Minor in Urban Studies and Planning
The minor in Urban Studies and Planning is an interdisciplinary program designed to develop analytical and problem-solving skills for careers in the public and private sectors that involve community-building and developing healthy urban areas. The minor provides students with a general awareness and understanding of planning as part of the public policy process, decision-making and land management. In the private sector, such skills are essential to proper resource management and competitiveness. The minor is in the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs, and will complement an array of careers including business, engineering, environmental sciences, law enforcement, public health and technology.
The minor also has a non-mandatory mini externship initiative. The purpose of the externship/job shadowing program is to allow students who have declared the minor in Urban Studies and Planning, and have successfully completed nine USP semester hours, to shadow/observe a professional conducting a planning function. This initiative is designed to provide a clear understanding of the role of planning in various careers
Students obtaining a minor in Urban Studies and Planning are required to take and satisfactorily complete fifteen semester hours which must include two core courses:
- POLS 3811 Urban Politics (Fall Semester)
- POLS 3813 Introduction to Urban Planning (Spring Semester)
Suggested three elective courses include:
- BIOL 3621 Urban Health and Hygiene
- BUSA 3145 Global Business Issues
- CRJU 2101 Police and Society
- CRJU 3131 Social Research Methods
- GEOG 3621 Population Geography
- HSEM 3130 Emergency Planning and Incident Management
- HSEM 3250 Risk Vulnerability Assessment
- MGNT 3165 Management of Organizations (requisite for MGNT 4221)
- MGNT 4221 Social Entrepreneurship
- MSCI 3702 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (Students are limited to one GIS course: MSCI 3702 or POLS 3702)
- POLS 3101 International Politics
- POLS 3301 African American Politics
- POLS 3702 Introduction to Geographical Information Systems (Students are limited to one GIS course: MSCI 3702 or POLS 3702)
- POLS 3801 Gender and Politics
- POLS 4511 Public Policy (Prerequisite: POLS 1101 American Government and POLS 2601 Introduction to Public Administration)
- SOCI 3122 Sociology of Poverty
- SOCI 3611 Minorities and the Social Environment
- SOCI 3631 Urban Sociology
- SOCI 3401 Social Research
If you are interested in the Minor in Urban Studies and Planning, please contact:
Dr. Philip Omunga
Social Science Building 216
912-358-3216
Students minoring in Urban Studies and Planning have an option for the fast track admission to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Savannah State University. Undergraduate students who have completed all degree requirements for graduation and fifteen semester hours of the minor in Urban Studies and Planning and receive a GPA of 3.0 in two core classes of the minor in Urban Studies and Planning (POLS 3811 Introduction to Urban Planning and POLS 3813 Urban Politics) are eligible for the fast track admission to the MPA program. The application requirements for the fast track admission are as follows:
- A complete graduate application
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
- 2 letters of recommendation
- No GRE requirement
- An essay of the purpose of attending graduate school for the Master in Public Administration degree
For more information about the MPA program with a track in Urban Management, please contact Dr. Philip Omunga at omungap@savannahstate.edu