M.A. and Advanced Certificate: Urban and Regional Economics (45 credits)

The urban and regional economics specialization is a cooperative venture led by faculty from the economics and geography departments, with the participation of several faculty members from sociology, political science, the Law School, and urban planning.

The urbanization of the world's population causing traffic congestion, urban flight, crime, the concentration of poverty in major cities, and the intensity of environmental pollution in some densely developed areas continues to be a major force and a significant source of problems of resource allocation requiring the attention of economists. Solutions to these pressing problems and charting public policy aimed at urban and regional development require basic understanding of the workings of land and housing markets, urban transportation systems, the regulation of environmental effects and land use, and other problems affecting the functioning of local public sectors. This specialization teaches you to understand the economic processes that shape the development of urban areas and their surrounding regions.

You will be trained primarily for positions with government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels. Numerous U.S. and international consulting firms practice in the broad field of urban and regional development. The use of economic science to approach problems of metropolitan policy is in growing demand, and the quantitative methods that are commonly used in economics are increasingly used in the professions that deal with urban development problems. Demand for urban and regional development generalists is strong in the rest of the world, especially in Asia and eastern Europe.

Important: For course scheduling, please consult the Assistant Director of the M.A. program.

M.A.: Thirty credit hours including the five core M.A. courses plus it is recommended courses form the "list of required courses" for the specialization but not more than two outside the Department of Economics. Successful completion of the M.A. Macro/Micro Comprehensive Examination. Note: Despite taking various Law & Regulation electives, you would only confer the M.A. degree.

M.A. & Advanced Certificate: Forty-Five credit hours including the five core M.A. courses, all of the required courses plus at least three courses from the list of electives. Successful completion of the M.A. Macro/Micro Comprehensive Examination.

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