CUPPA, Urban and Public Affairs, Curriculum

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BA Program in
Urban and Public Affairs

412 S. Peoria St., Suite 115
Chicago, IL 60607-7064
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Contact us at:
(312) 413-2292
cuppa@uic.edu

Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 120 semester hours of course work to receive the Urban and Public Affairs (UPA) degree. This includes the first two years of the program in Pre-Urban and Public Affairs through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. If admitted to the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs (CUPPA), students complete the final two years in the UPA curriculum.

A. General Education Course Requirements: Pre-Urban and Public Affairs

As of Fall 2007, UIC has instituted a new General Education Program. Both the current and former general education programs require English Composition, Foreign Language, and Quantitative Reasoning courses. The following indicates whether students should follow the current education course requirements or the former general education requirements:

• Freshman: enrolled at UIC in the Fall 2007 semester or anytime after Fall 2007.
• Transfer Students: enrolled at UIC during the Fall 2007, Fall 2008, and Spring 2009 semesters have the option of fulfilling the old General Education requirements or converting to the new program.
• Continuing Students: enrolled at UIC prior to Fall 2007 also have the option of fulfilling the old General Education requirements or converting to the new program.

   1.  Current General Education Course Requirements

For more information regarding the current general education course requirements please visit the online PDF version 2007-2009 Undergraduate Catalog. 

  2.  Former General Education Course Requirements

For more information regarding the former general education requirements please visit the online PDF version 2005-2007 Undergraduate Catalog.

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B. Requirements for the UPA Major

Urban and Public Affairs students must complete 39 semester hours in the major (each UPA course is 3 semester hours), distributed below. Course descriptions are directly below this list of courses. Clicking on catalog number will take you directly to that specific course description.

UPA 300 Introduction to Urban Policy Processes
UPA 301 Political Economy of Urban Development
UPA 303 Urban Government I: Managing the Internal Environment
UPA 304 Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City
UPA 305 Urban Government II: Managing the External Environment
UPA 306 Urban Policy Analysis Methods
UPA 307 E-Government and Public Affairs
UPA 308 Globalization and Urban Public Affairs

Students will select one of the following courses:

UPA 492 Topics in Urban and Public Affairs
UPA 493 Topics in Urban and Public Affairs

Students will select one of the following two-course sets of courses:

Set 1:
UPA 494 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban Affairs and Administration I
UPA 495 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs II

Set 2:
UPA 496 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs I
UPA 497 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs II

Students will complete two electives, chosen in consultation with an adviser.

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Descriptions of Required Courses

UPA 300. Introduction to Urban Policy Processes. 3 hours. Basic structure of the policy process within the urban context including the nature of urban policy, its formulation, evaluation, and implementation. Emphasis on state and local policy development as it relates to urban areas. Prerequisite: One course in microeconomics and admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 301. Political Economy of Urban Development. 3 hours. Political and economic approaches to the study of urban life, urban problems and the built environment. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 303. Urban Government I: Managing the Internal Environment. 3 hours. Personnel management, organizing, budgeting, finance, leadership, motivation, economic development, accountability, ethics, legal and constitutional foundations. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor

UPA 304. Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City. 3 hours. Addresses basics of visualization methods and techniques of representing the physical environment. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 305. Urban Government II: Managing the External Environment. 3 hours. Intergovernmental finance, inter-jurisdictional competition, intergovernmental cooperation, intergovernmental cooperative agreements, and contractual and informal relations with non-profit organizations and governmental actors. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 306. Urban Policy Analysis Methods. 3 hours. Introduces students to the basics of policy and program evaluation using rational models. Needs analysis, performance evaluation, data collection methods and analysis, discounting, valuation problems. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 307. E-Government and Public Affairs. 3 hours. This course investigates the implications of electronic forms of service delivery, for example via the Internet, for citizens, for managers, for elected officials and for the relationships between citizens and their elected representatives. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 308. Globalization and Urban Public Affairs. 3 hours. Study of urban and public affairs as they relate to globalization. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 492. Topics in Urban and Public Affairs. 3 hours. In depth study of selected issues in urban and public affairs. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 493. Topics in Urban and Public Affairs. 3 hours. In depth study of selected issues of urban and public affairs. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA 494. Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs I. 3 hours. A selection of a capstone topic and introductory research on the topic. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program and senior standing or consent of the instructor.

UPA 495. Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs II. 3 hours. Students synthesize and draw upon knowledge learned in the program to engage in projects in the urban community. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program and senior standing or consent of the instructor

UPA 496. Senior Capstone Experience in Urban Affairs and Administration I. 3 hours. A selection of a capstone topic and introductory research on the topic. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program and senior standing or consent of the instructor.

UPA 497. Senior Capstone Experience in Urban Affairs and Administration II. 3 hours. Students synthesize and draw upon knowledge learned in the program to engage in projects in the urban