INFORMATION
Your Academic Advisor is an important resource to help you get the most out of your time at UW Tacoma. Your advisor is here to answer any questions you might have about your degree, to help you plan your classes, and to support you as you work toward your long-term academic and professional goals. Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with the Urban Studies advisor on admission to one of our majors, and to schedule regular check-in appointments each quarter.
Julie A. Lancour, M.Ed.
Academic Advisor
Pinkerton Building, 221
jlancour@uw.edu
Phone: 253-692-5879
RESOURCES
MASTER'S PROGRAM RESOURCES
GRADUATION INFORMATION
REQUEST A COURSE CODE
Resources
General Information
- Campus tours are offered Tuesday - Thursdays.
- UW Tacoma offers open houses, college visits and other special events throughout the year for prospective students.
- Admission advisors can help match your interests to the appropriate program of study, assist you in successfully navigating the application process, and direct you to useful campus resources such as financial aid. They can also review your transcripts and let you know if additional coursework is necessary for admission.
URBAN-STUDENTS is an email list for current Urban Studies students. This email list will provide you with reminders of upcoming deadlines, registration information, job and internship opportunities, special events, graduation information and more.
Expanding your horizons beyond the classroom can help you make the most of your UW Tacoma experience.
- Join one of our student organizations or find opportunities to volunteer, show up at community events, network, and more.
Undergraduate Information
You are encouraged to use the online Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) to check on progress toward your degree. DARS is a useful tool but it should not replace one-on-one degree planning with the Urban Studies advisor. The Urban Studies Degree Planning Worksheet may be useful.
Under exceptional circumstances, a student may petition for a substitution to the Urban Studies core or major curriculum. The petition is reviewed by the Curriculum Committee. You will be required to describe the circumstances of the course being petitioned. The decision generally has no applicability beyond the petitioner and is considered on a case-by-case basis. The decision does not automatically apply to other petitioners.
Before submitting a course petition:
- Consult with your academic advisor.
- Check your degree audit through MyPlan to see how your transfer and/or UW credit is currently being applied toward graduation and major requirements.
- Review degree planning worksheet(s) for your major(s)
After consultation with the academic advisor and it is determined that a course petition is appropriate, submit the online petition.
The review process can take up to 3 weeks to process. You will be notified of the decision by email. If you have any technical problems submitting the petition, contact us at 253.692.5880 or by email at uwturban@uw.edu.
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Satisfy all University and general education requirements to include the following:
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General Education: No fewer than 40 credits of general education courses, to include a minimum of 10 credits in each of three areas of study: Natural World, Individuals and Society and Visual, Literary and Performing Arts
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Writing/Composition: A minimum of 15 credits of writing to include 5 credits of English composition (with a minimum 2.0 grade) and 10 credits of writing-intensive courses.
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Quantitatvie/Symbolic: A minimum of 5 credits of Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning course work
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World Languages: College-level study in a single world language either through two sequential years in high school or through the second-quarter level (102) of college coursework prior to applying for graduation.
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Diversity: A minimum of 3 credits in Diversity coursework; designated courses study diversity in the United States with a focus on the sociocultural, political and economic diversity of human experience and help students develop an understanding of the complexities of living in increasingly diverse and interconnected societies. (For students admitted as of Autumn 2014.)
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- Be a matriculated major (in Urban Studies or Sustainable Urban Development) in good academic standing with the University of Washington Tacoma.
- Complete at least 45 of last 60 credits in residence at the University of Washington Tacoma.
- Complete at least 50 credits at the upper division level (e.g. 300 or higher).
- Complete a minimum of 180 credits.
- Earn a minimum grade of 2.0 in each required course.
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 for all coursework.
- Apply for graduation with a program advisor by the deadline posted by the University for the expected quarter of graduation.
The following grade standards apply to all students in Urban Studies and Sustainable Urban Development. These standards may be in addition to other academic standards at UW Tacoma.
- You must complete all core and core elective coursework by achieving a minimum 2.0 grade in each class. If a grade below 2.0 is received, you must repeat the course. Course credit will only be awarded once, and both grades will be computed into the grade point average. If a grade below a 1.7 is received in a general elective course, it will not count toward graduation; however, you are not required to repeat the course.
