DUSP Course Planning Information

USP 142C: Sustainable Food Systems

This course explores diverse elements of sustainable food systems planning for cities and their hinterlands. We will review the deep inequalities and impacts of food systems while uncovering a diversity of local solutions at different scales, including our own campus. Prerequisites: upper-division standing or consent of instructor and departmental approval.

• Automatically counts as a USP upper-division elective.

This course is no longer accepting applications.

USP 158A: Triton Equity Practicum

Welcome to Triton Equity. UCSD has partnered with benefactors to establish a fund that will be invested in real estate investments. The students of this class will identify and evaluate real-life investment opportunities available in the market and recommend which opportunities should be invested in. The class will culminate in reports and presentations to the advisory committee for Triton Equity, which oversees how the funds are invested. 

As the Triton Equity investment portfolio grows over the years, a department club will be established to monitor and oversee the performance of real estate investments. This club will be comprised of alumni and current students of the Triton Equity class, combined with Advisory Board members. 

This course automatically counts as a RED upper-division elective.

Prerequisites:

• Completion of USP 152A is required (with a minimum grade of B)
• Completion of USP 152B is recommended (with a minimum grade of B)
• RED major (if there is capacity in the class, RED minors will be considered)

This course is no longer accepting applications.

USP 158A: Real Estate Data Modeling

• Automatically counts as a RED upper-division elective.

USP 165B: Technology with Communities

Utilizing an innovative approach that integrates alternative planning approaches to practice, the course endeavors to advance use of diverse technology and practice in Community Engaged Learning, focusing on the underivested community of Logan Heights, San Diego. 

This course offers a hands-on learning experience where action teams collaborate with residents to design, implement, and evaluate community-driven projects aimed at bridging conceptual and geographical divides. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop meaningful engagement skills with underinvested communities through principles of reciprocity and mutual learning.

Live Logan Heights is a chronicle of the course's past projects.

• Automatically counts as a USP upper-division elective.

USP 190: Senior Honors Thesis

To receive departmental honors (shown on your printed diploma and official transcript), students are required to complete USP 190 Senior Honors Thesis. The one quarter seminar is designed for seniors who wish to undertake a research project under the supervision of a DUSP faculty member and satisfies one upper division elective requirement in both the Urban Studies & Planning and Real Estate & Development majors. Students who have special research interests and plan to pursue graduate school or work in research focused fields are strongly recommended to apply to the Honors Program.

This course automatically counts as a USP and RED UD elective.

Prerequisites:

• Senior standing at the time of completing the application
• Minimum GPA of 3.5 in major coursework
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0
• Completed USP 185B or USP 187 by the start of Spring 2026
• Have a faculty advisor confirmed from the list of faculty in the department

USP 198: Urban Infrastructures - Exploring the Feasibility of Airport Development in North San Diego County

This exploratory group research project examines urban infrastructure processes through a case study of airport development feasibility in North San Diego County. The project will investigate topics related to data collection for planning, land use planning, urban infrastructure, airport planning, transportation and mobility, civic engagement, and demographics.

Eligibility: We have capacity for up to 7 students. USP and RED majors will be prioritized.

Academic Credit: Students will receive 4 units of credit. The group will establish a regular meeting time prior to the start of spring quarter.

This course is no longer accepting applications.