Certificate Overview

Virginia Tech’s Urban Affairs and Planning Program offers a Graduate Certificate in Economic Development. It is designed for those who are interested in acquiring a basic understanding of urban and regional economic development dynamics and the role of policy in influencing them.

Urban and regional planners need to know how they can develop their economies. The challenge for policymakers, economic developers and urban planners nowadays is to design appropriate local and regional economic development policies and programs to respond to challenges resulting from globalization, technological development, demographic changes, urban decline, sprawl, and social inequities.

How to Apply:
Fill out the online application for participation in the certificate program.

Upon processing of the application, you will be contacted
with information about the submission of additional
required materials. Thank you for your interest.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Certificate Program requires status as a graduate student in good standing at Virginia Tech, either as a current degree student or as a nondegree certificate student. A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 based on the last 60 semester hours of coursework is needed for admission to the Graduate School. Nondegree students whose undergraduate GPA was above 2.75 but below 3.00 may apply for admission under Commonwealth Campus status. Official transcripts must be submitted. Once admitted to the VT Graduate School, please fill out the following graduate certificate application form and submit it to the Graduate School:

Certificate Application:

https://graduateschool.vt.edu/content/dam/graduateschool_vt_edu/forms/Application_for_Graduate_Certificate_Program.pdf?nocache=1619113408356

Course Requirements

The Certificate requires the completion of a minimum of 12 credit hours of graduate course work. To receive the Certificate, students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the courses taken. Students seeking the Certificate must complete at least six credit hours from among the following courses plus six credit hours in electives.

UAP 5234: Urban Economy & Public Policy

UAP 5104: Urban & Regional Development Theory

UAP 5784: Local Economic Development Planning

UAP 5774: Economic Development Studio

All credits for the Certificate must be 5000- or 6000-level courses and must be graded on an A-F basis unless they are only offered on a Pass/Fail basis. All courses must be taken from programs in Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs with at least nine in Urban Affairs and Planning. The Certificate is offered at both the Arlington and Blacksburg campuses.