2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Core Requirements | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| UAP 1004 | Introduction to Career & Professional Development in Public Service | 1 |
| UAP 1024 | Leadership, Service, and Public Problem Solving | 3 |
| PSCI 1014 | Introduction to United States Government and Politics | 3 |
| STAT 3604 | Statistics for Social Science | 3 |
| SPIA 3554 | Transdisciplinary Problem Solving for Social Issues | 3 |
| UAP 4754 | Legal Foundations of Planning | 3 |
| UAP 3224 | Policy Implementation | 3 |
| UAP/PSCI 3744 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| UAP 3024 | Urban and Regional Analysis | 3 |
| UAP 4914 | Seminar in Public and Urban Affairs | 3 |
| UH 4514 | Honors SuperStudio | 1 |
| Subtotal | 29 | |
| Major Requirements | ||
| Required Core Courses | ||
| SPIA 2004 | Introduction to Urban Analytics (Covers Pathway 5a) | 3 |
| SPIA/GEOG 2244 | Sustainable Urbanization | 3 |
| SPIA 4464 | Data and the Art of Policy-Making and Planning (Covers Pathway 5a) | 3 |
| SPIA 4454 | Future of Cities | 3 |
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Required Elective Courses | ||
| Select nine credit hours from the list below | 9 | |
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Bridge Experience | ||
| SPIA 3900 | Bridge Experience | 0 |
| Free Electives | ||
| Select as many credits as needed to reach 120 credits | 31 | |
| Subtotal | 31 | |
| Pathways to General Education | ||
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | ||
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| Select three credis in Pathway 1a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | ||
| PHIL 1304 | Morality and Justice | 3 |
| or PHIL 2304 | Global Ethics | |
| Select three credis in Pathway 2 | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following: | 6 | |
| Principles of Economics and Principles of Economics | ||
| Economics of the Food and Fiber System and Economics of the Food and Fiber System | ||
| Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | ||
| Select six credits in Pathway 4 1 | 6 | |
| Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking The Pathways 5a requirement is met by completing the SSC Major core (specifically - SPIA 2004 and SPIA 4464) | ||
| MATH 1014 | Precalculus with Transcendental Functions | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | ||
| Select three credits in Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| Select three credits in Pathway 6d | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | ||
| SPIA 2554 | Collaborative Policy-Making and Planning | 3 |
| Subtotal | 39 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
No labs are required
Select nine (9) credit hours from the elective courses listed below. All courses listed below are 3 credit hours.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Policy and Decision-Making | ||
| UAP 3014 | Urban Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UAP/PSCI 3714 | The U. S. Policy Process | 3 |
| UAP 3264 | Contemporary Urban Issues | 3 |
| UAP 4344 | Law of Critical Environmental Areas | 3 |
| UAP 4374 | Land Use and Environment: Planning and Policy | 3 |
| UAP 4394 | Community Renewable Energy Systems | 3 |
| UAP 4854 | Planning of the Urban Infrastructure | 3 |
| UAP/PSCI 4624 | The Washington Semester: Seminar in American Politics and Public Policy | 3 |
| UAP/PSCI 4644 | Washington Semester: Politics, Policy and Administration in A Democracy | 3 |
| SPIA 4964 | Field Work/Practicum | 3 |
| SPIA/HNFE 2314 | Active Transportation for a Healthy, Sustainable Planet | 3 |
| SPIA 3704 | Urban Contention and Mobilization | 3 |
| HD 3024 | Community Analytics | 3 |
| PSCI 3424 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| PSCI 3434 | Urban Politics | 3 |
| UAP 4964 | Field Study | 3 |
| GIS/Data | ||
| GEOG 2084 | Principles of Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| GEOG/GEOS 4084 | Modeling with Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| CS 1064 | Introduction to Programming in Python | 3 |
| Urban Design | ||
| ARCH 3504 | Topics in Architectural Media and Methods | 3 |
| ARCH 4324 | Advanced Topics in Architectural Media and Methods | 3 |
| LAR 3044 | Land Analysis and Site Planning | 3 |
| CEE 2834 | Civil Engineering Drawings and Virtual Modeling | 3 |
