Published on: Sunday, 01 May 2011

The origins of the Bachelor of Arts in Community Development (BACD) Programme lies in the recession of the 1980s, when a number of ‘grassroots’ organisations across Cork City emerged to combat poverty and social exclusion. From these kinds of community initiatives emerged some really positive work with local communities. A particularly innovative development has been in relation to professional community work education provision at CIT. The BACD Programme provides a route to professional community work education. Indeed, we are delighted that the BACD (Hons) Programme recently received conditional endorsement from the Interim Endorsement Board, an all-Ireland community work accreditation initiative.

The BACD Course Team has strong links with the local Colleges of Further Education across Cork City. We also work in partnership with other groups and communities across the region on a voluntary basis. For example, one member of the course team works with Cork Community Television (CCTV), while Margaret O’Keeffe works with a local Cork-based domestic violence intervention project MOVE (men overcoming violence). This kind of local work means that our degree programme remains ‘real’ and grounded in the needs of local communities across Cork City and County. Basically, we believe that community work provides opportunities for people and their communities to grow and develop (especially in difficult times such as the present).

We look forward to the next academic year (2011-2012). We very much invite and welcome direct entry applications to year 2 or year 3 of the BACD Programme. Alongside the usual academic requirements, we also ask that any intending applicants would have some significant community experience.

Anyone interested in further information on the Programme should contact
Ms Anne Deasy at
T: 021 433 5930 
E: anne.deasy@cit.ie
or
Dr Margaret O’Keeffe
T: 021 433 5932 
E: margaret.okeeffe@cit.ie