Apply for the 2022-2023 Cohort

The Graduate Certificate in Urban Science and Sustainable Development prepares students to enter the emerging field of sustainable urban development through the lenses of cities and urban systems. Completed along with another University of Chicago graduate degree program, students are trained in interdisciplinary, advanced methods, perspectives, and theory, along with technology, data collection and analysis, and computational and other scientific tools, to understand urbanization processes in the 21st century.

Master’s students can apply as early as the spring of the first year of their degree program to join the following fall. It is recommended that PhD students apply around the time they are creating a thesis proposal but still taking classes, though they may apply earlier. Interested students must complete an application, and should verify support from either their degree program supervisor or thesis advisor prior to applying. Each applicant will be considered by a multidisciplinary Faculty Committee in coordination with the relevant degree program supervisor.

Application materials include:

1. A 750 word Statement of Purpose describing the student’s goals in pursuing the Certificate, as well as an anticipated approach for identifying a Major Research Project or equivalent. Applicants should briefly describe how their proposed work advances the areas of urban science and sustainable development.
2. Two proposed courses that reflect the student’s interest in the field and will count toward certificate completion. Courses previously taken may be submitted. For the purposes of the application, students may indicate how their proposed courses relate to urban science, broadly defined and in conjunction with the student’s particular interests in urban research or practice.
3. CV and brief professional bio

Applicants will be evaluated on the rigor and cohesion of their focus within urban scholarship and related goals, as well as their approach to determining a Major Research Project and complementary coursework. Applications are due Friday, June 24, 2022, at 5 p.m for the 2022-23 academic year.

Note: any major research project described during the application process is not binding. Students accepted into the Certificate Program will be asked to submit a formal major research project proposal later – as their work takes shape – for review and approval by the Faculty Committee.

This form is currently closed for submissions.