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Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning

Trinity's new graduate certificate in urban planning is offered through the master's program in Public Policy, cross-listed with the Urban Studies program. Courses taken as part of the certificate will count towards a Master's degree in Public Policy if the student chooses to pursue a Master's degree while pursuing the certificate, or at the completion of the certificate program. The certificate program can be completed in one year if students take two courses per semester for one year, or in two years if students take one course per semester for two years.

No institution in Connecticut has an urban planning program, even at the certificate level.  This gap has left Connecticut with disadvantages in attempting to tap the strengths of urban areas for the overall growth and quality of life for residents.  Trinity invites students, from its website onward, to “start in Hartford, [and] explore the world.”  Moving from Hartford outward, to Connecticut, the New England region, the US, and the world, this graduate certificate includes both a series of Hartford-area courses, as well as courses in Global Cities.

Requirements

The certificate requires 2 core courses and 2 elective courses for a total of 4 courses.  The courses are as follows:

Core Courses

  • URST 833/433/PBPL 833 Intro to Urban Planning
  • URST 874/PBPL 874 Public Policy Practicum, or
  • URST 820/320/PBPL 820 Urban Research Practicum

Electives

  • URST 302/PBPL 802 Global Cities
  • URST 805/AMST 805 Meds, Eds, Slots, and Stadiums (Note:  This course does not count for the Public Policy Master’s Degree)
  • URST 821/321/PBPL 822 Geographies of Transport
  • URST 869/PBPL 869 Leadership in the Policy Arena
  • URST 860/PBPL 860 Public Management

Course descriptions are available on the course schedule page​.

Please visit the Graduate Studies Admissions page for more information about applying.  International students studying in the US with a VISA cannot apply to the Certificate program as it is not a degree program.

Please Note:  Current Trinity graduate students interested in the graduate certificate program in Urban Planning should speak with professors Sean Fitzpatrick and Garth Myers for information on applying to the program.

Read more about the graduate certificate in urban planning program in the Center for Urban and Global Studies blog.

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