
The Master of Arts in Youth Development is a collaborative, multi-institutional program offered totally online. This degree is designed to promote an understanding of communities and families and to prepare students to have an impact on the development of youth in their homes, neighborhoods, and society. American youth born since the early 1980s are projected to be the largest, most ethnically diverse generation of adolescents in the history of the United States, and this program is designed to address that demographic shift.
The curriculum is focused on the promotion of positive development of all young people. It is designed for individuals who wish to work in a variety of youth-related professions, including youth-serving organizations and programs such as Boys and Girls Clubs, community recreation specialties, youth programs sponsored by faith-based institutions, correctional professions, or within U.S. Extension Programs.
The College of Social Science, in collaboration with Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA), offers this program with all course work delivered via the Internet/World Wide Web by faculty from multiple land-grant universities: Michigan State University, University of Missouri, North Dakota State University, Texas Tech University and the University of Nebraska.
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The program is available only online and only under Plan B (without thesis). Each student’s course of study must be developed and approved in consultation with the academic adviser. Each course is offered at least once every other year. The student must complete a total of 36 credits, of which 27 credits is course work required by Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) consortium, distributed as follows:
All of the following core courses (27 credits):
Adolescents and Their Families 3
Consumers of Research 3
Foundations of Youth Development 3
Personnel and Program Management 3
Positive Youth Development in Community Settings 3
Program Design and Evaluation 3
Youth Development 3
Youth-Adult Partnerships 3
Youth Policy and Positive Youth Development 3
Complete 9 credits of electives from the following:
Adolescent Health and Sexuality 3
Grant and Administration 3
Youth, Sports, and Society 3
Youth, Families, and Technology 3
Youth and Complex Social Systems 3
Youth Culture 3
Youth Mental Health 3
This enrollment will vary at each institution and may require a master’s thesis, project, or practicum. At Michigan State University, students will fulfill this requirement by enrolling in course work approved by the student’s academic adviser.
For the most up-to-date information, visit the registrar's website.
Michigan State University is a member of the Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA). This multi-state alliance of accredited universities offers fully online undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the human sciences. Universities share knowledge through a body of faculty with expertise in the fields. This allows each campus to contribute unique course offerings to the degree programs and students have access to experts in the field regardless of location. For instance, MSU faculty in the area of early care and education have been awarded grants to study and create innovative online learning strategies to work with children.
The Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) (https://www.idea.edu/) is different than other online universities in that:
In addition to Michigan State University, other participating institutions in these programs include:
For more information please contact:

Meagan Rau, MSU Innovative Digital Education Alliance Campus Coordinator
Address: 552 W. Circle Drive, 14 Human Ecology Building
Phone: 517-432-2266
Email: gpidea@msu.edu