Poverty and Development

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Poverty and Development

The Old and New Testaments repeatedly emphasize God's heart for people who are living in poverty. In fact, the Bible reveals that caring for people who are poor is one of the central features of Christ's mission, a mission that He continues to accomplish through His people鈥攑eople like you and me (Luke 7:18-22; I John 3:16-18).

On this page Overview Graduate Outcomes Programs / Features Faculty Contact

Program Overview

When it comes to alleviating poverty, good intentions are not enough. As described in the best-selling book produced by our program, When Helping Hurts, it is entirely possible to hurt people who are poor in the very process of trying to help them. In this light, the Poverty and Development Program draws on biblical insights, the latest research, and decades of practical experience to prepare students to promote lasting transformation for people who are poor both in the U.S. and around the world.

The newly launched Poverty and Development Program is an expansion of the Community Development Program that was founded nearly three decades ago at 爆料吃瓜网. The revised program retains our foundational theological commitments and principles but uses the conceptual frameworks and tools of social innovation to enable students to address poverty in a wider set of contexts, institutions, and sectors.

Students collaborating around tables and writing on large paper sheets during a classroom workshop.

Students discussing ideas and writing notes on a whiteboard during a classroom brainstorming session.

Students writing on large paper sheets covered with colorful sticky notes during a collaborative classroom activity.

Graduate Outcomes

Historically, students in our program have found employment in a wide range of settings, including non-profits, churches, ministries, international relief and development organizations, government, and philanthropy. The revised and expanded program incorporates the frameworks and tools social innovation, preparing students to address poverty in an even wider range of settings including business, arts, education, history, psychology, and health, among others.

Job Outcomes for Poverty and Development Majors:

Director of Savings Group Program Development, HOPE International
Neighborhood Engagement Specialist, Loaves and Fishes
Senior Community Development Specialist, Dollar Bank
Advocacy Manager, Center for Public Justice
Program Officer, Cornerstone Trust
Design, Monitoring, and Evaluation Specialist, World Vision
Conservation Impact Economist, The Nature Conservancy
Environmental Sustainability & Disaster Resilience Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Compassion International
Evaluation Specialist, Action for Kids
Policy Analyst, Maryland Department of Health
Volunteer and Co-Sponsorship Manager, Bridge Refugee Services
Grants & Impact Partnerships | Evidence-Based Decision-Making | Justice, World Relief
Family Physician, Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic 鈥� Freedom
Lecturer, Carey Baptist College, New Zealand
Performance Analysis Manager, HOPE International

Graduate Schools Attended by Poverty and Development Alumni:

Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
University of Sussex Institute for Development Studies
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Public Health
Penn State University Rural Sociology
Medical College of Georgia
爆料吃瓜网 Theological Seminary
Denver Seminary
University of Aberdeen鈥擳rinity College Bristol

Jonathan Wilson '06

Dave Connis 鈥�11

Glory Blankenship '20

Gracie Woodrow '18

I am continually encouraged that the depth of our students' convictions is matched only by their vitality of action. It is a blessing that out of a shared recognition of our need for Christ's love and guidance, we get to work alongside these students to find new ways to address poverty, in all its meanings.

Bruno Komel

Assistant Professor of Economics, Poverty, and Development

Programs & Features

The disciplines of economics and poverty and development have different perspectives, tools, strengths, and weaknesses. For this reason, many students find it valuable to major in both programs.

View Economics Page

The poverty and development major uses an interdisciplinary approach to examine how the mission of God addresses the whole person in a wide range of institutional and cultural settings.

View Requirements

Students can also pursue a poverty and development minor, which will prepare them for careers and graduate study in a range of disciplines.

View Requirements

All poverty and development students are required to complete a field experience or internship, which normally takes place during the summer after the student's junior year. Department faculty work with partner organizations to provide opportunities for students to apply their coursework in either the U.S. or international settings.

Because the causes of poverty are multifaceted, the solutions must be as well. One of the unique and exciting features of the program is that students who major in Poverty and Development are required to obtain a minor or a second major in a field of their choice. Because diversity fosters creativity and innovation, the complementary program requirement provides fertile soil for germinating new ideas.

PDV 210 Theory of Poverty and Human Flourishing
PDV 215 Institutions and Inequality
PDV 300 Living and Working in a Multicultural Context
PDV330 Poverty, Trauma, and Practitioner Response
PDV 340 Cross-Cultural Learning Design and Facilitation
PDV 351 Poverty and Innovation I

鈥淭ransitional Housing: An Effective Tool for Housing America's Homeless Young Men鈥�
鈥淔rom Superficial to Sacrificial: Rediscovering Biblical Hospitality in Refugee Co-Sponsorship Programs鈥�
鈥淢obile Money as a Poverty Alleviation Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa鈥�
鈥淪ustainable Agriculture and Food Insecurity鈥�
鈥淜ayayei: Carrying Shalom in the Marketplace鈥�

Guided Capstone Requirements

In 1999, the department faculty launched , a research and training organization that helps God鈥檚 people to rethink poverty and respond with practical biblical principles so that all are restored to flourishing. The Center鈥檚 work and extensive networks provide opportunities for department faculty and students to learn from practitioners pursuing state-of-the-art strategies to alleviate poverty both in the U.S. and Majority World (Africa, Asia, and Latin America).

Meet the Faculty

Brian Fikkert Professor of Economics, Poverty, and Development

Bruno K枚mel Assistant Professor of Economics, Poverty, and Development

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