Urban Studies Program
Urban Studies degrees prepare graduates for a variety of fields and careers in the private, for-profit world as well as the public and private nonprofit sectors.
Major Requirements
Our BA in Urban Studies requires 36 credits to complete,. The four introductory courses and senior capstone are each taught by Urban Studies faculty, while our Intermediate and Advanced courses include a blend of Urban Studies electives and courses drawn from across the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.
Our BS in Urban Planning & Geographic Analysis requires 39 credits to complete. After taking a core sequence of courses (including training in planning process, urban sustainability, and urban design) students take courses on the concepts, methods, and professional practice that planners and GIS users need to know. Our advanced capstone is offered each Spring semester, and is taught by an urban studies professor.
Courses
The program offers an introductory course, research and presentation-skills seminars, and internship experience in urban-related professions.
Advising
Individualized advising helps our students achieve their intellectual and career goals.
Urban Studies Student Showcase
Elizabeth Skender
Elizabeth is a senior pursuing a bachelor's in arts in Urban Studies, a Certificate in GIS, a minor in Economics, and a bachelor's in philosophy (BPhil) concerning her research about the evolving geography of retirement communities.
She holds multiple certificates from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) about their suite of applications and is involved with various geospatial communities, such as Women+ in Geospatial and Women in GIS.
As President of the Urban Studies Honor Society at the University of Pittsburgh, she leads and organizes various events, including industry networking sessions and community gatherings such as coffee meetups with the local GIS community. Additionally, she is an active member of the Urban Planning Club and the student board of the AGX Conference. She has served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for Introduction to GIS and will be taking on the role again for Applied GIS this fall.
Click here to read more about Elizabeth's commitment to Urban Studies and work completed in 2024!