UPD Minor Policy

The American University of Central Asia
Environmental and Urban Studies Concentration 
Approved by the Liberal Arts and Sciences Department
September 1, 2020

POLICY FOR MINOR IN URBAN STUDIES

 
The minor in Urban Studies is designed for AUCA students who are not majoring in
Urban Planning and Design but want to learn more about urbanism, a new program at
AUCA. Students are able to earn a minor in Urban Studies by successfully completing 42
credits.  They must take one core course and six elective courses from the list below.
It should be noted that students are eligible to apply/proceed with a Minor in Urban
Studies only if they receive “B-” or higher for the core course, Introduction to Urban and
Regional Planning.

To receive a minor in Urban Studies, students must have the permission of the Chair of
the LAS Department and the coordinator of the Urban Planning & Design program. Students must have a
GPA of at least 2.70 at graduation. Only successful candidates, whose transcripts meet all the
requirements of the program, and who successfully pass the requirements of their major will be
granted a minor in Urban Studies.

To obtain permission of the Coordinator of Urban Studies Concentration for the minor in
Urban Studies, students shall submit the following documents:
 Application letter requesting consideration for a minor;
 A proposed schedule for completing 42 credits in approved courses;
 A copy of their current transcript (GPA shall be of 2.7 or higher).

Course requirements:
One core course:
 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning
Six courses from the following list (not all courses are offered every year):
 Urban Planning as a Profession
 Applied GIS for Urban Analysis
 Green Spaces in Urban Development
 Urban Psychology
 Urban Sociology
 Urban Design
 Redesigning the Commons and Project Management

 Urban Governance and Infrastructure
 What is Architecture, What Architecture is
 Advanced Tools of Planners and Designers
 Energizing Cities for a Sustainable Future
 Urban Economics

If the student’s schedule proposes courses not listed in the current table, please contact
the program coordinator to decide whether those courses can be counted towards the minor.
Contact the program coordinator via email at least one-week prior the end of registration
to confirm that there are open places in the courses.