Smart and Sustainable Cities (SSC)
*The last term to enroll in this major was Spring 2026. Current students in the program may graduate by Spring 2033. See Urban Planning after Spring 2026.*
Why Study Smart and Sustainable Cities at Virginia Tech?
The core of the major consists of two parallel tracks. The first track focuses on urban analytics and decision-making. In this track, students will develop modeling and data visualization skills that can be applied to understand urban and regional systems in data-driven, quantitative, and computational ways.
The second track focuses on sustainable urbanization and the future of cities. Students in this track will study the process of urbanization. Specific attention is given to the interdependence of social, economic, environmental, and technological factors and how these evolve over time.
Both of these tracks are then integrated through a course on data and the art of decision-making and a fusion studio where students will apply their knowledge to real problems.
Students will also be able to develop their own unique area of concentration by selecting three or more courses from five subject areas: Urban Policy and Decision-Making; GIS and Data; Cities, Culture, and Place; Economics, and International Development (which includes study abroad options).
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Jason Tongarm, '25
Jason switched to Smart and Sustainable Cities during his freshman year at Virginia Tech. During his undergraduate experience, he studied abroad across Europe through the university to learn about sustainable policy-making and planning, interned at one of the top 10 general contractors in the United States as a Sustainable Construction intern, and gained transferable skills through teamwork and other unique opportunities. Jason is in the 4+1 master's program in Urban and Regional Planning.
Careers and Further Study
What Can You Do With a Smart and Sustainable Cities Major?
Jobs Held by Our Graduates
- Local, state, and federal Government
- Domestic and international Nonprofits
- Planning and engineering consulting firms
- Real estate development
- Private industry
Beyond the Classroom
Experiential Learning
Students have an opportunity to study in the National Capital Region through the Washington Experience.
Washington, D.C. is at the center of global affairs. It is home to government agencies, many of the world’s leading think-tanks, numerous international organizations and a range of non-governmental organizations. Here, the most significant policy decisions are debated and made, holding both domestic and international importance.
Open to undergraduate and graduate students, this three-week seminar combines a one-week online pre-seminar with two weeks in person in Washington, D.C. The course explores U.S. government and international affairs through direct engagement with the institutions and actors shaping foreign policy, national security, and international development, including public officials, diplomats, policy experts, journalists, and practitioners.
SPIA offers study abroad courses for SSC majors.
Curriculum
What You'll Study
Bachelor of Arts in Public and Urban Affairs Degree
- Including Virginia Tech's Pathways
Smart and Sustainable Cities Major Requirements
- Public Issues in an Urban Society
- Collaborative Policy-Making & Planning
- Public Policy Analysis
- Sustainable Urbanization
Minor and Elective Hours
Our program gives you the opportunity to build knowledge in another area by pursuing a minor, double major, or cognate.
120 hrs
B.A. Public and Urban Affairs Degree
45 hrs
General Education
47 hrs
Major Requirements
28 hrs
Elective
Campus Life
Campus Life
Discover all that Virginia Tech has to offer inside and outside of the classroom. Our campus life aims to build communities, promote holistic education, and cultivate environments that offer opportunities for leadership, innovation, and service.