Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning and Spatial Analytics
The Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning and Spatial Analytics prepares students to address some of the world’s most challenging urban problems in the context of core social values such as sustainability and resilience. The curriculum gives students both a broad understanding of the urban and regional environment and a firm grounding in the practical skills needed for effective analysis and planning.
All students take 10 core courses to
- Establish a foundational understanding of how cities and regions work through the complex interactions between the natural environment, built environment, and socioeconomic context; and
- Build an array of practical urban planning and analytical skills, including urban data analytics, geographic information systems, data visualization, community engagement, and planning methods, among others.
Students are encouraged to self-design a specialized focus area in one of the many subfields of the degree: environment, climate, land use, transportation, economic development, community development, housing, urban design, urban analytics, and geographic information systems.
The curriculum features a capstone senior studio that engages students directly in hands-on experiential learning and emphasizes soft skills such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and critical thinking.
Graduates of the program will find jobs in occupations related to the well-established profession of city and regional planning, the high-technology field of geographic information systems, and the newly emerging field of urban data analytics. Student skills will also be directly transferable to an even larger number of jobs in areas such as government and business consulting, data science, and sustainability.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wellness Requirement | ||
| APPH 1040 | Scientific Foundations of Health | 2 |
| or APPH 1050 | The Science of Physical Activity and Health | |
| or APPH 1060 | Flourishing: Strategies for Well-being and Resilience | |
| Core IMPACTS | ||
| Institutional Priority | ||
| CS 1301 | Introduction to Computing | 3 |
| or CS 1315 | Introduction to Media Computation | |
| Mathematics and Quantitative Skills | ||
| MATH 1712 | Survey of Calculus | 4 |
| or MATH 1552 | Integral Calculus | |
| Political Science and U.S. History | ||
| HIST 2111 | The United States to 1877 | 3 |
| or HIST 2112 | The United States since 1877 | |
| or INTA 1200 | American Government in Comparative Perspective | |
| or POL 1101 | Government of the United States | |
| or PUBP 3000 | American Constitutional Issues | |
| Arts, Humanities, and Ethics | ||
| Any HUM | 6 | |
| Communicating in Writing | ||
| ENGL 1101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 1102 | English Composition II | 3 |
| Technology, Mathematics, and Sciences | ||
| MATH 1711 | Finite Mathematics | 4 |
| or MATH 1551 & MATH 1553 | Differential Calculus and Introduction to Linear Algebra | |
| Lab Science Elective | 8 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Any SS | 9 | |
| Field of Study 2 | ||
| CP 2020 | Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
| CP 2233 | Sustainable Urban Development | 3 |
| CP 2030 | Atlanta Past, Present, and Future | 3 |
| CP 2040 | Cities of Tomorrow | 3 |
| Any 1000-,2000-level course from Colleges of Sciences, Computing, or Engineering | 3 | |
| Any 1000-,2000-level course from ARCH, BC, ID, PUBP, ECON, INTA, or HTS | 3 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| CP 3024 | Qualitative Analysis and Research Design | 3 |
| CP 3025 | Quantitative Analysis in Planning | 3 |
| CP 4190 | Introduction to Climate Change Planning | 3 |
| CP 4510 | Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| CP 4060 | Urban Data Science | 3 |
| CP 4052 | Sustainable Cities Studio | 3 |
| City and Regional Planning Electives 1 | ||
| 4000-level or higher CP courses | 12 | |
| 4000-level or higher CP courses or other electives 2 | 9 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| Free Electives | 20 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 122 | |
- 1
Students must complete 12 credits of CP-prefix courses at the 4000-level or higher. Students must also complete 9 credits of CP-prefix courses or select courses from an approved list.
- 2
Students must complete 9 credit hours of 4000-level or higher CP-prefix courses or select from the following: ARCH 4107, ARCH 4151, ARCH 4320, BC 4120, BC 4270, CEE 4160, CEE 4600, CEE 4610, CEE 4620, EAS 3110, EAS 4410, EAS 4480, ECON 4421, ECON 4440, HTS 3012, HTS 3011, HTS 3081, PUBP 4803 (Public Finance & Policy), PUBP 3315, PUBP 3320, PUBP 3350, PUBP 3600, PUBP 4211