Urban Affairs & Planning Concentration

The concentration in Urban Affairs and Planning gives students a city-focused perspective on international development. More than half of the world population now resides in urban areas, raising important questions about how governments should meet public needs for transportation, health and sanitation, education, and other essential services within complex and massive urban contexts. In the developing world, as urbanization continues to grow at a rapid pace, booming cities like Shanghai, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, and Johannesburg face particularly critical challenges including poverty, homelessness, and pollution. Students confront such problems on an international scale, while developing valuable skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), regional economic planning, and sustainable development management.  

Through this concentration, International Development students take courses on topics such as planning and analysis for sustainability, challenges of cities and regions, reparations policy, natural resources management, and gender and development.

Download Plan of Study beginning Fall '26 »

MID Core Classes (15 credits)

    Development Policy and Practice
PIA 2--- Social Innovation for Global Development
    Economics of Development
OR
    Political Economy of Development
    Qualitative Research Design & Methods
OR
    Program Evaluation
OR
    Quantitative Methods
    Capstone Seminar
OR
    Thesis
Internship Requirement: All students must complete an approved internship of at least 300 hours while enrolled at SPIA. The internship must be approved by the student’s career advisor in advance. Students with at least three years of relevant full‐time work experience may petition their career advisor for a waiver of this requirement during their first semester.

Concentration Core (12 credits)

Take two of the following five courses:
    City & Region Theory & Practice
    Economic Development Strategies & Practices
    City of White Supremacy
    GIS for Public Policy
    Planning & Analysis Sustainable Regions
PIA 2--- UAP Concentration Course
PIA 2--- UAP Concentration Course

Electives/Minor Courses (9 credits)

PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course
PIA 2--- Elective/minor course

Below is a sample of electives that may be offered depending on the semester. Please speak with your advisor to confirm availability and create your personalized plan of study.

PIA 2117: Program Evaluation
PIA 2125: City & Region Theory & Practices
PIA 2131: Leadership
PIA 2210: Race, Gender, Law & Policy
PIA 2522: Climate Policy: Local and Global
PIA 2553: Global Health Policy
PIA 2720: Applied GIS in the Local Government