Hunter Urban Policy & Planning (UPP) is a department within the School of Arts and Sciences at Hunter College. The department offers an accredited Master in Urban Planning degree, a Master of Science in Urban Policy and Leadership degree, and a Master of Urban Planning online degree. Our department was founded by Paul Davidoff in 1965 to advance human-centered advocacy planning. Dr. Robert Weaver, the nation’s first Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the first Black cabinet member, joined our department in 1970 as a Distinguished Professor. We remain committed to the ideals of social justice these legendary urbanists established for our department.

Whether they take courses in our interdisciplinary undergraduate urban studies program or pursue degrees in one of our graduate programs, our students are committed to making cities better places for all people. Our graduate program in urban planning remains one of the best in the nation, and our graduate program in urban policy and leadership is well-designed to equip professionals from a variety of disciplines to advocate for change in cities here and abroad. Take time to familiarize yourself with our faculty, programs, and activities, and read the department’s Learning Outcomes here.

Our fourteen full-time faculty are actively engaged in teaching and cutting-edge research; our highly-qualified part-time practitioner-instructors are drawn from government and industry. Please get in touch if you would like to learn more. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.