Urban Planning Undergraduate Programs at UCI: Shaping the Future of Cities

The Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) offers a range of innovative degree programs focused on addressing the complex challenges facing cities and regions today. These programs emphasize student engagement in community projects, interaction with professionals, and close collaboration with faculty.

Degree Programs Overview

The UPPP department offers various degree programs, including:

Urban Studies (B.A.): This interdisciplinary major explores cities and urban life from physical, environmental, social, economic, and political perspectives. The curriculum investigates the causes and consequences of urban challenges and examines theories and practices for addressing them.
Environmental Science and Policy (B.A.): Offered in conjunction with UCI's Earth System Science department, this interdisciplinary program is designed for students interested in environmental problem-solving.
Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP): This two-year professional program prepares students for careers in planning and related fields within the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, focusing on creating a desirable future by addressing physical and social challenges in urban areas.
Master of Public Policy (MPP): A two-year professional degree program aimed at training highly motivated individuals to become leaders in policy development and management at local, state, national, and international levels, fostering productive public and private sectors and vibrant communities.
Master of Public Administration (MPA): Develops leaders in the management of public and nonprofit organizations.
Ph.D. in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy (UEPP): This doctoral program admits students with backgrounds in various social science, humanities, physical science disciplines, or professional fields, preparing them for careers in academia, research, and leadership positions in governmental, international, and nonprofit organizations.

Urban Studies Major: Investigating and Transforming Urban Systems

The Urban Studies major is designed for students who want to learn how to foster more equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and livable cities. It builds on the School of Social Ecology’s foundation by teaching students how to discover, engage, and transform complex urban systems. Students explore ways to address challenges such as housing unaffordability, climate change, gentrification, and segregation.

Curriculum and Skills

The Urban Studies curriculum integrates theories, analytical tools, and practical experiences. Students learn about:

Theoretical frameworks for assessing the social, institutional, and cultural contexts of human-environment relations within cities.
Conceptual and analytical tools for understanding complex and interconnected urban processes and systems across multiple spatial scales.
Critical perspectives on historic and contemporary planning and governance strategies to address challenges including social inequality, sustainability/resilience, and inclusiveness.
Technical and communicative skills for developing and implementing solutions to urban problems which are sensitive and responsive to local conditions, needs, and aspirations.

Graduates acquire the knowledge and skill sets needed to enter fields that focus on more livable, inclusive, and sustainable place-making, such as urban planning, public policy, community/economic development, and transportation.

Career Opportunities

Urban Studies graduates play an important role in changing the way our cities work, with employment opportunities in a wide variety of government, business, nonprofit, law, education, and research settings.Urban studies is a growing field, as more and more people around the world are living in cities and grappling with the opportunities and challenges of urban life. Graduates go on to work in a variety of fields, including urban planning, public policy, social work, community development, and environmental advocacy.

GIS Specialization

Urban Studies majors have the opportunity to earn a specialization in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), opening up new career opportunities in a wide variety of settings across areas of government, business, nonprofit, law, education, and research.

Environmental Science and Policy Major: Addressing Environmental Challenges

The Environmental Science and Policy major is an interdisciplinary program that integrates theories, analytical tools, and experiences from social and natural sciences to investigate the causes, prevalence, and consequences of environmental challenges and to develop approaches for addressing them. This major is a collaboration between the School of Social Ecology and the School of Physical Science, integrating courses from both Urban Studies majors and Environmental Science majors to create it's curriculum.

Minors in Urban Planning and Public Policy

The Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy offers two minors:

Urban and Regional Planning Minor:
Urban Studies Minor:

These minors allow students to learn more about the design and development of urban areas, including sustainable neighborhood planning, urban environmental problems, inequities in access to urban amenities, the housing affordability crisis, transportation, and climate change. Students draw their own conclusions on how to address different types of urban problems from a variety of themes and perspectives including those that involve class, gender, and race.

Resources and Opportunities for UPPP Students

UCI Libraries' Urban Planning and Public Policy Collection

One great source of information about the breadth and scope of urban studies is the UCI Libraries' Urban Planning and Public Policy Collection. Thanks to the department's librarian liaison, Julia Gelfand, the collection had been developed to support instruction and current research by our faculty and students, and reflects global coverage of relevant issues across many media formats.

Urban Studies Student Association

Urban Studies students can connect with one another via the Urban Studies Student Association.

Field Study

All Urban Studies majors take at least one quarter of Field Study, in which students engage with community organizations in Orange County and around the world. The field study experience provides an opportunity to explore career paths, develop professional skills, and learn more about social and environmental problems.

Research Opportunities

Students have access to various research opportunities within the UPPP department. Resources are available to help students get started in research, including workshops on identifying and applying to research labs. Students can also read about faculty and their specializations.

Career Resources

The Division of Career Pathways at UCI and the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management offer career resources for Urban Studies students.

Read also: Explore GSU's development history

Networking

Students can network with fellow Urban Studies Alumni.

UPPP Graduate Programs: Advanced Study and Professional Development

UCI's Graduate Programs in UPPP include:

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)

The Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) professional degree program prepares students for future success in urban and regional planning and related career fields. The program focuses on “developing equitable, sustainable, empowered communities.”

Master of Public Policy (MPP)

The Master of Public Policy (MPP) program is a two-year, professional degree program that provides training for highly motivated and talented individuals to become leaders at the local, state, national and international level in the development and management of policies that lead to a more productive public sector, a more productive private sector, and more vibrant communities.

Ph.D. in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy

The doctoral program trains scholars in the analysis of social problems related to the built, natural, and institutional environments, for employment in a range of activities, from university teaching and research, to administrative and research-oriented positions in governmental agencies, international organizations, nonprofit organizations, and private consulting practice.

Faculty and Research

The Department faculty devote their scholarly and teaching efforts to theory-driven and empirically oriented urban research and their interests include urban and community development, environmental policy, health promotion and policy, and urban design and behavior.

Faculty members and students who study urban and community development examine contemporary planning approaches to managing local, community, and regional development and explore the spatial dynamics of urbanization in diverse settings and how public policy can guide urban and regional growth to balance environmental and economic concerns.

Faculty members and students engaged in design-behavior research investigate the interrelationships of people and their socio-physical environments at all scales, from micro to macro, with emphasis on urban design and community-scale issues.

Faculty members and students who examine environmental policy focus on the environment and natural resources as important policy and planning issues and provide a clear understanding about how politics, economics, ethics, and institutions affect planning and policy choices.

Course Offerings

The UPPP department offers a wide range of courses covering various aspects of urban studies, planning, and policy. Some of the courses include:

UPPP 4: Introduction to Urban Studies
UPPP 5: Introduction to Urban Planning and Policy
UPPP 40: Cities, Communities, and Urban Problems
UPPP 101: History of Cities
UPPP 107: Urban and Regional Planning
UPPP 120: Introduction to GIS for Planning and Policy
UPPP 131: Environmental Sustainability I
UPPP 166: Urban Politics and Policy

tags: #urban #planning #undergraduate #programs #UCI