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Urban Studies B.S.

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College of Liberal Arts (TCLA)201 - Bachelor of Science
Completion requirement
Earn at least 3 credits from the following:
  • 0088861
    OR
    8056941
Completion requirement
Earn at least 3 credits from the following:
  • 0021991
    OR
    0022501
  • 7995071
  • 0077861
  • 0052611
  • 0011481
  • 0016161
  • 0016181
  • 0016221
    OR
    8261111
Completion requirement

Students must take 4 courses for at least 12 credits of Skills and Methods Courses. No more than 2 courses can be taken from each Skills and Methods section:

  • Introductory Courses in Research & Spatial Analysis

  • Intermediate Courses in Statistics & Spatial Analysis

  • Other Methods Courses

Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:
Complete up to 2 course(s) and earn up to 8 credit(s) from the following:
  • 0087271
  • 0033241
  • 0048841
  • 0041671
  • 0076631
    OR
    7907311
  • 8177621
  • 0071661
  • 8140491
  • 0032051
  • 7994401
    OR
    8003631
AND
Complete up to 2 course(s) and earn up to 8 credit(s) from the following:
  • 0082231
  • 0071671
  • 0071681
  • 0076601
  • 0098471
  • 0100181
  • 0140161
  • 8256591
  • 7974591
  • 0016211
  • 0064051
  • 0064061
    OR
    0064091
  • 0016241
  • 0036651
  • 0036641
  • 0043671
AND
Complete up to 2 course(s) and earn up to 8 credit(s) from the following:
  • 8164611
    OR
    7976781
    OR
    7933701
  • 0074021
    OR
    7957621
  • 0137681
  • 8085121
  • 7974551
  • 7979301
  • 0077491
  • 0145041
  • 0147061
  • 0077661
  • 0030311
Completion requirement
Earn at least 6 credits from the following:
  • 8181891
  • 0113161
    OR
    8205331
  • 7976411
  • 8032021
  • 0041921
    OR
    0166601
  • 0042001
  • 0042131
  • 0047701
  • 8036991
  • 8019531
Completion requirement
Fulfill ALL of the following requirements:
Earn at least 2 credits from the following:
  • 8197831
AND
Earn at least 9 credits from the following:
  • 0089891
AND
Earn at least 2 credits from the following:
  • 0103431
Completion requirement

The Capstone Project is a culmination of the major and should reflect a student’s best work. It is a process of data collection, reading, reflection, collaboration, interpretation, and writing. As the culmination of undergraduate training, each project develops from an interest or specialization deriving from previous courses. Students complete an academic research paper that is at least 15 pages of text and uses a minimum of 8 academic sources.

Students who double major in CLA and choose to complete a capstone requirement of at least 2 credits in their other CLA major may waive the Urban Studies BS capstone, and they do not need to replace the 2 credits.

Earn at least 2 credits from the following:
  • 0090061
Completion requirements

Students are required to take one upper division writing intensive course within the major. If that requirement has not been satisfied within the core major requirements, students must choose one course from the following list. Some of these courses may also fulfill other major requirements.

Complete up to 1 course(s) and earn credit(s) from the following:
  • 8181891
  • 0066971
  • 0113161
    OR
    8205331
  • 0113731
    OR
    7899031
  • 7976411
  • 0039001
  • 0039111
  • 0093181
  • 0042131
  • 0047711
  • 0042021
  • 0074021
  • 0085401
    OR
    7970931
  • 0141361
  • 7994401
    OR
    8003631
  • 0029091
  • 8056941
  • 0090061
  • 0030311
Completion requirement

Students are required to complete 4 courses for a minimum of 12 credits from one of the four concentrations. Some 5xxx-level courses will require departmental consent.

