Global Youth Development Department

Lindsey Nichols, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Director

Housed in the Department of Counselor Education, this interdisciplinary master's degree program is designed for students who wish to engage in culturally-relevant volunteer work or paid employment in the realm of child and family assistance. It is affiliated with the United States Peace Corps as a partner school for their master's international program. Requirements include one year of full-time instruction at UM, a significant period of time engaging in internship work in an applied intercultural setting, and a final professional paper or thesis. Internships will typically be 1-2 years and will involve work in a culture other than one's own. Students participating in this program are expected to gain the following background and competencies:

  • important interculturally-informed helping skills for working with youth, women, families and communities in culture other than their own
  • a solid background in issues, concerns, and critiques regarding assistance and interventions across culture, both historically and currently
  • the opportunity to pursue and participate in a significant field experience, working with an established helping agency in another culture or country

Undergraduate Degrees Available

Subject Type Option Track
Human and Family Development Minor

Course Descriptions

Intercultural Youth & Fam Dev

  • IYFD 501 - Intercultural Dev't - I

    Credits: 3. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. Offered autumn. Explorations of child rearing practices, parenting beliefs, and cultural variations in infancy and early child development.

  • IYFD 502 - Intercultural Dev't - II

    Credits: 3. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. Offered spring. Explorations of cultural variations in later childhood, adolescence and adulthood, with particular focus on issues such as multicultural adoption, identity, and the role of poverty.

  • IYFD 510 - Intercultural Skills

    Credits: 2. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. Offered autumn. Focus on applied skills in two areas: crosscultural negotiation and conflict management; program development and grant writing.

  • IYFD 520 - Critical Issues

    Credits: 2. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. Exploration of psychological, political, spiritual, ethical, and practical dimensions of offering assistance cross-culturally.  This course includes discussion of ethical and personal issues related to intercultural work, gender and development, trauma, program evaluation, etc.

  • IYFD 595 - Special Topics

    Credits: 2 TO 6. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

  • IYFD 596 - Independent Study

    Credits: 1 TO 6. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-6) Offered every term. Directed readings and other individualized study topics guided by faculty.

  • IYFD 598 - Internship

    Credits: 1 TO 6. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-6) Offered every term. Introduction to service learning in applied settings, usually local.

  • IYFD 599 - Professional Project

    Credits: 1 TO 2. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-2) Offered every term. Final Master's project related to internship; may be presented as a grant proposal, policy analysis, or portfolio.

  • IYFD 698 - Intercultural Internship

    Credits: 1 TO 4. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-4) Offered every term. Supervised intercultural experience through Peace Corps, VISTA, or other organization approved by program faculty.

  • IYFD 699 - Thesis

    Credits: 1 TO 2. Level: Undergraduate, Graduate. (R-2) Offered every term. Final master's thesis based on research related to internship placement.