Department of Urban Studies and Planning

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The Urban Studies Minor

The Department of Urban Studies and Planning offers a minor designed to equip students with the general research and analytic skills as well substantive knowledge necessary for work in urban planning and policy. It is ideally suited for students in the social sciences as well as programs like journalism who wish to complement their majors with applied analysis of critical contemporary issues.

The minor offers students the choice of two emphases: urban policy or urban planning. The core courses in the minor provide a foundation in urban analysis as well as an introduction to one of the emphases. The electives are chosen from the list of courses appropriate to each emphasis.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE URBAN STUDIES MINOR

I. CORE COURSES

  • USP 400, Dynamics of the American City (3 units)

  • USP 492, Research Methods (4 units)

  • Foundation course in policy or planning: one of the following, chosen according to the student's choice of emphasis:

Urban Policy emphasis:
USP 480, Intro to Urban Policy & Analysis (4 units)

Urban Planning emphasis:
USP 658, Land Use Planning (4 units)

Total units in core: 11

II. EMPHASIS: URBAN POLICY OR URBAN PLANNING

    Three additional courses from either the urban policy or planning emphasis:

    (A) Urban Policy Emphasis:

  • USP 514: Sustainable Development (4)

  • USP 515: Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty and Urban Environment (4)

  • USP 560: Urban Poverty and Policy (4)

  • USP 565: Social Policy Family Systems (4)

  • USP 570: Urban Health Policy (3)

  • USP 580: Housing Policy & Planning (3)

  • USP 582: Homelessness and Public Policy (3)

  • USP 660: The roles of Nonprofit Organizations in Urban Life (3)

  • Approved substitute(s) with consent of advisor (3-4)

          (B) Urban Planning Emphasis

  • USP 433: Urban Transportation (4)

  • USP 513: Politics, Law and the Urban Environment (4)

  • USP 514: Sustainable Development in Cities (4)

  • USP 515: Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty and the Urban Environment (4)

  • USP 580: Housing Policy & Planning (3)

  • USP 652: Environmental Impact Analysis (4)

  • Approved substitute(s) with consent of advisor (3-4)

    Total units in emphasis: 9-12

Total units for minor: 20-23

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