SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT (MA)
More than just “green”
Earn your master’s in Sustainable Urban Development and explore how cities cope with the demand for environmental sustainability while supporting economic growth and social justice. The program is framed by a simple value—that a sustainable city is one that’s sustainable for everyone. You will look at sustainability holistically, researching urban environments as an integrated system. Beyond theoretical knowledge, you’ll gain a technical foundation using industry-standard Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping software.
Courses are offered in the evening and the program can be completed in two years.
For international students: this is a STEM-designated program, which can qualify you to extend their post-graduation stay in the United States for Optional Practical Training (OPT). OPT provides an opportunity for international students to develop their careers while also helping meet the demand for STEM-educated professionals in the U.S. workforce.
Request More InfoAdmission EventsApply
Use Chicago as your lab
Drawing on the city’s resources, you’ll engage with expert guest speakers, delve into community-based projects and gain hands-on experience through internships. You’ll study how neighborhood growth interacts with the environmental, economic and social challenges of being a global city.
Application Deadlines
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Admission Requirements
Submit an online application, two-page personal statement, résumé and official transcripts.
Required Courses
You’ll complete six core courses and five interdisciplinary courses.
95%
of Sustainable Urban Development graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.
Study food systems with a local focus
You’ll study urban food systems with Howard Rosing, who has worked with nearly 100 DePaul students to research the community gardens of Chicago. In collaboration with Neighborspace, his work measured garden yields and examined challenges facing these spaces, including access to water, healthy soil and land tenure; this research is integrated into his coursework in food systems.
“Learning how to create a report from start to finish was something that set me apart when I interviewed for a job after graduation. I brought a report I had worked on for an Applied Housing Analysis course to my interview with The Lakota Group. Being able to think critically about an issue and then visually communicate the analysis put me at an advantage at a firm where every project essentially ends in a concise and graphic report.”
Rachael (MA ’17)
Associate Planner/Designer, The Lakota Group
Alumni Network
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a wide range of experiential learning, community-based internships and study abroad experiences to help prepare students for life after graduation. With a network of 8,900 fellow College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences master’s-level graduates in Chicago and beyond, you have a variety of opportunities to grow your professional and academic connections.
Scholarships & Aid
Graduate school is an investment in your future. Learn more about the financial aid and scholarship opportunities available to you.
Admission Requirements
??To be eligible for the sustainable urban development program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. In addition, successful applicants will demonstrate a strong academic record, coursework and/or professional experience in sustainable development or related fields, and an interest in pursuing a career related to sustainable urban development.
Applicants
International Applicants
Combined Bachelor's/Master's Applicants
Please note that the information provided is current as of September 2022 and is subject to change.
Learn more about Graduate Admission.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
Students complete 13 courses (52 credit hours).
Required Core (5 courses)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SUD 401 | SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT I: PLANNING, POLICY & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| SUD 402 | SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT II: APPLIED ANALYSIS OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | 4 |
| SUD 404 | URBAN DESIGN LABORATORY | 4 |
| SUD 501 | PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR IN SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| SUD 502 | CAPSTONE - PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Requirements (5 courses)
Geography
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| GEO 441 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
| GEO 442 | GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
Public Service
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
|
MPS 511 |
SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT | |
|
MPS 526 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION | |
|
MPS 541 |
ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICE | |
|
MPS 571 |
METROPOLITAN PLANNING | |
|
MPS 572 |
POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND PUBLIC POLICY | |
|
MPS 573 |
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | |
Statistics
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
|
SOC 402 |
STATISTICS FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | |
|
MPS 533 |
APPLIED STATISTICS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE (USING EXCEL) | |
|
MPS 536 |
APPLIED STATISTICS FOR PUBLIC SERVICE (USING SPSS) | |
|
GEO 491 |
STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS FOR GIS | |
|
IT 403 |
STATISTICS AND DATA ANALYSIS | |
|
MAT 448 |
STATISTICAL METHODS USING SAS | |
Electives (3 courses)
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select three of the following: | 12 | |
|
ENV 402 |
URBAN ECOLOGY | |
|
ENV 506 |
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE: ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITS, HUMAN NEEDS, & SYSTEMS THINKING | |
|
GEO 445 |
PROGRAMMING IN PYTHON FOR GIS | |
|
GEO 446 |
GIS ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH | |
|
GEO 447 |
WEB GIS AND SPATIAL DATA VISUALIZATION ON THE WEB | |
|
GEO 448 |
SPATIAL DATA SCIENCE | |
|
GEO 491 |
STATISTICAL DATA ANALYSIS FOR GIS | |
|
GSB 595 |
DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES: PRACTICUM | |
|
INT 408 |
NATURE, SOCIETY, AND POWER | |
|
MLS 404 |
THE CITY | |
|
MPH 557 |
ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY | |
|
MPS 511 |
SUSTAINABLE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 526 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 541 |
ECONOMIC FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICE (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 542 |
POLICY DESIGN AND ANALYSIS | |
|
MPS 546 |
ADVOCACY AND LOBBYING | |
|
MPS 571 |
METROPOLITAN PLANNING (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 572 |
POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND PUBLIC POLICY (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 573 |
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
MPS 576 |
ENERGY POLICY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
|
MPS 577 |
ENVIRONMENTAL CONFLICTS AND MEDIATED SOLUTIONS | |
|
MPS 578 |
URBAN RESILIENCE AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION POLICY | |
|
MPS 579 |
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS | |
|
RE 525 |
PROJECT MANAGEMENT: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION | |
|
RE 798 |
SPECIAL TOPICS (Sustainability & the Built Environment) | |
|
SOC 412 |
DATA ANALYSIS (if not taken as an Interdisciplinary Requirement) | |
|
SOC 426 |
URBAN DEVELOPMENT POLICIES | |
|
SOC 495 |
SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIOLOGY | |
|
SUD 403 |
BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT: PRACTICE AND IMPLEMENTATION | |
|
SUD 420 |
SUSTAINABLE URBAN FOOD SYSTEMS | |
|
SUD 430 |
SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORTATION | |
|
SUD 433 |
URBAN PLANNING | |
|
SUD 451 |
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND FOOD JUSTICE | |
|
SUD 490 |
SPECIAL TOPICS | |
|
SUD 499 |
INDEPENDENT STUDY | |
|
WRD 521 |
TECHNICAL WRITING | |
|
WRD 526 |
GRANT AND PROPOSAL WRITING | |
Other courses may be taken as electives, with advisor approval.
Non-Credit Courses
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SUD 600 | CANDIDACY CONTINUATION | 0 |
| SUD 601 | CANDIDACY MAINTENANCE | 0 |
??
Content displayed from this DePaul University catalog page.
???
