BS in Urban Planning and Geographic Analysis

Required courses for the BS in Urban Planning and Geographic Analysis

The BS in Urban Planning and Geographic Analysis provides an interdisciplinary curriculum with key connections to a wide range of disciplines. The major offers students the opportunity to study the theoretical and technical foundations of urban planning and geographical analysis and is designed for students seeking credentials and specialization in urban planning, or who wish to use geographical analysis as part of their future careers. The degree is distinct from the BA in Urban Studies, yet there are sufficient complementarities for a student wishing to double-major in both degrees. NOTE: No PIA courses count as elective courses for the BS in Urban Planning & Geographic Analysis major without express departmental consent.

Core Sequence: 15 credits

These five courses should be completed early in a student's academic program. They may be taken in any order.

  • URBNST 0500   Introduction to Urban & Regional Planning   
  • URBNST 0506   Planning Process
  • URBNST 0030   Introduction to GIS (Offered each Fall & Spring semester)
  • URBNST 0114   Urban Sustainability (Offered in Fall 2023)
  • URBNST 0300   Remaking Cities (Offered each Spring semester)

Intermediate Sequence A (Conceptual Approaches): 12 Credits

Choose at least ONE Urban Studies (URBNST) class from the following list, and at least TWO classes from other departments.

  • ARC 1181   Pittsburgh Architecture and Urbanism
  • ENGCMP 0565   Writing Places
  • LEGLST 1152   Legal Issues in Public Service
  • PS 1252   State Politics
  • PS 1261   American Public Policy
  • SOCI 1476   Urban Policy and Planning 
  • URBNST 0010   Introduction to Urban Studies
  • URBNST 0112   Social Justice and the City
  • URBNST 0150   Community Data & GIS
  • URBNST 0320   US Housing and Property
  • URBNST 0512   Neighborhood Planning

Intermediate Sequence B (Methodological Approaches and Professional Practice): 9 Credits

Choose ONE Urban Studies (URBNST) class from the following list, and TWO classes from other departments.

  • ARC 0300   Introduction to Historic Preservation
  • ENGCMP 0420   Writing for the Public
  • ENGCMP 0520   Integrating Writing and Design
  • ENGCMP 0521   Writing with Data
  • ENGCMP 1420   Writing Proposals for Business
  • PS 1702   Coding and Computational Social Science
  • PUBSRV 1100   Practices in Public Administration
  • STAT 1000   Applied Statistical Methods
  • URBNST 0130   Applied GIS
  • URBNST 0160   Data Visualization
  • URBNST 0340   Urban Mobility & Transportation Analysis

Advanced Capstone: 3 Credits

Core & Intermediate sequences must be completed before registering for URBNST 1000. URBNST 1000 fulfils a W requirement.

  • URBNST 1000: Urban Planning & Geographic Analysis Research Capstone (Offered Spring 2024)