MBA CONCENTRATION

Child, Youth and Family Services Management

THE CHILD, YOUTH AND FAMILY (CYF) SERVICES MANAGEMENT concentration prepares graduates for a wide variety of leadership and management roles in organizations whose mission it is to foster healthy development of children, youth, and families.

Students acquire technical skills through rigorous preparation in core management concepts, tools, and applications for use in government, not-for-profit, and private sector organizations. The curriculum combines theory and practice to ensure that graduates bring scholarly knowledge to bear on real-world problems.

FOCUS OF THE CONCENTRATION

Changes in the structure and functions of households and in the dynamics of neighborhoods, schools, and the workforce are just a few of the issues facing families today. In order to influence policies and manage programs to benefit children, youth, and families, scholars and professionals must understand the fundamentals of human development; the dramatic social, political, and economic changes affecting family and community life; and new directions in system and program design, organizational development, and social capital and community building. This requires knowledge of relevant theory and practice in the areas of demography, family structure, education, work and support systems for healthy development and self-sufficiency, early intervention and prevention strategies, positive youth development, asset mapping, and community building.

The concentration courses address these many issues with a focus on the broad spectrum of American policies that affect human development. Graduates of the program assume roles as managers, program planners, evaluators, policy analysts, researchers, and educators. In these positions, they influence the lives of many young people. The concentration helps students achieve their goals through mentoring and advising, formal courses, colloquia, research responsibilities, and informal interaction with faculty.

INSTITUTE FOR CHILD, YOUTH AND FAMILY POLICY

The Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy provides a "home within a home" for CYF concentrators. The Institute brings together faculty, research and program staff, and students in activities that foster the well-being of children, adolescents, and their families.

The Institute is interdisciplinary, with representation from medicine, psychology, public health, social work, sociology, social policy and management. The Institute conducts policy research, evaluation research, and management and leadership consulting in the non-profit sector, while promoting active public engagement in policy making and contributing to the teaching programs of the Heller School. The Institute has a wide-ranging portfolio of research and public engagement projects dealing with vulnerable or disenfranchised populations, reflecting the school's mission of knowledge advancing social justice.

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