Community development is defined as an interdisciplinary social sciences profession with the major functions being the land-grant triumvirate of teaching, research, and extension. The type of curriculum and other training needed for producing community development professionals is outlined. Also, the type of interdisciplinary management system required for coordinating the research, teaching, and extension functions is explored. The creation of an interdisciplinary structure, in the form of a center or institute, to support interdisciplinary programs is suggested. The major objectives of the proposed interdisciplinary center or institute for community development include providing: (1) a unit for coordinating, planning, and programming community development extension, research, and teaching programs; (2) sufficient resources of personnel and programs to attract outside funding; (3) a unit for planning long-range policy, staffing patterns, etc.; (4) a unit which can provide a coherent and coordinated liaison with the other states and with the Regional Centers for Rural Development; (5) a unit for developing cooperative and coordinated programming with Federal, state, regional, and local agencies; and (6) a unit for planning and sponsoring training for graduate students, extension agents, and other agency personnel working in community development research and extension. (Author/PS)