College of Urban and Public Affairs

Sy Adler, Ph.D., Interim Dean

750 Urban Center, 503-725-4043

www.pdx.edu/urban-public-affairs/

The College of Urban and Public Affairs joins the disciplines of urban studies, public administration, criminology & criminal justice, political science, economics, and international & global studies under one roof. Just outside the doors of the Urban Center—in one of the nation’s most innovative urban regions—our students and faculty fuse theory and practice into solutions for the common good. Our students and faculty collaborate with community organizations, imagine original solutions, and implement them in real-time. Upon graduation, our students are equipped to improve the livability of their communities.

In a state where land-use planning, transportation, environmental aspects of urban growth, community policing, low-income housing, solid waste recycling, and community engagement are a model for the nation, our urban location provides the perfect applied laboratory for the college's groundbreaking work.

Mark O. Hatfield School of Government

The Mark O. Hatfield School of Government is one of the largest public policy schools in the country. It includes the departments of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Political Science, and Public Administration. Our nationally-ranked programs in public administration, nonprofit management, political science, and criminology & criminal justice help prepare students to improve the way we govern and lead. Faculty and students of the Hatfield School are involved in an impressive range of community collaborations around public policy and administration, civic leadership, and criminal justice.

Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning

The Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning is the nation's oldest continuously operating instructional program in urban studies.  Graduates can be found in public, private, and nonprofit planning offices throughout North America and around the globe.  The mission of the school is to assist in the development of healthy communities through an interdisciplinary program of teaching, research, and public service.

Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice

The Criminology & Criminal Justice Department brings together students and faculty who are interested in a) studying the causes, prevention, and control of criminal behavior and b) promoting efficiency, effectiveness, and equity at all levels of the criminal justice system. The department offers a bachelor’s degree, minor, postbaccalaureate certificate and master’s degree. Each program is designed to equip students with career-relevant skills for lifelong professional success and the practical tools needed for helping to improve and reform the criminal justice system.

 

Department of Economics

The mission of the Department of Economics is to provide high-quality graduate and undergraduate education while generating top-notch applied and theoretical research that garners national recognition within a supportive academic community. The department offers a wide range of courses and a variety of academic degrees, including bachelor’s degrees, a masters degree, and a four-course Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. The department also sponsors year-round seminars for students that address crucial policy-oriented and theoretical topics.

Department of International and Global Studies 

The Department of International and Global Studies offers a B.A. degree based on an interdisciplinary curriculum that provides both a global perspective and a comprehensive view of a selected geographic region of the world. Students can choose to select a degree in International Studies or choose the International Development studies track. This degree offers an excellent foundation for careers in which an understanding of international economic, political, social, historical, and cultural affairs is important; it also provides a solid foundation for graduate work in the field.

Department of Political Science


The Political Science Department is dedicated to understanding the nature of power and governance, and to giving students the tools they need to make a meaningful difference in their communities. Students have the opportunity to focus on the four main fields of political science – American, Comparative, International Relations, and Political Theory - and may also specialize in several other subfields such as law, public service, international development, campaign management, and women’s leadership. Career possibilities for graduates abound because students can customize their degree program around hands-on concentration options, multi-disciplinary opportunities, internships, and rigorous curricula. Graduate students enter a world of professional academic scholarship and analysis, preparing them for doctorate-level study or leadership careers at non-governmental organizations, think tanks, or political consulting. 

Department of Public Administration


The Public Administration Department is home to ten multidisciplinary programs designed to equip current and future leaders in addressing contemporary social issues in the public sector, nonprofit sphere, health care administration, and beyond. Our faculty and community of instructors offer decades of wisdom gleaned from both studying and applying theory. This wisdom is continuously being practiced and refined, as faculty members and instructors remain actively engaged in scholarship, service, and practice. Our Department provides education and professional development, engages in applied research and consulting with public sector partners, and leverages the scope of these activities through publication.

Graduate Certificates

  • Certificate in Applied Social Demography
  • Graduate Certificate in Collaborative Governance
  • Graduate Certificate in Econometrics and Data Analysis
  • Graduate Certificate in Emergency Management and Community Resilience
  • Graduate Certificate in Energy Policy and Management
  • Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Resource Economics
  • Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
  • Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit and Public Management
  • Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development
  • Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems
  • Graduate Certificate in Transportation
  • Graduate Certificate in Urban Design

Undergraduate Certificates

  • Advanced Crime Analysis Certificate
  • Criminal Behavior Certificate
  • Leadership in Criminal Justice Certificate
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Criminology & Criminal Justice
  • Global Studies Certificate
  • African Studies Certificate
  • Asian Studies Certificate
  • European Studies Certificate
  • Latin American Studies Certificate
  • Middle East Studies Certificate
  • Contemporary Turkish Studies Certificate
  • Campaigning to Win a U.S. Political Campaign
  • Women's Leadership

Non-Credit Certificates

  • Professional Certificate in Nonprofit Fundraising
  • Professional Certificate in Nonprofit Program Evaluation
  • Certificate in Tribal Relations

Minors

  • Minor in Civic Leadership
  • Minor in Community Development
  • Minor in Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • Minor in Law and Legal Studies
  • Minor in Political Science
  • Minor in International & Global Studies
  • Minor in Economics
  • Minor in International Economics
  • Minor in Political Economy

Bachelor Degrees

  • B.A., B.S.—Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • B.A., B.S.—Community Development
  • B.A., B.S.—Political Science
  • B.A., B.S.—Political Science: International Development
  • B.A., B.S.—Political Science: Public Service
  • B.A., B.S.—Urban and Public Affairs
  • B.A., B.S.—Economics
  • B.S.—Quantitative Economics
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies: Africa
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies- East Asia
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies- Europe
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies- Latin America
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies- Middle East
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies- International Development
  • B.A.—International & Global Studies-Global Studies 
  • Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Program: B.S.—Quantitative Economics and M.S. in Economics

Graduate Degrees

  • M.S.—Criminology and Criminal Justice
  • M.A., M.S.—Economics
  • M.S. —Emergency Management and Community Resilience
  • E.M.P.A.—Executive Master of Pubic Administration
  • M.P.A.—Nonprofit Management
  • M.P.A.—Natural Resource Policy and Administration
  • M.P.A.—Local Government
  • M.P.A.—Global Leadership and Management
  • M.P.A.—Human Resource Management
  • M.P.A.—Health Management and Policy
  • M.P.A.—Health Administration
  • M.P.P.—Master of Public Policy
  • M.R.E.D.—Master of Real Estate Development
  • M.S.—Political Science
  • M.U.R.P.—Master of Urban and Regional Planning
  • M.U.S.—Master of Urban Studies
  • Ph.D.—Public Affairs and Policy
  • Ph.D.—Urban Studies, Urban Studies: Regional Science