Trinity College will launch a graduate certificate program in urban planning in fall 2020. The program will be offered through the master’s program in public policy, in partnership with the Urban Studies Program. Trinity is the first institution in Connecticut to provide an urban planning program, even at the certificate level.
Garth Myers, Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Urban International Studies and director of the Center for Urban and Global Studies, said the certificate program was needed in the state. “There is a gap that has left Connecticut with disadvantages in attempting to tap the strengths of urban areas for the overall growth and quality of life for residents. This new graduate certificate in urban planning at Trinity is a step toward filling this gap. It will help us meet evident needs in the state for graduate training.”
Students in the program will learn basic urban planning principles, as well as the history and evolution of schools of thought in urban planning. They will also study urban planning methods for practical, applied, and empirical work, including both quantitative and qualitative skills. Students will gain a familiarity with contemporary urbanization patterns and processes in Connecticut and the New England region, within both the U.S. and global contexts. Myers said those in the region – and those already admitted to the graduate program in public policy, in particular – will find the certificate a beneficial step in their career development trajectories.
The four-course certificate can be earned as a stand-alone certificate or as part of a master’s degree at Trinity. The certificate requires two core courses and two elective courses to complete the program. The core course options include: Intro to Urban Planning, Public Policy Practicum, or Urban Research Practicum. The two elective courses include: Global Cities, Geographies of Transport, Leadership in the Policy Arena, or Public Management.
“From its creation in 2013, the Urban Studies Program has viewed itself as central to the college’s mission. Our undergraduate course, From Hartford to World Cities, is a core course for the major. We move from Hartford outward, to Connecticut, the New England region, the U.S., and the world,” said Myers. “This is the logic in including both a series of Hartford-area courses and global cities in the graduate certificate. It is no longer possible – if it ever was – to study the internal dynamics and processes of urbanization or urban management in an individual city in isolation from the global economy.”
Courses taken as part of the certificate will count toward a master’s degree in Public Policy, if a student chooses to pursue a master’s degree while pursuing the certificate, or at the completion of the certificate program.
In January 2020, Myers discussed the potential impact of the certificate program on NBC Connecticut’s “Face the Facts.” In the video below, Myers explains why he hopes it will transform local cities and lead to more jobs in Connecticut.
Visit Admissions for more information about applying to the Urban Studies Program and the new graduate certificate in urban planning. To learn more about the urban planning graduate certificate program and other graduate study programs, please complete the information request form.
