Community development courses

Community development professionals work with communities to run projects and programs that make them stronger and healthier.

Working in this field, you could find yourself based in an Indigenous community in Australia’s top end, delivering projects for better education outcomes; or working with a local council to help young people feel safer in their community; or even overseas, helping a village run environmentally sustainable projects.

It’s crucial that community members are involved in the development process and your key job will be to support them.

Working with different, sometimes vulnerable communities can be complex. In your community development course, you’ll learn how to interact with people in constructive, respectful, and culturally safe ways.

Depending on your course, you may study topics such as:

• Counselling

• Social justice

• Advocacy

• Policy

• Welfare

• Foreign aid

• Human rights

• Sustainability

• Working with Indigenous communities

If you’re not yet sure if community development is quite right for you, browse other study options:

• Sociology courses

• Mental health courses

• Public health courses

• Environmental science courses

The entry requirements for online community development courses will vary depending on the study level you choose. Check individual course pages to find out more.

Luckily, even if you don’t think you meet the entry requirements, Open Universities Australia may be able to help you find a pathway into your chosen field of study. Contact us to find out how.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide: 

If you study a degree in community development through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

Absolutely. Studying online through Open Universities Australia will give you the flexibility you need to balance your studies and life commitments.

Opting for an online community development course means you can build your skills at a pace that suits you. You’ll be able to study where and when you want, and fit your study around existing work commitments, while accessing all the study support you need.

Yes—many community development courses offered through Open Universities Australia include practical, hands-on learning experiences as part of the curriculum. This often takes the form of work placements, community-based projects, or internships that allow you to apply your knowledge in real-world settings.

These experiences are designed to help you develop industry-relevant skills, build professional networks, and gain a deeper understanding of how community development theory translates into practice.

The exact nature of the practical components—such as the number of hours, type of organisation, or whether they're optional or mandatory—will depend on the course and the university delivering it. For the most accurate information, it’s best to check the course details or speak with a student advisor who can guide you based on your interests and goals.

After graduating your community development course, you could land a role as a:

• Community service officer

• Project coordinator

• Community health worker

• Youth engagement officer

• Policy officer

• Support worker

• International aid worker

• Researcher

As a community development graduate, you could find work in the:

• Not-for-profit sector, working for an NGO

• Public sector, for a government agency or local council

• Private sector, as a consultant for a private company

Enrolling online is simple. Here’s how it works:

1. Find your course

• Browse the options on this page.

• Use our comparison tool to explore the different choices.

• Need help? Book a free phone consultation with a student advisor for personalised guidance.

2. Start your enrolment

• When you’re ready, click ‘Start studying now’ on the course page.

• Follow the prompts to begin your enrolment.

• You’ll need to provide supporting documents, such as:

  • Proof of identity

  • Your tax file number

  • A Unique Student Identifier (USI)

3. Wait for confirmation

Your chosen university will email you to confirm if your enrolment has been successful.

Note: Some courses have enquiries and applications handled directly by the university. If this applies, it will be clearly stated on the course listing page.

For more details, check our online self-service enrolment guide. And if you need help at any stage, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.