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 certificate 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 microcredential modules that can be sequenced according to students' interests and goals. The modules are online-only, asynchronously delivered, four-week installments available to nondegree or degree-seeking students with flexible entry.

Specifically, the certificate 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.

Other relevant coursework