Harness 21^st-century tools to help communities lift themselves. Volunteers work with development banks, nongovernmental organizations, and municipalities to strengthen infrastructure and encourage economic opportunities in communities. They frequently teach in classroom settings and work with entrepreneurs and business owners to develop and market their products. Some Volunteers also teach basic computer skills and help communities take advantage of technologies such as e-commerce, distance learning, and more.

If you choose Community Economic Development, take three courses from any of the following areas:

• Accounting: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • ACCT 2331- Accounting Principles 1- Financial
  • ACCT 2332- Accounting Principles 2- Managerial
  • ACCT 3366- Financial Reporting Frameworks
• Art: Any Art courses related to Graphic Design. Recommended courses include:
  • ART 1330- Fundamentals of Graphic Design
  • ART 3330- Intermediate Graphic Design
  • ART 3331- Graphic Design Software
• Communications: Any classes related to mass communication. Recommended courses include:
  • COMM 1301- Media and Society
  • COMM 3353- Information & Communication Technologies I
  • COMM 3379- Popular Culture and the Mass Media
• Computer Science: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • COSC 1300- Introduction to Computing
  • COSC 1304- C Programming
  • COSC 1306- Computer Science and Programming
• Entrepreneurship: Any courses. Recommended courses are listed below. Note: Students who take ENTR courses are recommended to pursue one of the Entrepreneurship certificates offered at the UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship.
  • ENTR 3310- Entrepreneurship
  • ENTR 3311- Technology Entrepreneurship
  • ENTR 3312- Corporate Entrepreneurship
  • ENTR 3321- Social Entrepreneurship
  • ENTR 4393- RED Labs Pre-Accelerator
  • ENTR 4394- RED Labs Accelerator
• Finance: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • FINA 3332- Principles of Financial Management
  • FINA 4353- Practicum on Personal Finance Planning
  • FINA 4355- International Risk Management
  • FINA 4360- International Financial Management
• General Business Administration: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • GENB 3302- Connecting Bauer to Business (only open to business majors)
• International Business: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • INT 3354- Introduction to Global Business
  • INTB 3355- Global Environment of Business
• Marketing: Any courses. Recommended courses include:
  • MARK 3336- Introduction to Marketing
  • MARK 3339- Marketing Strategy & Planning
  • MARK 4332- Social Media Marketing
  • MARK 4366- International Marketing
• Mathematics: Any of the courses below:
  • MATH 1311: Elementary Mathematical Modeling
  • MATH 1313: Finite Mathematics with Applications
  • MATH 1314: Calculus for Business and the Life Sciences
  • MATH 2311: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
• Sociology: Any of the courses below:
  • SOC 3341- Organizations (available fall 2020)
  • SOC 3342- The Sociology of Work
  • SOC 3357- Urban Sociology
• Social Work: Any of the courses below. Note: The courses below are only open to undergraduate students who are part of the Non-Profit Leadership Alliance program.
  • SOCW 3330- Nonprofit Financial Management
  • SOCW 3354- Nonprofit Management
  • SOCW 4301- Internship in Human Services

And build 50 hours of related field experience through an activity such as:

• Working with businesses, organizations, or cooperatives in accounting, finance, microfinance, management, project management, budgeting, or marketing. Look into interning with any of these offices:
  • Asian Chamber of Commerce
  • Greater Houston Partnership
  • Houston International Trade Development Council
  • Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston
  • South Asian Chamber of Commerce
• Starting and running your own business or other entrepreneurial activity. Some entrepreneurial centers to check out include:
  • Chick Tech Houston
  • Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship – Located on UH Campus
• Website design or online marketing or training others in computer literacy, maintenance, and repair
  • IEDA Relief
• A UH social entrepreneurship program that provides free financial and business education, ongoing business consulting, and prepares entrepreneurs to access capital. They facilitate partnerships between UH students, industry experts, and entrepreneurs form under-resourced communities:
  • Stimulating Urban Renewal through Entrepreneurship (SURE)
• A UH student organization that empowers volunteers and under-resourced communities to resolve global health and economic disparities in an effort to improve equality:
  • Bauer Global Brigades
• If you have an interest in the non-profit sector, we recommend doing the Nonprofit Management Certificate & Credential Program at UH:
  • Nonprofit Leadership Alliance
• Here are some governmental and non-profit offices who are regularly looking for interns:
  • Asia Society
  • City of Houston, Mayor's Office of Trade and International Affairs
  • World Affairs Council