Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology

Urban Technology Urban Technology

Request Info Schedule Visit Apply Now

Application Deadline

February 1

Enrollment Deposit Deadline

May 1

Meet our

Faculty

See our

Facilities

Booklet PDF Degree Info Pay for your Degree

Our Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology is for future urban leaders. Students graduate with an understanding of cities and the design and technology skills to research city life and respond to urban needs.

Positioned within one of the nation’s top-ranked public universities, this unique degree program at Taubman College prepares students for careers in urban planning, urban design, public service, or entrepreneurship. We’ve created the degree to purposefully bring together students with all of these interests so that you become part of a diverse intellectual community that sees beyond the professional divisions of the past.

Application Deadline

February 1

Enrollment Deposit Deadline

May 1

Application Deadline

February 1

Enrollment Deposit Deadline

May 1

Meet our

Faculty

See our

Facilities

Booklet PDF Degree Info Pay for your Degree

Future-Focused Curriculum

To succeed in urban technology you will need to understand cities as complex systems, you’ll have to be comfortable working with code and data, and you will need to be able to pull all of that together to invent new answers to the challenges of urban life.

You will:

Analyze and learn about cities—such as Detroit and Chicago—by exploring them on field trips

Use data to understand cities in new ways, such as creating a data visualization of vehicular movements or census data. All of our students learn Python, which allows them to conceptualize and code software. Many of them take electives where they tinker with hardware.

Develop your problem solving abilities through our design and innovation courses. For us, design is the way in which urban and technical understanding are combined into new product, service, or process ideas for complex urban topics such as access transportation, energy, mobility, and housing.

The Michigan Difference

What makes Taubman College stand out? At one of 19 schools and colleges within the University of Michigan, you’ll have access to countless interdisciplinary opportunities and all the resources our cutting-edge research institution has to offer. Taubman students and faculty are diverse, ambitious, and intellectually agile. Access to innovative spaces, global opportunities, and unique connections will all be part of your Taubman College education. See just some of what we have to offer:

Learning in the classroom as well as through trips to Detroit and other regional centers of innovation
Course work in partnership with real-world organizations
Dedicated Urban Technology studio space to innovate and ideate
Award-winning faculty with diverse research and design interests
Renowned guest speakers
Student Organization that curates activities such as trips to cities in the region to meet local startups in urban technology
Globally diverse student body

Whether your goal is to become a UI/UX designer, product designer, product manager, data scientist, policy analyst, entrepreneur, there’s a place for you at Taubman College. We know you have questions, and we’re happy to answer them. We recommend you start with our Frequently Asked Questions, and dive deeper into conversations about the field of urban technology, the future of cities, design, design education, and more with the program newsletter.

The Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology degree is an approved field of study within the U.S. government’s official STEM fields list. When a student earns a degree in a field on the STEM fields list, they may be eligible for the 24-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension. OPT is defined as practical work experience in your field of study after completion of a degree. With a STEM degree, a student’s “regular” OPT of 12 months may be extended for an additional 24 months. For further details regarding STEM extensions contact the International Center.

Community and Connections

Our Urban Technology degree is centered around project-based, collaborative work. You will experiment and explore the intersection of technology, design, and cities alongside a cohort of inspired peers who will challenge and support you. They will be your sounding board, your support network, and your friends.

Meet Our Students

Explore Innovative Student Work

Side-by-side comparison of two different mobile app interfaces

View Student Work

Learn from the Best

Ellie Abrons

Director of the Digital Studies Institute in LSA , Associate Professor of Architecture

Bryan Boyer

Director of Bachelor of Science in Urban Technology, Associate Professor of Practice in Architecture

Scott Campbell

Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning

Philip D’Anieri

Teaching Professor in Urban and Regional Planning

Larissa Larsen

Professor of Urban and Regional Planning

Xiaofan Liang

Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Planning

Malcolm McCullough

Professor of Architecture

Violet Whitney

Visiting Assistant Professor

Matthew Wizinsky

Associate Professor of Practice in Urban Technology

Career and Professional Development

Our program is designed to be a platform for a variety of city-focused careers. Wherever you go – business, design, research, or a technical field – after you join the ranks of U-M’s 680,000+ alumni, our in-house career and professional development team will support you every step of the way.

Our annual Employment Report reflects the outcomes for the most recently surveyed Taubman graduates, which does not include students in our inaugural urban technology cohort who are on track to graduate in spring 2025.

Pay for your Degree

The maize Block M waves at the top of Michigan Union.

Making decisions about the next step in your educational journey is a time full of opportunity and potential. Yet, you may also have concerns about paying for your degree. There are numerous financial resources to help you manage tuition and living expenses.