Urban Studies and Planning is an interdisciplinary program providing an undergraduate course of study that focuses on solutions to the major problems stemming from the complexities of contemporary urban life. The Urban Studies and Planning curriculum is designed for students who:

1. Wish to enter professional graduate schools in such fields as urban planning, urban design, environmental planning, social welfare, law and public administration, and international development;
2. Intend to begin their professional careers at the end of their baccalaureate education through employment in various governmental agencies, private firms or nonprofit organizations concerned with urban issues, regional planning, real estate development and community development; or
3. Desire a social science degree that emphasizes the study of the historical and modern city.

The major in Urban Studies and Planning requires all students to complete a set of lower division introductory courses and upper division core courses. This part of the curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the urban environment and training in the appropriate principles and methods of planning and urban analysis. In addition to the lower division and core course requirements, students must complete a set of elective courses within one of four designated specializations.

As a complement to the coursework, students are required to complete supervised field research and an internship with a public agency, a nonprofit organization or a private-sector organization conducting planning-related work. These experiences help to provide students with professional experience to begin careers in planning and with the skills to find solutions to urban problems and situations.

A. Core Course Requirements

All Urban Studies and Planning majors are required to complete the lower division required courses and the upper division core courses. Students must then choose from one of four specializations. The first three specializations provide students the opportunity to develop a level of expertise within a subfield of urban studies and planning. These three specializations are: (1) urban and regional planning; (2) housing, community and economic development; and (3) environmental planning and sustainability. The fourth specialization provides students the opportunity to customize their own area of specialization in consultation with an advisor. Within each specialization, 9 units must consist of URBS courses and 6 units must be taken outside the department.

1. Lower Division Required Courses (6 units)

URBS 206 Introduction to Graphic Communication Tools Used by Urban Studies and Planning Professionals (3)
URBS 250 Planning the Multiethnic City (3)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (22 units)

URBS 300 Planning Theory (3)
URBS 310 Growth and Sustainable Development of Cities (3)
URBS 340A Quantitative Urban Research Methods (3)
URBS 340B Qualitative Urban Research Methods (3)
URBS 440 Community-Based Urban Design (3)
URBS 450 Urban Problems Seminar (4)
URBS 460 Legal Foundations of Planning (3)

3. Field Work and Internship (6 units)

URBS 490C Field Work (3)
URBS 494C Internship (3)

B. Specialization Requirements

Choose one of the following specializations.

1. Urban and Regional Planning (15 units)

The objective of this specialization is to train students to effectively design and implement plans and public policies in urban, regional and international settings. Students will study the linkages between the social, economic and political factors of urban society. Urban and regional planning career opportunities exist in city, county, regional, state and national government, private consulting firms, nonprofit organizations, and research and academic institutions. This specialization prepares graduates for positions in transportation planning, zoning administration, economic development planning and neighborhood planning.

Choose 15 units from the following:

2. Housing, Community and Economic Development (15 units)

This specialization focuses on how planners and policy leaders influence the social and economic factors that shape metropolitan economies and urban neighborhoods. Housing covers the general issues of providing decent, safe and affordable housing for all members of the community. Community and economic development is concerned with the creation, preservation and revitalization of neighborhoods. This specialization prepares graduates for positions in housing, community development, neighborhood revitalization, workforce development and center city redevelopment.

Choose 15 units from the following:

3. Environmental Planning and Sustainability (15 units)

This is an interdisciplinary specialization designed to train planners to make decisions about the interactions between nature and society in a way that balances resources used in the present with the resource needs of the future. Environmental planning rests centrally on the notion of sustainable development. This field covers a broad range of planning issues that includes urban ecology, habitat conservation, environmental justice, land use planning, transportation planning, resource and waste management, environmental health, water, energy and air quality planning, green building, smart growth and ecosystem management.

Choose 15 units from the following:

4. Custom Specialization (15 units)

This specialization is intended to give students the flexibility to synthesize across the very diverse aspects of urban studies as well as urban and regional planning, community and economic development, urban design, environmental planning and sustainability. In close consultation with faculty advisors, students may customize a program that meets their specific interests and needs. It is particularly suited to individuals who have very broad interests and understand the value of a generalist approach to planning.

C. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog.

D. Exceptions and Restrictions

1. Students may double count URBS 310 as credit for a core course requirement and a General Education requirement.
2. Students may count ECON 160 or ECON 161 as an upper division elective course.

Total Units in the Major/Specialization: 49

General Education Units: 45

Additional Units: 26

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120

If you would like more information about this program, please contact rob.kent@csun.edu.