Law and public service - Leadership, policy and urban planning

This program provides you with the skills needed to act as a social change agent through policy analysis and community-based action, such as:

• Administrative and legislative strategies.
• Ethics.
• Mindfulness practices.
• Research methods.
• Social justice and human rights perspectives.

These skills and competencies will equip you to formulate strategies that advance social, economic and environmental justice, use social media and cyberactivism for advocacy efforts and evaluate the success of advocacy intervention efforts. You’ll develop a deep understanding of how social policies have adversely affected marginalized or oppressed populations, such as different racial/ethnic groups, individuals struggling with mental illness, elderly individuals and more. You’ll also acquire the community advocacy tools needed to address the social problems impacting these populations, with an emphasis on past and present challenges facing various groups in the southwest.

Tailor your studies to fit your career goals

In this program, you’ll choose 10 courses to match your career goals and interests from two key focus areas:

• Diversity and oppressed populations: This focus explores oppressed or marginalized populations and systems of oppression and domination.
• Social problems and interventions: This focus specializes in social problems that disproportionately affect members of oppressed populations and change strategies.

Both focus areas include five related courses. Regardless of the courses you choose within these focus areas, you’ll graduate with a deeper understanding of social problems and issues, how these issues have historically impacted society, how they have evolved and how they continue to influence the world today.

How does this program compare to a bachelor’s in social work?

While this community advocacy and social policy bachelor’s provides a deep social work foundation, it’s different from a bachelor’s in social work (BSW). This program is regionally accredited, but it isn’t accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) as a bachelor’s in social work would be. This program won’t lead you to social work licensure or prepare you for social work roles that require a CSWE-accredited degree. However, you may pursue a master’s degree in social work after graduation.

In an increasingly interconnected world, digital and physical disasters are valid concerns for governments, businesses and more. This program will improve your understanding of disaster-related needs such as emergency preparedness, identification, mitigation, recovery, strategic risk reduction and resilience capacity building.

By blending the concepts of public service and policy with emergency management and homeland security, you’ll gain the skills needed to handle both public and private security threats, including:

• Addressing public safety concerns related to disasters.
• Building a comprehensive perspective of risks and emergencies.
• Developing plans to address emergencies and disruptions before they occur.
• Organizing and improving disaster recovery efforts.
• Overseeing personnel and resources in times of crisis.
• Understanding human responses to disasters and how they can affect management efforts.

With a tailored education in public policy and emergency management, you’ll be able to take on leadership roles related to the protection of people, assets and communities.

How this program compares to similar ASU Online degrees

This concentration provides a comprehensive understanding of public service and policy while also offering a specialized area of focus in emergency management and homeland security. ASU’s online Bachelor of Science in public service and public policy program takes a broader approach and includes courses with an emphasis on public administration. The Bachelor of Science in emergency management and homeland security (EMHS) provides an advanced understanding of the field and would be ideal for those interested in that career path. In this program, you’ll also complete EMHS-specific elective courses instead of the general range of elective options available in the other programs.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security.
• Master of Public Administration.
• Master of Science in program evaluation and data analytics.

You’re an excellent fit for this program if you aspire to lead and transform community, state, government and nonprofit organizations. This public service and public policy degree provides you with the knowledge to evaluate societal challenges and the practical tools to address them. Courses push the boundaries of theoretical learning and prepare you to improve government and policy at all levels.

You can also elevate your studies by earning a graduate degree. This bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Arts in emergency management and homeland security
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Science in program evaluation and data analytics

Develop skills that translate to jobs in all sectors

This program offers a professional view of policy, management and leadership. Whether you pursue employment in the public, private or nonprofit sectors, you’ll have a career-ready skillset. This includes analyzing policy and understanding how it’s crafted, developing realistic solutions to problems and leading teams. You’ll also learn how to identify opportunities for positive change and work within the structures and operational rules common to governments and nonprofit organizations.

As a graduate, you’ll be prepared to make an impact in policy analysis, social services, government affairs, budget analysis, city management, policy consulting and more. For those who already work in the public and nonprofit sectors, you can immediately apply your knowledge and skills to your role. Although the curriculum is rooted in public service, the skills you’ll gain are broadly applicable to careers in the private sector as well. For example, you could pursue roles in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, compliance, human resources and market research.

Urban planning shapes the way our cities, states and communities operate, how people navigate the globe and how cities are planned for success. Throughout this degree, you'll develop a strong foundation of the history, theory and contemporary practices of urban planning.

Courses are taught by distinguished faculty members who’ll guide you as you explore relevant physical, social, political and economic issues. You’ll also have the opportunity to cater your education to your interests with elective courses featuring specialized topics, such as ethics, economic development and government planning.

Additionally, this bachelor’s degree can be completed as part of an Accelerated Master’s program. When accepted, you can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year after completing your undergraduate degree. This opportunity saves you time and money while giving you advanced knowledge in your field. Applicable master's degrees include:

• Master of Urban and Environmental Planning.

Develop skills you need for careers in urban planning and development

In this program, you’ll learn to cultivate an analytical perspective in urban planning and development. You’ll also acquire a range of transferable skills, including problem solving, design, public engagement and critical thinking. Additionally, you’ll gain experience using contemporary planning tools, such as GIS, that’ll help you stand out from the competition in the job market. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared to design communities and directly impact residents’ quality of life.

State authorization:
We strongly recommend you visit our state authorization page to learn how ASU is authorized to operate in your state, policies for out-of-state students and program exceptions.

What industries hire urban planners, city planners and urban development professionals?

Urban planning is a diverse profession with many potential career pathways. Urban planning degree holders often work for or with local governments and governmental agencies, including planning and development departments, economic development departments and regional transportation agencies. Planners also work for private sector planning firms, nonprofit agencies, real estate developers and allied industries, such as engineering or design firms. While most urban planning careers within the government are available at the city level, county, state and federal jobs also exist.