Fulfill ANY of the following requirements:
Complete 4 or more course(s) and earn 12 - 15 credit(s) from the following:
  • 7974901
    OR
    0103391
    OR
    7971341
    OR
    7971351
  • 0023381
    OR
    0164141
  • 7938471
    OR
    8101031
  • 0050601
  • 7922831
    OR
    0072931
  • 0086441
  • 7976791
    OR
    8024521
    OR
    7933711
  • 8181891
  • 7976891
  • 0039001
  • 0039111
  • 8097271
  • 8204591
  • 0042131
  • 0047711
  • 7974961
  • 0088691
  • 0091191
  • 8253511
  • 0101791
  • 0148601
  • 0078691
  • 0065281
  • 0064841
  • 0029091
  • 0026071
  • 0081961
  • 8176981
  • 0035981
OR
Complete 4 or more course(s) and earn 12 - 15 credit(s) from the following:
  • 8204781
    OR
    8204591
  • 0066971
  • 0073201
  • 0045511
    OR
    8100101
  • 0042131
  • 0137571
  • 0164371
  • 0077901
  • 8253511
  • 8181191
  • 0078131
  • 0145041
  • 7971071
  • 8256591
  • 0101791
  • 0084211
  • 0092841
  • 0147061
  • 0065281
  • 0069671
  • 7968711
  • 8036991
  • 8019531
OR
Complete 4 or more course(s) and earn 12 - 15 credit(s) from the following:
  • 0066971
  • 0113731
    OR
    7899031
  • 7976411
  • 0121101
  • 0154481
  • 0122791
  • 0033351
  • 7982981
    OR
    0033401
  • 0045531
  • 0033411
    OR
    7974641
  • 8097731
    OR
    0077981
  • 0093181
  • 0067031
  • 0066951
  • 0035601
  • 8037031
  • 0111481
  • 0097531
  • 0144391
  • 0164371
  • 0077901
  • 0077401
  • 0084211
  • 0077251
  • 8176981
  • 7997011
  • 0090021
  • 7968711
OR
Complete 4 or more course(s) and earn 12 - 15 credit(s) from the following:
  • 7920791
    OR
    0032391
  • 8048261
    OR
    8049431
  • 0087161
    OR
    8100111
  • 8093561
  • 8038561
  • 7976861
  • 7920881
    OR
    0033701
  • 0045511
    OR
    8100101
  • 0047701
  • 0035601
  • 0042021
  • 8036951
  • 0035571
  • 0092391
    OR
    0092401
  • 0085401
    OR
    7970931
  • 8097531
  • 0041941
  • 0148131
  • 8079161
  • 8105881
  • 0141361
  • 0065281
  • 8084641
Completion requirement

The Urban Studies Program, within the Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, and the Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program within the Humphrey School of Public Affairs offers an Integrated Degree Program, the Integrated B.A. or B.S. Urban Studies/Master of Urban and Regional Planning (BA-BS URBS/MURP).

The Integrated B.A.-B.S. Urban Studies/Master of Urban and Regional Planning program offers students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years. This IDP emphasizes education in urban studies and planning and provides preparation for students wishing to pursue a career in urban planning and other planning-adjacent fields. Students will pursue a coursework-focused Plan C option in the MURP program. Benefits to students of enrolling in the Integrated B.A.-B.S. Urban Studies/Master of Urban and Regional Planning program include: streamlined admission from the undergraduate program to the graduate program (GRE is not required) and flexibility in concurrently enrolling in undergraduate-level and graduate-level courses in the 4th year. At least 9.5 graduate-level credits can be transferred to the graduate program and some additional graduate credits taken as an undergraduate may be waived by the graduate program.

In their fifth year, IDP students will complete 26.5 graduate credits and complete their MURP degree with 36 unique graduate credits. The MURP degree typically requires 48 credits; under the IDP the remaining 12 credits of graduate-level classes taken as an undergraduate will be waived by the MURP program to facilitate the 5-year time to degree.

To most easily account for the 9.5 transfer credits, PA 5205 (4 cr), PA 5042 (2 cr), PA 5043 (2 cr) or PA 5929 (2 cr), and PA 5013 (1.5) will be transferred to the graduate program. Students will have completed 36 graduate credits at the end of the fifth year.

Eligibility for the Integrated B.A.-B.S. Urban Studies/Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program is selective. In addition to being a currently enrolled B.A. or B.S. Urban Studies student at the University of Minnesota, competitive applicants will possess the following at the time of application:

  • At least 90 undergraduate credits completed or in progress through Spring semester of junior year, and

  • A 3.5 or higher undergraduate GPA, and

  • The ability to complete at least 18 graduate level credits during their 4th year in addition to their remaining bachelor's degree requirements.

All applicants to the Integrated Degree Program should follow the same application process as applicants to the master's degree programs. When completing the online application, applicants must confirm they are applying as an undergraduate student interested in being considered for the Integrated Degree Program for the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program.

Students admitted to the Integrated B.A-B.S. Urban Studies/Master of Urban and Regional Planning are expected to complete and be awarded an undergraduate degree within 4 years if entering the university as a freshman and 3 years if entering as a transfer student. Students will complete a minimum of one year as a graduate student before completing master’s program requirements.

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