Some students in our M.A. program choose to focus on one or more urban, social or environmental policy and/or planning issues. However, a growing number of students choose not to specialize, preferring to take classes across a broad range of contemporary urban, social, and environmental policy and planning concerns. Each student completes the core curriculum, as well as a cluster of elective courses in her or his area(s) of interest, an internship and and a thesis. All students also benefit from the balance provided by the department's
core values and knowledge, skills and policy and planning in practice
competencies which are integrated within our curriculum.
Whether you decide to focus or develop a broader appreciation of policy and planning issues, current faculty and student interests cluster around the following:
- Sustainable communities
- Environmental justice and browfields
- Community development and housing
- Race, class and social welfare policy
- Child and family policy
- Land use and growth management planning
- Regional and metropolitan planning
- Natural resource policy
- Science/technology, ethics, and environmental policy
- Environmental risk
- Corporate responsibility and the environment
- Climate change/green building
- International environmental policy
- Environmental education and communication
- Program evaluation
- Applied research methods
- Planning tools, techniques, and strategies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Citizen roles in policy and planning