- Courses in the Urban Studies/SUD core area may not be taken S/NS (satisfactory/not satisfactory).
- Upper-division core courses completed at other regionally accredited four-year institutions may be applied toward the general elective requirement. Adviser transcript evaluation is available upon request.
- Upper-division courses considered for transfer credit will apply toward the general elective requirement.
- Upper-division courses considered for transfer credit are held to the 1.7 grade standard.
Graduation is not automatic. In order to officially graduate and receive your diploma, you must submit a graduation application. Graduation applications are completed during an appointment with an academic advisor and are due by the second Friday of the quarter in which you wish to graduate. It is recommended that you apply for graduation two quarters before your planned date of graduation.
The School of Urban Studies is excellent preparation for those interested in graduate study in such fields as public administration, law or urban planning/design.
University of Washington Tacoma
University of Washington Seattle
- Architecture
- Construction Management
- Landscape Architecture
- Urban Design and Planning
- UW Graduate School
Portland State University
Other graduate school resources
Master's Program Resources
MACP Graduate Student Handbook
- Appendix 1: Required Coursework (PDF)
- Appendix 2: Policy on Student Performance and Academic Probation (PDF)
MSGT Graduate Student Handbook
- Appendix 1: Capstone Committee Formation Document (PDF)
- Appendix 2: Capstone Proposal Document (PDF)
- Appendix 3: Capstone Approval Document (PDF)
- Appendix 4: Personal Computer Recommended Technical Specifications (PDF)
Lab Policies (PDF)
GRADUATION INFORMATION
Hooding Ceremony
MA in Community Planning
Thursday , June 8th, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Tacoma University Y Student Assembly Room (UWY 304)
MS in Geospatial Technologies
Thursday, August 10th, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Carwein Auditorium (KEY 102)
UW Tacoma Commencement
June 9, 2023
Tacoma Dome
Doors Open: 8:30 a.m.
Procession Begins: 9:30 a.m.
COMMENCEMENT & HOODING CEREMONY
UW Tacoma Commencement
You may choose to participate in UW Tacoma Commencement. This is a campus-level celebration of the completion of your degree. To participate, you will register in May (specific dates TBA). This registration process will include purchase of your cap, gown, and masters hood; as well as reserving tickets for family and friends. Read more about Commencement at UW Tacoma, and register at www.tacoma.uw.edu/commencement.
Hooding Ceremony
Each masters program celebrates its graduates with a program-specific celebration called “Hooding.” In this ceremony you will be awarded the masters hood for completion of your program, or “hooded” by your faculty, with family and friends in attendance. This will be a chance for your family and friends to learn a bit more about your accomplishment in completing your degree, and for personal recognition from the Urban Studies program. In order to participate in the hooding ceremony, you will need to order your cap, gown, and hood through the UW Tacoma Commencement registration process, even if you do not intend to attend UW Tacoma's Commencement.
You may choose to participate in UW Tacoma Commencement, Hooding, both, or neither. We hope you will choose to celebrate the accomplishment of completing your degree with us at both, especially at the more intimate program Hooding Ceremony.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS/INFORMATION ABOUT GRADUATION
In order to graduate, every MA and MS student will make a master’s degree request through your MyGrad account beginning the first day of your final quarter until the last day of instruction of the quarter of expected graduation. If you miss the deadline, you must pay a $250 graduate degree Registration Waiver late fee within 2 weeks after the end of the quarter. Graduation is then for the following quarter and a degree request must be submitted for that quarter. After you submit your request, Urban Studies will run a degree audit to verify that you have satisfactorily completed all required course work to date, and check with your faculty to verify that you are on track to complete your final quarter successfully. Assuming you are on track to completing all degree requirements, we will recommend to the graduate school that you be awarded your degree, pending completion of your final classes.
The degree request is solely your responsibility. To request your degree, complete the degree request by logging in to your Student MyGrad Page. and click on “Submit a Master’s Degree Request Now.” Select the “non-thesis” option, and submit your request.
