Our school is home to domestic and international students
Our international students come from a wide range of countries, including: China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Vietnam, South Korea, Serbia, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey. We often have one or two Fulbright students each year representing countries such as Angola, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Mongolia, Russia, Albania, Indonesia, Haiti, the Philippines and Zambia. Students from outside of the U.S. bring different ideas and perspectives to class discussions and projects giving our courses a more world view. We also have a reciprocal agreement with Dortmund University in Germany, and enjoy having their students in our school.
SPPA programs incorporate an international perspective into coursework and study abroad opportunities so that graduates can contribute to addressing urban, social, and policy issues anywhere in the world.
Study abroad opportunities
Study abroad courses are effective ways to experience first-hand issues impacting the world outside the U.S., to develop an understanding of global issues and to explore a range of innovative solutions.
We offer five international opportunities open to graduate and undergraduate students:
| Location | semester | Length | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala, India | winter | 3 weeks | sustainability, sustainable architecture, community empowerment |
| Belgrade, Serbia | summer | 3 weeks | urban governance |
| Singapore | summer (starting 2025) | 3 weeks | urban sustainability |
| Dortmund, Germany (exchange program) | varies | 1 semester | European urban policies and planning |
SPPA courses with international components
Many SPPA core and elective courses include international components. A couple examples include:
- Megacities Seminar focuses on understanding and addressing planning issues facing large cities and mega-regions, with an emphasis on fast-growing cities in developing countries.
- Systems and Scenario Thinking, a second-year core course, introduces students to global environmental and economic development planning and governance organizations and activities, and employs global simulations and international case studies on food systems planning, active transportation, and climate adaptation and mitigation.
Faculty with international focus areas
Five of our faculty have an international dimension to their teaching and research.
teaches courses with an international focus: the winter session India course, a summer course planned for Singapore, and a Big Ideas and First-Year Seminar course in fall. He also conducts research on urban growth issues in developing countries, and on wood-burning cook-stoves in India.
has research interests in public finance and public policy in education, health and transportation in the United States and Vietnam.
conducts research on innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional economic development in China.
studies climate and environmental planning in global megacities, with long-term research studies and collaborations in Chile and India.