Chicago faces many questions about its urban future:
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How can urban communities be made more sustainable?
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What should the city do with its old industrial sites?
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Can Chicago’s transportation networks modernize?
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Where should the city invest its economic development dollars?
- What is the role for community organizations in these debates?
These questions are at the center of the Master of Arts in Sustainable Urban Development (MASUD). With classes in Chicago’s Loop
and Lincoln Park campuses, this 13-course (52 credit hour)
interdisciplinary graduate program integrates academics with practical
learning. Instructors draw on the city’s resources and incorporate
expert guest speakers, site visits, and industry-standard Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) digital mapping technology.
A genuinely interdisciplinary program that incorporates analyses from
fields such as Urban Planning, Public Policy, Sociology, Geography,
Public Service Management, Environmental Studies, Real Estate, the MASUD
introduces students to sustainable urban development policy, data
collection and analysis, planning processes, strategies for
implementation, modes of communication, and evaluation mechanisms.
The first year of study provides a theoretical background as well as
an introduction to the technologies used in urban development and
planning. The second year of the curriculum is dedicated to teaching
advanced courses and completing a required internship and a
capstone/portfolio component.