Simon Fraser University has announced a new Bachelor of Arts in Urban Worlds. The program—which aims to address urban issues and improve cities—is a collaborative degree between the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Environment.
Students can choose from one of two streams, and additionally have the option to pursue an accelerated Master’s admissions path for two of SFU’s master’s programs.
“Urbanization is growing faster than our understanding of how to improve cities,” said SFU Professor Anthony Perl. Perl added that the skills students learn “will enable them to manage the disruptions and minimize the inequities that arise from urbanization, advance the common good, and deliver on government commitments to make cities better for all.”
Urban Worlds students take their foundation year courses together, then choose a stream in Urban Change (through FENV) or Urban Studies (through FASS) for years two and three. The streams allow students to focus on their areas of interest in this excitingly complex and layered area of study. All Urban Worlds students reconnect for fourth-year capstone projects, and they graduate together with a degree that will create opportunities for graduate studies as well as jobs and career pathways.
Urban Worlds students’ career opportunities include (but are not limited to) urban and land-use planners; senior managers in government, construction, transportation, production utilities; senior government managers and officials; economic development; sustainability; business development officers; market researchers and analysts; and emergency management.