USC
University of Southern California
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Sustainable Cities Program

Taper Hall 355
(213) 740-1384
Email: kaylor@college.usc.edu
www.usc.edu/dept/geography/ESPE

Director and Dean of Graduate Programs: Jennifer Wolch (Geography)

Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate

The Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate program is a multidisciplinary certificate program open to USC students pursuing graduate degrees 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 (16 units)units
ARCH 519Sustainability in the Environment: Infrastructure, Urban Landscapes, and Buildings3
CE 564Methods for Assessment and Protection of Environmental Quality, or
ENE 535Applied Air Quality Management, or
ENE 510Water Quality Management and Practice3
GEOG 601Sustainable Cities, or
GEOG 615Natural Spaces in Urban Places4
PPD 619Smart Growth and Urban Sprawl: Policy Debates and Planning Solutions, or
PPD 692Transportation and the Environment4
590 or 790Directed Research from an approved academic unit focused on area of specialized interest2

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.

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, as well as continuing USC students, must submit the following documents: (1) complete application for admission to the Sustainable Cities Graduate Certificate Program, which can be found at www.usc.edu/admission/graduate; (2) statement of purpose; (3) official transcripts from all schools previously attended; (4) one letter of recommendation; and (5) results of the Graduate Record Examinations General Test. The statment of purpose should describe the student's field of interest and how it relates to urban sustainability. Continuing students are not required to submit transcripts or GRE scores; these documents will be obtained electronically by the Office of Graduate Admissions from their original online graduate application. The letter of recommendation for continuing students must come from their primary academic advisor.