Master's of Arts in Urban Affairs
The Master’s of Arts in Urban Affairs prepares students for policy and/or management positions in local government, regional government, nonprofit and private sector consulting and for other professional positions in economic development, social planning, community organizing, and urban journalism.
The program is organized around public policy issues with emphasis on the problems and questions related to life in urban communities. Because urban issues are complex and require the understanding and skills of many disciplines, the program is interdisciplinary in character, curriculum content, teaching staff, and enrollment.
The program requires approximately 39 to 45 hours of coursework depending on the student’s academic and professional background: 12 hours in urban institutions (including URPA 5300, Foundations of Urban Planning and Sociology and URPA 5301, Foundations of Urban Politics and Economics); 9 hours in urban policy; 9-12 hours in research and analysis (including URPA 5302, Foundations of Urban Research and Analysis and URPA 5343, Applied Urban Analysis); 6-9 hours in a professional development to be designed by the student and the advisor. Students may select to write either a thesis (6 hours) or a research or project report (3 hours).
There are ample opportunities for students to obtain internships in the offices of local government, businesses or elected or appointed officials. These practicum experiences enable students to participate in and observe first hand the operations of organizations at various management levels.
Students may elect to participate in a dual degree program.
Master’s of Arts in Urban Affairs Curriculum
Dr. Edith Barrett Advisor