Urban Sciences and Planning

major

The Bachelor of Urban Sciences and Planning (BUSP) degree at the University of Florida prepares students to address complex urban challenges by integrating theoretical foundations with practical applications.

About this Program

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Building on a strong base in urban planning and interdisciplinary courses, students explore how tools from economics, policy analysis, governance, ethics, data science, and geospatial analysis can be used to craft innovative solutions to built environment and environmental issues in the US and globally. Designed for careers in both public and private sectors, the Bachelor of Urban Sciences and Planning prepares student for careers in the fields of urban planning and applied data and spatial analytics.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must complete their AA degree and these courses with minimum grades of C:

Transfer students must also have a 3.0 minimum overall GPA. Refer to the admissions website for transfer admission information, application deadlines, and online application.

Coursework for the Major

The BUSP degree program requires 120 credit hours. Students complete 51 hours of coursework in the major. Each course in the major is 3 credit hours and 100% of these courses are required. Students will be required to complete their general education requirements (30 credits, 6 courses covered by program requirements). Twenty-one (21) credits from outside the department are required as critical tracking courses. This will leave 48 additional credits of elective (21 of which must be 3000-level or higher). Students are encouraged to use elective coursework to pursue a minor or certificate.

Students should meet with an advisory as early as possible in their academic careers to plan their course of study.

The specific coursework for the major is as follows:

Core Courses

LAA 1330Site Analysis3
ECO 2013Principles of Macroeconomics4
ECO 2023Principles of Microeconomics4
STA 2023Introduction to Statistics 13
POS 2041American Federal Government3
or POS 2112 American State and Local Government
Approved history elective3
Approved ethics elective3
Approved Governance and Law elective3
Approved Data & Methods elective3
Approved Communications elective3
URP 4000Preview of Urban and Regional Planning3
URP 4273Survey of Planning Information Systems3
URP 4744Neighborhood Planning3
DCP 4300AI in the Built Environment3
URP 4942Community Service3
URP 4XXXUrban Planning Studio 13
URP 4XXXUrban Planning Studio 2
URP electives12
Total Credits62

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

  • Complete DCP 1003 with minimum grade of C
  • 2.6 UF GPA Required

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Semester 5

Semester 6

Semester 7

  • Complete URP 4942 and URP 4XXX Urban Planning Studio 1

Semester 8

  • Complete URP 4XXX Urban Planning Studio 2

Students are required to complete a Quest 1 course in semester 1 or 2, and a Quest 2 course in semester 3 or 4.

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
DCP 1003 Creating our Built Environment (Critical Tracking) 1
State Core Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences 3
State Core Gen Ed Composition 3
State Core Gen Ed Humanities (PHI 2010 recommended) 3
 Credits13
Semester Two
LAA 1330 Site Analysis (Critical Tracking) 3
ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) 4
URP 1XXXThis Must Be the Place (Critical Tracking) 3
Gen Ed Composition 3
Approved Communication Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
 Credits16
Semester Three
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) 4
STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences 3
Approved History Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Electives 1000/2000 level 3
 Credits16
Semester Four
Quest 2 (Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences) 3
POS 2041
American Federal Government (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences )
or American State and Local Government
3
URP 2001 Comparative Urbanization ((Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences and International) 3
Gen Ed Mathematics 3
Approved Ethics Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
 Credits15
Semester Five
URP 4273 Survey of Planning Information Systems (Critical Tracking) 3
URP 4000 Preview of Urban and Regional Planning (Critical Tracking) 3
Approved Data and Methods Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Approved Governance and Law Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Elective 3000/4000 level 3
 Credits15
Semester Six
DCP 4300 AI in the Built Environment (Critical Tracking) 3
URP 4744 Neighborhood Planning (Critical Tracking) 3
URP Electives (Critical Tracking) 6
Elective 3000/4000 level 3
 Credits15
Semester Seven
URP 4XXXUrban Planning Studio 1 (Critical Tracking) 3
URP 4942Internship (Critical Tracking) 3
URP Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Electives 3000/4000 level 6
 Credits15
Semester Eight
URP 4XXXUrban Planning Studio 2 (Critical Tracking) 3
URP Elective (Critical Tracking) 3
Electives 3000/4000 level 9
 Credits15
 Total Credits120

Approved Electives

Students must choose one course from each of the following five categories. 

History

ARC 1000Architecture + Humanity3
ARC 1720Survey of Architecture History3
DCP 4000Overview of Historic Preservation3
GEO 3611Housing, People, and Places in a Spatially Diverse America3
GEO 4554Regional Development3
LAA 2710History of Landscape Architecture3

Ethics

IDS 1114Ethics and the Public Sphere3
PHI 3681Ethics, Data, and Technology3
PUP 3002Current Controversies in Public Policy3

Governance and Law

ISS 2122The History of Political Economy3
ISS 2440Introduction to Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law3
POS 3122State Politics3

Communications

GEO 4170Communicating Science in the Geosciences3
SPC 2351Listening3
SPC 2608Introduction to Public Speaking3

Methods and Data Tools

AMH 3593Oral History3
EEL 3872Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals3
GEO 3602Urban and Business Geography3
GEO 4170Communicating Science in the Geosciences3
GEO 4700Transportation and Urban Accessibility3
GIS 2114The World & Big Data3
GIS 4324GIS Analysis of Hazard Vulnerability3