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Sustainable Cities Program

Kaprielian Hall 413
(213) 821-1325
Email: mphelan@usc.edu
www.usc.edu/dept/geography/ESPE

Director: Jennifer Wolch (Geography)

Beginning fall 2007, the name and requirements for this description will change.
  • the research requirement will be removed;
  • the course requirements will be: ARCH 519 (3), CE 654 or ENE 535 or ENE 510 (3), GEOG 601 or GEOG 615 (4), PPD 619 or PPD 692 (4) and 2 units of Directed Research 590 or 790 from an approved academic unit focused on area of specialized interest;
  • each academic unit, department or program will determine the number of units completed that may be applied to the student’s master’s or doctoral degree.

Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate Program

The Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate program is a multidisciplinary doctoral certificate program open to USC students pursuing Ph.D. programs in many disciplines including anthropology, architecture, biology, chemistry, communication, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, geography, international relations, political science, public policy, sociology, urban planning and others.

Creating sustainable cities for the 21st century is a major challenge for society. The growth of cities, caused by natural population increase and massive rural-to-urban population flows, poses critical environmental problems that reach far beyond municipal boundaries and transcend national borders. Resolving such problems requires contributions from natural scientists, engineers, behavioral scientists and policy experts. To solve problems of national concern, such scientists must work productively with public administrators, political decision-makers and diverse interest groups.

This program seeks to equip graduate students with both the requisite knowledge of other fields and the political, interpersonal and communication skills necessary to succeed in research and practical contexts.

Required Courses

Sixteen units of graduate work are required.

Core Courses (8 units)units
CE 564Methods for Assessment and Protection of Environmental Quality3
COMM 646Negotiating Boundaries in Environmental Research2
GEOG 611Sustainable Cities: Problems and Policies3

Research (8 units)
Students complete 8 units of directed research in their home departments over the course of three semesters (2 units in semesters two and three of the program and 4 units in the fourth semester).

The first two directed research courses are devoted to an individual research project related to their dissertation, supervised by at least two faculty members from different fields.

The third directed research course is a semester-long collaborative project involving professors and students from at least three different disciplines.

Admission Requirements and Application Procedures
Students must be currently matriculated in a USC graduate degree program or be prospective USC students applying for admission to such a program. Prospective USC students may obtain an application from the USC Graduate School or their intended home department. To apply for admission to the certificate program, prospective students should send a copy of their graduate application package and a letter of interest to the Center for Sustainable Cities, KAP 413, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0255. The letter of interest should: (1) describe the student’s field of interest and how it contributes to the study of urban sustainability; (2) provide contact information, including address, phone number, email address and the primary academic unit. Students already enrolled in a USC graduate program who wish to apply to the program should also submit copies of their official undergraduate and graduate grades, results from the General Test of the GRE and a letter of reference from their graduate advisor.