B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning and Master of Public Administration SF State Scholars Roadmap
The San Francisco State Scholars program provides undergraduate students with an accelerated pathway to a graduate degree. Students in this program pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree simultaneously. This program allows students to earn graduate credit while in their junior and/or senior year, reducing the number of semesters required for completion of a master’s degree.
This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Units | |
| ENG 114 | Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) 1 | 3 |
| GE Area A 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area B: Quantitative Reasoning (B4) 3 | 3 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GE Area A | 3 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| GE Area E | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GE Area B: Physical Science (B1) and Laboratory Science (B3) 5 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area C | 3 | |
| GE Area D | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 4 | 6 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GE Area B: Life Science (B2) and Laboratory Science (B3) 5 | 3-4 | |
| GE Area F ± | 3 | |
| U.S. and California Government | 3 | |
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 4 | 6 | |
| Units | 15-16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Summer Semester | ||
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two 4 | 6 | |
| Units | 6 | |
| Fall Semester | ||
| USP 401GW | Seminar in Urban Studies and Planning - GWAR (Major Core) | 3 |
| USP/PLSI 492 | Research Methods (Major Core) | 4 |
| Major Elective (20-22 units total) On Advisement - Take Two 6 | 6-8 | |
| GE Area UD-B: Upper-Division Physical and/or Life Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| Units | 16-18 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| USP 492/PLSI 493 | Research Methods (Major Core) | 4 |
| Major Elective (20-22 units total) On Advisement - Take Two 6 | 6-8 | |
| GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course) | 3 | |
| Units | 16-18 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Summer Semester | ||
| Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 4 | 4 | |
| Units | 4 | |
| Fall Semester | ||
| P A 700 | Foundations of Governance and Management (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Select One (Major Core): | 4 | |
| Introduction to Urban Policy and Analysis | ||
| Land-Use Planning | ||
| USP 603 & USP 604 |
Public Service Internships and Internship Seminar |
4 |
| Management Perspectives (12 units total) - Select One 7 | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective (12 units total) - Select One 8 | 3 | |
| Units | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| P A 705 | Design and Consumption of Research (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| P A 715 | Policy Process and Civic Engagement (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Select One (Major Core): | 4 | |
| Senior Seminar | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Major Elective (20-22 units total) On Advisement - Take Two 6 | 6-8 | |
| Units | 16-18 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| P A 706 | Applied Data Analysis (Graduate Core) | 3 |
| Management Perspectives (12 units total) - Select Two 7 | 6 | |
| Graduate Elective (12 units total) - Select One 8 | 3 | |
| Units | 12 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Select One (Culminating Experience): | 3 | |
| Capstone Course in Public Administration | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Management Perspectives (12 units total) - Select One 7 | 3 | |
| Graduate Elective (12 units total) - Select Two 8 | 6 | |
| Units | 12 | |
| Total Units | 159-167 | |
- 1
ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.
- 2
To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet the SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) requirements within your GE or major.
- 3
To determine the best B4 course option, students should complete the online advising activity at mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.
- 4
Complementary Studies
Students completing a Bachelors of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning must complete 12 units in complementary courses bearing a prefix other than USP, and not cross-listed with USP. The units used to satisfy Complementary Studies may be in a minor (or a partial minor if the minor requires more than 12 units), a foreign language, or a coherent group of courses from the following departments/college: Political Science, Geography, History, Sociology, Environmental Studies, Economics, and the departments in the College of Ethnic Studies. All Complementary Studies units must be approved by an advisor in the major.Any courses with prefixes other than USP or cross-listed with USP that can be counted toward the major can also count toward the Complementary Studies Requirement.
- 5
Consider taking a class combined with a laboratory or a separate lab to fulfill B3 if not already satisfied.
- 6
Electives (20-22 units)
GEOG 435 Geography of Global Transportation (4 units)
USP 400/HIST 489 Dynamics of the American City (3 units) (UD-D, SJ)
USP 402 Introduction to Planning History and Theory (3 units)
USP 432/GEOG 432 Urban Geography (4 units) (ES, GP)
USP 433/GEOG 433 Urban Transportation (4 units)
USP 456/S W 456 Urban Community Organizing and Citizen Action (3 units)
USP 470/SOC 480 City in a Global Society (4 units)
USP 480/PLSI 480 Introduction to Urban Policy and Analysis (4 units)
USP 485/PLSI 475 San Francisco Political Issues (4 units)
USP 512/PLSI 512 Urban Politics and Community Power (4 units)
USP 513/PLSI 513/GEOG 668 Politics, Law, and the Urban Environment (4 units)
USP 514 Sustainable Development in Cities (4 units) (ES, SJ)
USP 515/GEOG 667 Environmental Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Environment (4 units) (ES, GP, SJ)
USP 530 Alternative Urban Futures (3 units)
USP 555/ANTH 555 Urban Anthropology (3 units)
USP 560/PLSI 560 Urban Poverty and Policy (4 units) (UD-D, SJ)
USP 570/LABR 570/PLSI 570 Urban Health Policy (3 units)
USP 580/PLSI 580 Housing Policy and Planning (3 units) (UD-D, AERM, GP, SJ)
USP 652/GEOG 652 Environmental Impact Analysis (4 units)
USP 658/GEOG 658 Land-Use Planning (4 units)
USP 685 Projects in the Teaching of Urban Studies (1-4 units)
USP 686 Field Work in Urban Studies (1-4 units)
USP 699 Independent Study (1-4 units)- 7
Management Perspectives (12 units)
Select Four:
P A 720 Organization Design and Change Management (3 units)
P A 722 Performance Management and Planning (3 units)
P A 724 Economic Perspectives (3 units)
P A 725 Managing Human Capital (3 units)
P A 727 Program and Service Delivery (3 units)
P A 730 Resource Allocation and Management (3 units)
- 8
Graduate Electives (12 units)
Selected on advisement. A full list of electives can be found in the Master of Public Administration degree requirements.