Urban Studies & Affairs Graduate Programs

Urban Affairs Graduate Programs and Curriculum

A prospective graduate student of urban affairs should ideally be:

• A problem solver
• Interested in how a city operates
• Big picture oriented
• Driven by a desire to help people
• Able to evaluate data to make decisions
• Fascinated by both the social and economic considerations that drive city planning

Urban affairs is a broad and ever-changing subject, and at many schools, the master’s degree programs in urban affairs are in constant flux. You may be able to structure your degree to focus on one specific area, such as public policy, advocacy, city planning, asset allocation and budgeting or government and organizational theory.

Courses commonly offered at urban affairs graduate programs include:

• Urban planning
• Non-profit management
• Economics
• Statistics
• Real estate development
• Political decision making
• Public budgeting
• Environmental planning
• Transportation
• Developmental design

Urban Affairs Career Paths

In addition to the industries listed in the graph below, urban planners may also choose to enter politics, non-profit or community outreach organizations, or private planning firms.

Data according to

The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Ed.

Urban Affairs Future Job Outlook

Based on the Occupational Employment Statistics Survey done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of urban and regional planners is expected to grow 19 percent from 2008 to 2018, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth will be driven by the need for State and local governments to provide public services such as regulation of commercial development, the environment, transportation, housing and land use and development for an expanding population.