For the first time in human history, more people lived in cities than not in 2007. This trend of urban-dwelling is projected to reach 70% by the year 2050. Meanwhile, the pace of technological innovation centered in cities far outpaces traditional infrastructure -- the foundations of our built environment.

Cities are the most complex things humanity has created. As such they require cross-disciplinary study and praxis. CU Denver, a university in the CU system embedded in a growing, thriving city, is well-positioned to address this complexity, disentangling seeming contradictions in our received notions of what cities are and what they can be in the future. Data analysis, advances in simulation and modeling, breakthroughs in materials science and transportation, and instrumented infrastructure change the way we know our urban world.

Why pursue a micro-credential in Smart Cities?

The certificate in Smart Cities is an interdisciplinary program designed for working or aspiring professionals and upper-level students interested in expanding their knowledge base in the fields of emerging urban technologies, data science, sustainable design, and public-private partnerships. 

Beginning fall 2022, the Smart Cities graduate certificate will be composed of micro-credential modules that can be sequenced according to student's interests and goals. The modules are online-only, asynchronously delivered, four-week installments available to non-degree or degree-seeking students with flexible entry.

Specifically, the micro-credential has sequences designed for current public sector professionals aiming to expand their understanding of the impact of data and technology on their careers; technologists and entrepreneurs who understand the growth and potential of the urban domain as a market of unsolved problems; and architects and planners who understand that technology is not simply a tool but a medium that must be designed for like other aspects of the lived urban experience.

The first badges of the Smart Cities micro-credential launch in Spring 2024 and can be sequenced according to students' interests and goals. The badges are online-only, asynchronously delivered, four-week installments available to non-degree or degree-seeking students. 

• Degree-seeking students must apply as a student and register through their academic portal: Apply Here
• Current students must register through your student portal in UCDAccess: Register Here
• Individuals that are not current students and are not degree seeking, click here. 

 All students must register within the university registration windows listed below: 

 Spring 2024: November 17, 2023 – January 31, 2024.

All courses must be completed between January 16, 2024, and May 11, 2024.

 Summer 2024: March 1, 2024 – June 11, 2024.

All courses must be completed between June 3, 2024, and July 27, 2024.

 Fall 2024: Registration dates TBD.  

All courses must be completed between August 19, 2024, and December 14, 2024.

Non-students: Each module is only $400 (flat rate, no additional fees or charges) and will be paid after you submit your application, and before you begin the self-paced courses. The $400 fee includes the first module (4 classes) and the first class is a complimentary pre-requisite class.

 Initial badges offered include: