The Urban & Public Affairs B.S./B.A. degree is an undergraduate interdisciplinary program designed for students interested in customizing their education to fit their individual interests in public affairs, policy, and public service. Through this flexible degree, students develop a broad, versatile skill set that helps them stand out in the job market for their ability to draw connections, see the big picture, and identify effective solutions to challenging public policy problems.
Urban & Public Affairs students choose from classes in the following subjects: Economics, Criminology & Criminal Justice, International & Global Studies, Political Science, Public Health, and Urban Studies & Planning.
Major Requirements
The Urban and Public Affairs major degree can be completed as either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. In this major, students complete 56 credits. At least 24 of these 56 credits must be completed at PSU.
The 56 total credits are distributed across the following four categories: 1. Required courses (24 credits), 2. Elective courses (24 credits), Research Skills course (4 credits), and 4. UPA 425 Urban & Public Affairs Seminar course (4 credits).
Students must receive a "C-" or better in all courses that count towards the major.
1.) Choose Six Required Courses (24 credits): Must Include Courses from at Least Two Different Disciplines
Required course options. Choose 6 courses, representing at least 2 of the 7 academic disciplines included on the list (CCJ, PA, PS, USP, PHE, Ec, and Intl). (Note: If you complete more than six on the required course list, any additional courses will count as electives.)
| CCJ 200 | Criminology and Criminal Justice |
| CCJ 320U | Theories of Crime & Justice |
| CCJ 330U | Crime Control Strategies |
| PA 311U | Introduction to Civic Engagement |
| PA 312U | Foundations of Community Leadership |
| PA 313U | Fundamentals of Public Service |
| *PS 101 | United States Government OR PS 102 United States Politics |
| PS 204 | Comparative Politics |
| PS 205 | International Politics |
| PS 431 | State and Local Politics |
| USP 300U | Introduction to Urban Studies |
| USP 301U | Introduction to Community Development |
| USP 313U | Urban Environmental Issues |
| PHE 446U | Health Equity and Social Justice |
| PHE 250 | Our Community: Our Health |
| Ec 201 | Principles of Microeconomics |
| Ec 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics |
| Ec 316U | Introduction to Health Care Economics |
| Ec 332U | Economics of Environmental Issues |
| Intl 201 | Introduction to International Studies |
| Intl 202 | The United States and the World |
| Intl 203 | International Development Strategies |
2.) Choose 6 Elective Courses (24 credits)
Choose 6 courses from CCJ, PA, PS, USP, PHE, Ec, Intl, or UPA. Five of these elective courses (20 credits) must be upper-division (300- or 400-level) courses and one course (4 credits) may be either upper or lower division.
Career Tip! The college faculty highly recommend that you choose to complete a four- or eight-credit internship as one of your electives. An internship is an excellent way to build your resume, learn about career options, meet potential employers, and gain valuable experiences. To learn more about how to complete an internship through the Urban and Public Affairs program, visit the Urban and Public Affairs Internship Advising site.
3.) Choose 1 Research Skills Course (4 credits)
Complete one research methods, statistics, or data analysis course from this list. If you have already completed a research skills-related course not shown on this list, you may contact your academic advisor to request a substitution.
| CCJ 336 | Applied Crime Mapping |
| CCJ 340 | Crime Analysis |
| CCJ 380 | Criminal Justice Research |
| Ec 427 | Cost-Benefit Analysis |
| Ec 469 | Applied Econometrics |
| PA 425 | Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations |
| PS 491 | Testing Theories in Political Science |
| USP 350U | Inclusive Engagement |
| USP 419 | Population and Society |
| USP 430 | Participatory Research Methods |
| USP 440 | Critical Analysis of Community Data |
| USP 436 | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Urban Studies and Planning |
4.) Complete the UPA 425 Urban & Public Affairs Seminar (4 credits)
Questions and Contacts
The Urban and Public Affairs degree program is housed in the College Dean’s Office and is offered via a partnership between all the departments in the College of Urban and Public Affairs, along with the PSU/OHSU School of Public Health. The Associate Dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs serves in the Department Chair role for the program.
For general questions about the degree program, contact UPA@pdx.edu. For academic advising, contact the Urban, Public and Global Affairs Academic Advising Pathway.