credits. |
| Residency | Complete 30 credits in residence. A course is considered “in residence” if it is taken when in undergraduate degree-seeking status and:
|
| Quality of Work | Achieve at least the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, and/or academic program. |
| Math | Demonstrate minimal mathematics competence by: |
| English Language | If required to take the UW-Madison English as a Second Language Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT), demonstrate minimal English language competence by:
|
| Language | Complete one:
|
| Major Declaration | Declare and complete the requirements for at least one major. |
School of Human Ecology BS Requirements
All Human Ecology majors share the requirements listed below. Each major has additional requirements. A single course can simultaneously count toward university, school, and major requirements if it carries the relevant designations
| Human Ecology Breadth | 6 credits in the School of Human Ecology (CNSR SCI, CSCS, DS, HDFS, INTER-HE) taken outside of the home department of the major. Excludes INTER-HE 202 or 601. |
| Communication A | Complete either:
|
| Communication B | One course with the Communication B designation. |
| Quantitative Reasoning A | Complete either:
|
| Quantitative Reasoning B | One course with the Quantitative Reasoning B designation. |
| Humanities/Literature/Arts | 9 credits with the Humanities, Literature, or Language designations. |
| Social Science | 9 credits with the Social Sciences designation. |
| Natural Science | 9 credits with the Biological, Natural, or Physical Science designations. |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 credits with the Ethnic Studies designation. |
Graduation Requirements
| Cumulative Credits | Students must earn 120 degree credits. |
| Quality of Work | Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. |
| Residency | Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison. |
Community and Organizational Development Requirements
A complete list of requirements is below. Students should follow the curriculum requirements in place at the time they entered the major. This requirement list should be used in combination with a DARS report.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Statistical Methods | ||
| Statistics for Sociologists I | ||
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Basic Statistics for Psychology | ||
| Statistics: Measurement in Economics | ||
| Community and Organizational Development Core Courses | ||
| CSCS 125 | Community and Social Change | 3 |
| CSCS 300 | Nonprofit Sector: Overview and Foundations | 3 |
| CSCS 345 | Evaluation and Planning for Community and Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
| CSCS 510 | Design & Write Grant Proposals | 3 |
| CSCS 570 | Community Based Research and Evaluation | 3 |
| CSCS 600 | Community Leadership Portfolio Capstone | 3 |
| Community and Organizational Development Pathways | ||
| Select 9 credits from one of the following depth areas: | 9 | |
| Community Transformation and Innovation | ||
| Social Media for Social Justice | ||
| Introduction to Social Innovation | ||
| American Indian Communities: Sovereignty, Struggles, and Successes | ||
| Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives | ||
| Entrepreneurialism and Society | ||
| The Human Rights of Children and Youth: Global and Local Perspectives | ||
| Global Health and Communities: From Research to Praxis | ||
| Community and Social Innovation Lab | ||
| Organizational Development | ||
| Communicating with Key Audiences | ||
| Philanthropy and Civic Engagement | ||
| Fundraising & Development for Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Civil Society and Community Leadership | ||
| Purpose-Driven Organizations | ||
| Nonprofit Board Leadership | ||
| Create Your Own Depth Pathway | ||
| Career Readiness | ||
| CSCS 254 | Career Pathways in Community & Organizational Development | 1 |
| INTER-HE 202 | SoHE Career & Leadership Development | 1 |
| INTER-HE 601 | Internship | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select electives to fulfill degree requirement of 120 credits | ||
Learning Outcomes
- (Ecological perspectives on community and society) Articulate and apply an ecological perspective at discrete levels of analysis (individual, group, community, and society).
- (Civic literacy and the public sphere) Assess the major trends in civil society recognizing the influence and interconnectedness across the major sectors of society and exhibit strong capacity for sustained, high impact participation in civic life.
- (Identity, diversity, and social justice) Recognize well-being and social justice as relational and position, applying these principles in community organizing and empowerment.
- (Organizational management and professional development) Demonstrate entry-level knowledge and skills relevant to nonprofit and community organizations and exhibit the practices of a lifelong learner.
- (Research, analysis, and communication) Vet and/or generate high quality data, perform relevant analyses, and share results with target audiences using oral, written, and visual communication techniques.
- (Leadership, ethics, and well-being) Recognize the value of being a reflective, ethical leader who cultivates others’ strengths and leadership capabilities, while exhibiting self-care and care for others.