| Cities, Culture, and Place | ||
| LAR 2254 | Social and Cultural Landscapes | 3 |
| LAR 3264 | People Community and Place | 3 |
| LAR 4034 | Evolution of the American Landscape | 3 |
| FREC/HORT 2134 | Plants and Greenspaces in Urban Communities | 3 |
| FREC 4454 | Urban and Community Forestry | 3 |
| GEOG 3244 | The U.S. City | 3 |
| Economics | ||
| UAP/REAL 2004 | Principles of Real Estate | 3 |
| ECON 3024 | Economic Justice | 3 |
| ECON 4014 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| AAEC 3324 | Environment and Sustainable Development Economics | 3 |
| International | ||
| UAP 3954 | Study Abroad | 3 |
| UAP/SOC/GEOG 4764 | International Development Policy and Planning | 3 |
| SPIA 2544 | Policy Dynamics in Global Health | 3 |
| SPIA 4954 | Study Abroad | 1-19 |
To make satisfactory progress within the SSC major, students must complete UAP 1024 Leadership, Service, and Public Problem Solving, PSCI 1014 Introduction to United States Government and Politics, STAT 3604 Statistics for Social Science, and SPIA 2244 Sustainable Urbanization by the end of the semester in which 60 hours have been attempted; and maintain an in-major GPA of 2.0.
Students must earn at least 120 credit hours to graduate with a PUA degree.
All courses in the Degree Core and Major Requirements are included in the in-major GPA calculation. A GPA of 2.0 or above (overall and in-major) is required for graduation.
No course can double count within or between SPIA-related majors or minors with the exception of the PUA Core Degree Requirements. In accordance with university guidelines, courses satisfying degree core requirements may not be used to satisfy other areas of a degree (e.g. Pathways).
Students may pursue more than one major or minor associated with the School of Public and International Affairs Program. In this case, the policy pertaining to the “Dual Use of Courses” will apply.
Some courses listed on this checksheet have prerequisites. Be sure to consult the University Catalog and/or check with your advisor regarding course planning.
No Credits Count Toward the Degree
2 years of a single foreign, classical, or sign language in high school or complete an 1105-1106 foreign language (e.g., FR, GR, SPAN) grouping (these credits will not count toward the 120 required for graduation).
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| UAP 1024 | Leadership, Service, and Public Problem Solving | 3 |
| MATH 1014 | Precalculus with Transcendental Functions | 3 |
| PSCI 1014 | Introduction to United States Government and Politics | 3 |
| PHIL 1304 or PHIL 2304 | Morality and Justice or Global Ethics | 3 |
| UAP 1004 | Introduction to Career & Professional Development in Public Service | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing | 3 |
| SPIA 2244 | Sustainable Urbanization | 3 |
| Pathway 4 (Student choice) | 3 | |
| Pathway 2 (Student choice) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ECON 2005 or AAEC 1005 | Principles of Economics or Economics of the Food and Fiber System | 3 |
| SPIA 2554 | Collaborative Policy-Making and Planning (Pathway 7) | 3 |
| SPIA 2004 | Introduction to Urban Analytics (Pathway 5a) | 3 |
| SSC Major Elective | 3 | |
| Pathway 4 (Student choice) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ECON 2006 or AAEC 1006 | Principles of Economics or Economics of the Food and Fiber System | 3 |
| STAT 3604 | Statistics for Social Science | 3 |
| UAP 3744 | Public Policy Analysis | 3 |
| Pathway 1a (Student choice) | 3 | |
| Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| UAP 3024 | Urban and Regional Analysis | 3 |
| SPIA 4454 | Future of Cities | 3 |
| Pathway 6d | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SPIA 3554 | Transdisciplinary Problem Solving for Social Issues | 3 |
| SPIA 4464 | Data and the Art of Policy-Making and Planning (Pathway 5a) | 3 |
| UAP 4754 | Legal Foundations of Planning | 3 |
| UAP 3224 | Policy Implementation | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SSC Major Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| SPIA 3900 | Bridge Experience | 0 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| UAP 4914 | Seminar in Public and Urban Affairs | 3 |
| UH 4514 | Honors SuperStudio | 1 |
| SSC Major Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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