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Urban Studies and Planning

Bachelor of Arts, Accelerated Master's, Minor

About this program

The Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning helps you understand how cities grow, change, face challenges and implement solutions. Courses blend social science, policy and planning to show how urban life can be improved — with a problem-solving focus that equips its graduates to understand and address the most pressing issues facing cities today. You will build strong research and problem-solving skills while completing a hands-on internship and senior project. Topics like housing, pollution and inequality are key parts of the program. Graduates are ready for careers in planning, community work or graduate study.

Program Curriculum and Requirements

Major Accelerated Master's Minor

What you can do

Employment Opportunities

A degree from SFSU’s Urban Studies and Planning Program prepares you for careers such as:

Affordable Housing Managers, Community and Economic Development Managers, Environmental Policy Analysts, Health and Social Service Advocates, Real Estate Analysts, Transportation Planners, Urban Policy and Planning Consultants, Urban and Regional Planners

Advanced Degrees

Some USP graduates pursue graduate degrees, whether immediately after completing their B.A. degree or later, after gaining some professional work experience. A few real-life examples include:

Law (UC Law), Master of City or Urban Planning (UC Berkeley, San Jose State University), Master of Public Administration (SFSU), Master of Public Policy (UC Berkeley)

Program Scope

The mission of the Urban Studies and Planning Program at San Francisco State University is to prepare students for professional and civic involvement to improve the quality of urban life. We do this by offering an interdisciplinary curriculum that helps students understand, analyze and address the dynamics of cities and evolving urban issues and by encouraging them to be informed and engaged citizens.

  • To prepare students for professional and civic involvement to improve the quality of urban life
  • To offer a curriculum which is responsive to changing urban problems and policies
  • To contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the dynamics of urban life
  • To help Bay Area communities through applied research and other faculty and student activities

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Understand the basic evolution and development of cities, the fields of urban studies and planning and the tools and approaches practitioners in these fields use to address urban issues.
  2. Be familiar with a range of perspectives and methods used to understand and analyze the dynamics of urban life.
  3. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to analyze and critically evaluate urban issues;
    Understand the interactions between cities, metropolitan regions, and global forces.
  4. Be sensitive to and knowledgeable about the importance of equity and ethics in the fields of urban studies and planning.
  1. Demonstrate competence in writing about the dynamics of cities informed by urban theory and practice; skills - critical thinking, oral presentation, GWAR.
  2. Demonstrate research and analytic skills used in urban studies and planning fields, including the ability to think critically, design and execute research, collect, analyze, and interpret relevant evidence, and formulate reasoned conclusions.
  3. Be familiar with basic spatial and statistical analyses of urban data.
  1. Apply subject area knowledge and skills in a wide range of professional settings.
  2. Have an ethical and proactive stance towards addressing solving urban challenges.
  3. Demonstrate critical thinking, research, writing, presentation, and teamwork skills.

Transfer Students

Students transferring in from a California Community College may qualify for one of USP’s four Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) Pathways, which make it easier to transition smoothly and graduate on time.

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Accelerated Master's Program

SFSU Accelerated Bachelors + Masters

The SFSU Accelerated Bachelors + Masters program offers undergraduates an accelerated path to a graduate degree, allowing motivated students to combine both a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies and Planning with a Master of Arts in Public Administration (MPA).

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Minor in Urban Studies and Planning

The Minor in Urban Studies and Planning gives you a strong foundation in how cities work and how they can change for the better. You will study urban life through social science, policy and planning. Along the way, you build research and critical thinking skills that help you understand issues like housing, pollution and inequality. This minor pairs well with many majors and prepares you to engage with urban problems in any career.

Learn more about the Minor in Urban Studies and Planning.

Admissions and Aid

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