Four-Year Plan
This is a sample four-year plan for Community and Organizational Development. It is intended as a general guide and may not reflect the most current course offerings or requirement designations. We encourage all students to work with their academic advisor to develop an individualized plan and to verify all degree requirements through their DARS report.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CSCS 125 | 3 | CSCS 254 | 1 | ||
| Communication A | 3 | Communication B | 3-4 | ||
| Ethnic Studies | 3 | Social Science | 3 | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning A | 3 | Human Ecology Breadth | 3 | ||
| Science | 3 | Science | 3 | ||
| Humanities | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 16-17 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CSCS 300 | 3 | CSCS 345 | 3 | ||
| Human Ecology Breadth | 3 | INTER-HE 202 | 1 | ||
| Social Science | 3 | Statistics | 3 | ||
| Humanities | 3 | Humanities | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Science | 3 | ||
| Elective | 2 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CSCS 510 | 3 | Community and Organizational Development Depth | 3 | INTER-HE 601 | 3 |
| CSCS 570 | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Social Science | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3-4 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | |||
| 15-16 | 12 | 3 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| CSCS 600 | 3 | Community and Organizational Development Depth | 3 | ||
| Community and Organizational Development Depth | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 2 | Elective | 3 | ||
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 | ||
| 14 | 15 | ||||
| Total Credits 120-122 | |||||
Advising and Careers
Advising & Career Center
The Advising & Career Center (ACC) fosters undergraduate students' personal, academic, and professional development. Through advising, academic planning, and career education, we support students as they navigate the college experience—from exploring our majors as prospective students to becoming Human Ecology alumni.
Academic Advising
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to an academic advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Human Ecology academic advisors support academic and personal success by partnering with current and prospective Human Ecology students as they identify and clarify their educational goals, develop meaningful academic plans, and pursue their own Wisconsin Experience.
To explore academic advising resources or schedule an appointment with Human Ecology academic advisor, visit Academic Advising in Human Ecology.
Career Development
Each Human Ecology student is assigned to a career advisor in the Advising & Career Center. Active engagement in the career development process is a vital component of a student’s personal growth in college and future success as a lifelong learner, professional, and global citizen. Human Ecology career advisors help prepare students for life post-graduation through advising and integration of career readiness throughout our curriculum.
To explore career development resources or schedule an appointment with a Human Ecology career advisor, visit Career Development in Human Ecology.
For information about possible career paths related to this major, check out What Can I Do With A Major In Community Organization & Development?
Wisconsin Experience
Internships
Internships are a vital component of student career development and a highly valued part of the undergraduate curriculum in the School of Human Ecology. By bringing classroom theories to life in real-world settings, high-quality internships foster essential professional development. They provide a unique opportunity for students to explore careers related to their major, gain hands-on experience in a field of interest, and understand workplace expectations by performing professional tasks in their chosen field.
For Human Ecology majors, completing an internship is a required part of the undergraduate curriculum. To fulfill this requirement, students must meet the following criteria:
- Enrollment Requirements: Have at least junior standing (54+ credits) and taken INTER-HE 202 (SoHE Career & Leadership Development) before pursuing the internship.
- Time Commitment: Complete a minimum of 150 hours at the internship site to earn 3 academic credits.
- Eligibility & Approval: Secure an internship that is educational in nature, directly related to their major and career goals, and verified and approved by the Advising & Career Center.
- Note: Additional course prerequisites may be required for certain Human Ecology majors.
For more information and step-by-step guidance, please visit Human Ecology Internships.
Student Organizations
To see our active list of Human Ecology Student Orgs and for more information about joining, please visit Human Ecology Student Organizations.
Learn more about UW–Madison registered student organizations through the Wisconsin Involvement Network.
Resources and Scholarships
Scholarships
The School of Human Ecology (SoHE) awards many merit and need-based scholarships each year. Students can learn more about these opportunities on the Human Ecology scholarships webpage. To be eligible for these awards, scholarship recipients must be registered as full-time Human Ecology students. For further questions on the scholarship application, please contact the School of Human Ecology Scholarship Coordinator at scholarships@sohe.wisc.edu.
Support Resources
Human Ecology students experiencing personal, academic, or financial challenges should contact SoHE Academic Deans Services. Additional campus resources include the Financial Aid Basic Needs website, Office of Student Assistance and Support, and University Health Services.