March 01, 2017

Our latest degree is the Urban Strategy Masters in Science, with classes beginning Fall 2017, a two-year interdisciplinary program focused on how the urban challenges of the 21st century can be addressed by incorporating approaches from the creative, economic, design, engineering, health and business sectors. This innovative degree will be offered in partnership with the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, attracting a wealth of talented Drexel faculty with expertise in different aspects of urbanism to collaboratively look at cities as systems with a holistic, well-rounded approach in urban environments throughout Philadelphia and beyond. Students will take classes with faculty members in history, design, public health, engineering and more, learning how to be the best leaders in urban management. The program emerged out of a two-year process that engaged Charles N. Haas, the College of Engineering's Department Head of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering; Yvonne Michael, ScD., the Dornsife School of Public Health’s Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Cyndi Rickards, EDD, the College of Arts & Sciences’ Senior Assistant Dean for Community Engagement; and Professors Debra Ruben, Rena Cumby and Diana Nicholas from this College’s Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism. Westphal’s Dr. Andrew Zitcer, PhD, the Program’s inaugural Director, and Harris Steinberg, FAIA, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation, took the lead in creating the program which will be housed in Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism under the leadership of Department Head Alan Greenberger.  

Westphal’s Dr. Andrew Zitcer, PhD, the Program’s inaugural Director, and Harris Steinberg, FAIA, Executive Director of the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation took the lead in creating the program which will be housed in Department of Architecture, Design & Urbanism under the leadership of Department Head Alan Greenberger.

The Lindy Institute will be initiating external programming and projects that students will use as a laboratory to participate in, with opportunities to study with Lindy Institute Fellows and to participate in research projects. The Lindy Institute will host the Urban Strategy Summit later this year, connecting and engaging industry leaders, experts and the local heroes of this new movement.

The 21st century workforce places increasing demands on creative thinking, interdisciplinary practices and innovative approaches to working methods. Urban Strategy candidates will gain a multifaceted, creative and flexible problem solving skill set, ideal in this new job frontier. Differing from traditional professional degrees, Urban Strategy will teach you to work between professions with a better understanding of how disciplines communicate. Graduates with this degree might go on to reform a city government, transform city food systems, explore the non-profit sector, initiative innovative real estate development, or resourcefully approach design thinking.

The program was created with support from the Provost’s initiative for Market-Driven Academic Program Ventures (MPV). To learn more about the Urban Strategy MS, contact Program Director Andrew Zitcer at andrew.w.zitcer@drexel.edu.