Students listen to Atlanta Watershed Alliance Executive Director.

Bachelor of Science in
Urban Planning and Spatial Analytics

Bachelor of Science in
Urban Planning and Spatial Analytics

This new Georgia Tech degree — the State of Georgia's first undergraduate degree in urban planning — teaches students how to shape cities and regions that are more livable, sustainable, prosperous, and resilient.

Students will learn how cities work and how to transform urban processes through planning, spatial analysis, policy, design, computing, and social science. Graduates with this degree will have the knowledge and tools to help create better cities and regions across the state, country, and globe.

Email Anna Traykova for Transfer or Application Questions

 

122 Credit Hours | 20 Free Elective Hours

 

10 Core Courses

The degree’s 10 core courses establish a foundational understanding of how cities and regions work through the complex interactions between the natural environment, built environment, and socioeconomic context.

Sustainable Urban Development

This course covers a broad array of urban issues relating to sustainability including green cities, reducing carbon emissions, and urban resilience.

Cities of Tomorrow

The essential question guiding the course will be: How do the forces shaping 21st-century cities compare to the dynamics that shaped cities of the past and present?

Atlanta Past, Present, and Future

This community-engaged course will cover 19th, 20th, and 21st century urban history and theory, seen through the lens of Atlanta’s unique history and character.

Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning

This course demonstrates how city planning can help craft communities that are more sustainable, equitable, resilient, and just.

Quantitative Analysis

This course teaches applied statistical analysis in the context of major urban issues of the day.

Qualitative Analysis and Research Design

This course is about enabling community engagement through surveys and other participatory methods.

Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems

Geographic information systems are a crucial tool for analyzing and mapping complex environmental, socioeconomic, transportation, and climate change related issues.

Climate Change Planning

This course equips students with the knowledge and methods necessary to assume leadership positions in developing the next generation of state, local, and national climate action plans.

Urban Data Science

This course explores the intersection of data analytics, big data, and artificial intelligence in the context of urban environments.

Sustainable Cities Studio

This workshop-based and design-oriented course attacks real-world urban problems in a hands-on seminar format.

Typical Program of Study

Year 1

Year 2

Fall Semester
(approximately 16 hours)

Spring Semester
(approximately 16 hours)

Fall Semester
(approximately 16 hours)

Spring Semester
(approximately 15 hours)

  • ENGL 1101 (3 hrs)

  • MATH 1712 (4 hrs)

  • Lab Science (4 hrs)

  • POL 1101 (3 hrs)

  • APPH 1040 (2 hrs)

  • ENGL 1102 (3 hrs)

  • MATH 1711 (4 hrs)

  • CS 1301 (3 hrs)

  • HUM Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

  • CP 2020 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning (3 hrs)

  • CP 2233 Sustainable Urban Development (3 hrs)

  • Lab Science (4 hrs)

  • Field of Study course from ARCH, BC, ID, PUBP, ECON, INTA, or HTS (3 hr)

  • SS Elective (3 hrs)

  • CP 2030 Atlanta Past, Present, and Future (3 hrs)

  • CP 2040 Cities of Tomorrow (3 hrs)

  • Field of Study course from Science, Computing, or Engineering (3 hrs)

  • HUM Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

Year 3

Year 4

Fall Semester
(approximately 15 hours)

Spring Semester
(approximately 15 hours)

Fall Semester
(approximately 15 hours)

Spring Semester
(approximately 14 hours)

  • CP 3025 Quantitative Analysis in Planning (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • SS Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

  • CP 3024 Qualitative Analysis and Research Design (3 hrs)

  • CP 4510 Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • SS Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

  • CP 4060 Urban Data Science (3 hrs)

  • CP 4190 Climate Change Planning (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

  • CP 4052 Sustainable Cities Studio (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • CP Elective (3 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

  • Free Elective (1, 2, 3, or 4 hrs)

Careers That Start With This Degree

Positions that require qualifications related to urban planning, geographic information systems, and urban analytics are hard for companies and agencies to fill, which means they are high-demand positions.

Graduates from this program will be well positioned to find jobs in the specific fields of data analytics, urban planning, geographic information systems, urban analytics, and sustainability. They will also be qualified for a broader range of public and private sector jobs in government and business consulting, data science, and sustainability.

Potential jobs include:

Data Scientist
Geographic Information Systems Technologist/Technician
Cartographer/Photogrammetrist
Sustainability Specialist
Urban and Regional Planner
Transportation Planner

Meet the People Integral to This Degree

Bill Drummond

Bill Drummond

Associate Professor, Program Organizer

on-site link
Gulsah Akar

Gulsah Akar

Professor and Chair

off site link (opens in a new window)
Rounaq Basu

Rounaq Basu

Assistant Professor

on-site link
Yiyi He

Yiyi He

Assistant Professor

on-site link
Gregory Randolph

Gregory Randolph

Assistant Professor

on-site link
Clio Andris

Clio Andris

Associate Professor

on-site link
Anna Traykova

Anna Traykova

Academic Program Manager, Degree Advisor

on-site link