Graduate Certificate in Urban Studies and Planning

This 15-unit, interdisciplinary graduate certificate in regional and urban planning is designed for students and working professionals in such fields as urban planning, urban design, environmental planning, social welfare, public administration and law. The program offers exposure to different planning environments through field experiences and assignments, and features the following:

• A base thoroughly grounded in academic and applied dimensions of the field;
• A sound understanding of the key issues and problems confronting urban societies and the education and knowledge necessary to create effective solutions;
• Applied experiences that deal with addressing urban planning problems through public and public-private partnerships, utilizing interactions between government planning and the private sector at various levels;
• Exploration of the role of local community-based organizations (CBOs) in the urban planning process;
• Techniques of participatory, democratic decision-making in urban communities;
• Recognition and emphasis on cross-cultural urban planning values;
• A focus on the importance of global forces in shaping local planning agendas;
• A working understanding of the concepts of sustainable development and environmental impact analysis.

Program Format and Features

In the cohort format, students enter and proceed through the course of instruction as a group. Features unique to the cohort format include:

• A predetermined course schedule
• Guaranteed enrollment in every class
• Courses presented sequentially, one at a time, in an accelerated mode
• Interactive group learning
• Group site visits with the opportunity to plan and solve design issues in actual, real-world problems

The cohort model has achieved higher student retention and completion rates than other models.

Completion Requirements

To complete the certificate program, the student must:

• Complete all five courses;
• Complete all requirements for each course, which may include examinations or field experience assignments;
• Maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 in the program.