Urban and Public Affairs Degree Requirements

The general education credit requirements must be completed before students begin UPA coursework. At the time of the UPA major application, students must have at least 44 semester hours of course work completed. Before enrolling in the UPA program, students must have at least 60 semester hours of course work completed.

English Composition (ENGL 160 and ENGL 161)	6
Foreign Language	161
Quantitative Reasoning	3
Analyzing the Natural World	3-52
Exploring World Cultures	3
Understanding the Creative Arts	3
Understanding the Individual and Society	3
Understanding the Past	3
Understanding U.S. Society	3
Additional General Education from any category	4-6
Free electives	15
TOTAL	60

1In a single foreign language or the equivalent.
2Lab required.

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

ECON 120 Principles of Mircoeconomics1	3
UPA/UPP 101 Introduction to Urban Studies2	3
UPA/UPP 202 Planning Great Cities2	3
STAT 1012	4
POLS 201 Political Data Analysis2	3
POLS 210 Introduction to Urban Politics	3
POLS 211 Chicago's Future	3
POLS 212 State Government	3
SOC 105 Social Problems	3
SOC 201 Introductory Sociological Statistics2	4
SOC 241 Social Inequalities	3
SOC 258 Race and Urban Life	3
SOC 265 Sociology of Politics	3
SOC 276 Urban Sociology	3
GEOG 211 Chicago: An Urban Geography	3
GEOG 215 A Global Geography of Cities	3
GEOG 241 Resource Problems in the United States	3
GWS 110/ECON 110 Economics of Gender	3
ECON 270 Statistics for Economics	4
ED 135 Child and Youth Policies in Urban America	3
ED 200 Educational Policy Foundations	3

1Required
2Highly Recommended

UPA students must complete 39 semester hours in the major (each UPA course is 3 semester hours), distributed below.

Undergraduates may not take 500-level courses unless they have received special permission by the course instructor and academic advisor.

Clicking on the course number will take you directly to the specific course description.

Core Courses
UPA/PA 300 Introduction to Urban Policy Processes	3
UPA/UPP 301 Political Economy of Urban Development	3
UPA/PA 303 Urban Government I: Managing the Internal Environment	3
UPA/UPP 304 Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City	3
UPA/PA 305 Urban Government II: Managing the External Environment	3
UPA/UPP 306 Urban Policy Analysis Methods	3
UPA/PA 307 E-Government and Public Affairs	3
UPA/UPP 308 Globalization and Urban Public Affairs	3
Topics Course (Select 1)
UPA/UPP 492 Topics in Urban and Public Affairs	3
UPA/UPP 493 Topics in Urban and Public Affairs	3
Capstone Courses (Select 1 Set)
UPA/UPP 494 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs I	3
UPA/UPP 495 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs II	3
or
UPA/PA 496 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs I	3
UPA/PA 497 Senior Capstone Experience in Urban and Public Affairs II	3
CUPPA Electives1	6
SUB-TOTAL	39
Other Electives1	21
GRAND TOTAL	60

1See below.

UPA Students must complete at least 2 elective courses in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. (CUPPA Elective)

Students must also complete 21 elective semester hours at the 200-, 300-, or 400-levels. (Upper Division electives) These courses may be taken in CUPPA or in UIC in general. Upper-division courses in your minor can go toward this requirement.

Students are strongly recommended to take 300- or 400-level courses, especially if considering applying to graduate school. Some disciplines may require 200-level prerequisites. Please try to take courses that will complement or build on your UPA coursework.

Clicking on the course number will take you directly to the specific course description.

UPP 202 Planning Great Cities	3
UPP 403 Introducation to Urban Planning	3
UPP 420 Great Cities: London and Chicago	3
PA 400 Public Administration Theory	3
PA 407 Data Analysis for Public Administration	3
PA 410 Economics for Public Administration and Policy Decisions	3
PA 415 Organization Theory and Public Management	3
UPA/UPP 498 Independent Study in Urban and Public Affairs	3
UPA/PA 499 Independent Study in Urban and Public Affairs	3

UPA/PA 300 Introduction to Urban Policy Processes (3 hours) Syllabus

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/UPP 301 Political Economy of Urban Development (3 hours) Syllabus

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/PA 303 Urban Government I: Managing the Internal Environment (3 hours) Syllabus

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/UPP 304 Visualizing the City: Methods and Tools for Representing the City (3 hours) Syllabus

Addresses basics of visualization methods and techniques of representing the physical environment. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA/PA 305 Urban Government II: Managing the External Environment (3 hours) Syllabus

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/UPP 306 Urban Policy Analysis Methods (3 hours) 2008 Syllabus/2009 Syllabus.

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/PA 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/UPP 308 Globalization and Urban Public Affairs (3 hours) Syllabus

Study of urban and public affairs as they relate to globalization. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program or consent of the instructor.

UPA/UPP 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/UPP 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/UPP 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/UPP 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. This course is an extension of UPA/UPP 494. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program and senior standing or consent of the instructor.

UPA/PA 496 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/PA 497 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. This course is an extension of UPA/UPP 496. Prerequisite: Admission to the UPA program and senior standing or consent of the instructor.

Note: This is just a partial list of courses which students may take to fulfill their CUPPA electives. Most 200 and 400 level UPP or PA courses can count towards your CUPPA electives.

UPP 202 Planning Great Cities (3 hours) Syllabus

What makes a city great, how cities change, can cities be planned, and how planners plan; characteristics of Great Cities and current urban planning issues.

UPP 403. Introduction to Urban Planning (3 hours) Syllabus

Patterns of city growth, physical, socio-economic, and environmental issues. Contemporary planning issues. Future of cities. Prerequisite: Advanced undergraduate standing or consent of the instructor.

UPP 420 Great Cities: London and Chicago (1-6 hours)

Fieldwork required. Comparative investigation of urban, economic, social, and political issues in the two global cities. Includes classes, study, and living in London. Prerequisites: Junior standing or above and selection by the Office of Study Abroad admission committee.

PA 400 Public Administration Theory (3 hours) Syllabus

Development of public administration as a professional and scholarly area of knowledge and practice focusing on administrative reform and its intellectual roots. Politics versus administration, efficiency, effectiveness, representative bureaucracy, and market versus bureaucratic alternatives. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 407 Data Analysis for Public Administration (3 hours) Syllabus

Topics and methods of analyzing information relevant to the administration and management of public programs and organizations. Includes causation, univariate statistics, significance testing, correlation, and regression. Prerequisite: Appropriate score on the department placement test; and graduate standing; or consent of the instructor.

PA 410 Economics for Public Administration and Policy Decisions (3 hours) Syllabus

Basic economic tools and methods relevant to public administration and current policy: opportunity cost, supply and demand, rational choice, production costs, competition versus monopoly, economic efficiency versus equity, market failure, public goods, and externalities. Prerequisite: Appropriate score on the department placement test; and graduate standing; or consent of the instructor.

PA 415 Organization Theory and Public Management (3 hours) Syllabus

Theories and concepts of organizational behavior and public management from economics, sociology and political science. Organizational decision making, bureaucracy, organizational change and learning, public versus private organizations, leadership, and organizational culture. Prerequisite: Admission to the MPA Program or consent of the instructor.

UPA/UPP 498 Independent Study in Urban and Public Affairs (1-3 hours)

May be repeated for credit. Students may register for more than one section per term. Advanced study and analysis of topic selected by student under the guidance of the faculty adviser.

UPA/PA 499 Independent Study in Urban and Public Affairs (1-3 hours)

May be repeated for credit. Students may register for more than one section per term. Advanced study and analysis of topic selected by student under the guidance of the faculty adviser.