BA in Urban Studies

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and department degree requirements. The Department of Urban Planning and Policy degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies. Elective courses may have prerequisites.

Summary of Requirements
General and Basic Education Requirements32-34
Required for the Degree39
Selectives for the Degree21
Free Electives26-28
Total Hours120

General and Basic Education Requirements

Required Courses
ENGL 160Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts3
ENGL 161Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research3
Foreign Language (8 hours or equivalent in a single language)8
Analyzing the Natural World course a3
Exploring World Cultures course a3
Understanding the Creative Arts course a3
Understanding the Individual and Society course a3
Understanding the Past course a3
One elective course from any General Education Core category a3
UPA 120Urban and Public Affairs Seminar I b1
UPA 121Urban and Public Affairs Seminar II b1
Total Hours32-34
a

See the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category.

b

Required for new freshmen only.

Required for the Degree

Required Courses
US 101Introduction to Urban Studies a3
US 130Principles of Urban Sustainability a3
US 202Social Justice and the City a3
US 240Urban and Community Economics3
US 250Analyzing the City3
US 301Political Economy of Urban Development3
US 304Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City3
US 306Urban Policy Analysis Methods3
US 308Globalization in Urban Studies3
PPOL 309Public Budgeting and Financial Management3
UPP 403Planning Practices for Great Cities3
UPP 405Researching the City3
US 495Senior Capstone Experience in Urban Studies3
Total Hours39
a

This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.

Selectives for the Degree

Courses
Select 21 hours from the list of courses below or from the US or UPP rubrics. Students are encouraged to work with an advisor to take a cluster of three courses in a specialization of their interest.21
US 130
Principles of Urban Sustainability
US 140
Introduction to Urban Transportation
US 199
Independent Study in Urban Studies
US 205
Cinema and the City
US/GEOG 208
Mapping the Urban: Cartography and its Alternatives
US/LALS 220
Latin American Cities in a Global Context: Environment, Employment, and Housing
US 230
Practices for Sustainable Cities
US 261
Mapping, Data, and Geographic Information Systems
US 361
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems I
US 390
Sustainability Internship
US 491
Internship Experience in Urban Studies
US 498
Independent Study in Urban Studies
UPP 302
Great Cities Internship
UPP 460
Introduction to Geospatial Analysis and Visualization
UPP 461
Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Policy
UPP 462
Intermediate GIS for Planning and Policy
UPP 463
Complexity-based Models for Planning and Policy
UPP 464
Advanced Visualization Techniques
UPP 465
Topics in Geospatial Analysis and Visualization
UPP 493
Topics in Urban Planning and Policy
ANTH 411
Urban Cultural Problems
AH 122
History of Chicago Architecture
BLST 258
Race and Urban Life
EAES 101
Global Environmental Change
ECON 353
Economic Demography
GEOG 100
Concepts in Geography
GEOG 477
Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG 481
Geographic Information Systems I
GEOG 482
Geographic Information Systems II
HIST 106
The World Since 1400: Converging Worlds, New Circulations
HIST 255
History of Chicago
LALS 103
Introduction to Latino Urban Studies
LALS 233
Latinos in Chicago
PPOL 210
Introduction to Public Policy
PPOL 230
Nonprofit Organizations and Civil Society
PPOL 300
Urban Policy and Metropolitan Governance
PPOL 303
Policy Implementation and Management
PPOL 305
Policy Analysis
PPOL 307
Policy Analysis III: Identifying and Developing Alternatives
PA 421
Public Management
POLS 101
Introduction to American Government and Politics
POLS 210
Introduction to Urban Politics
POLS 211
Chicago's Future
SOC 100
Introduction to Sociology
SOC 276
Urban Sociology
SOC 471
Population
Total Hours21

Electives

Courses
Free Electives26-28
Total Hours26-28

Sample Course Schedule

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman Year
Fall SemesterHours
US 101 Introduction to Urban Studies 3
UPA 120 Urban and Public Affairs Seminar I 1
ENGL 160 Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts 3
Exploring World Cultures course 3
Foreign Language 101 4
 Hours14
Spring Semester
US 130 Principles of Urban Sustainability 3
UPA 121 Urban and Public Affairs Seminar II 1
ENGL 161 Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
Understanding the Individual and Society course 3
Foreign Language 102 4
 Hours14
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
US 202 Social Justice and the City 3
US 240 Urban and Community Economics 3
Understanding the Past course 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Spring Semester
US 250 Analyzing the City 3
Selective for the degree 3
Analyzing the Natural World course 4
Understanding the Creative Arts course 3
Elective 3
 Hours16
Junior Year
Fall Semester
US 301 Political Economy of Urban Development 3
US 304 Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City 3
Selective for the degree 3
Selective for the degree 3
Elective 4
 Hours16
Spring Semester
US 306 Urban Policy Analysis Methods 3
US 308 Globalization in Urban Studies 3
Selective for the degree 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Senior Year
Fall Semester
UPP 405 Researching the City 3
UPP 403 Planning Practices for Great Cities 3
Selective for the degree 3
Selective for the degree 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
Spring Semester
US 495 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban Studies 3
PPOL 309 Public Budgeting and Financial Management 3
Selective for the degree 3
Elective 3
Elective 3
 Hours15
 Total Hours120