Admissions

Incoming freshmen and external transfer students can declare Urban Studies as their major when applying to UT Austin.

As of the 2021-2022 academic year, an internal transfer application to Urban Studies will be required of most current UT Austin students. If you did not declare the Urban Studies major under previous major declaration policies prior to October 1st, 2021, then you will need to apply to the Urban Studies major using our new internal transfer process (described below).

Internal Transfer

All current UT Austin students who wish to pursue the Urban Studies major must apply for internal transfer. Applications will be submitted through the new UT Austin internal transfer admissions portal. Students who wish to be admitted to the Urban Studies major for the Spring 2025 semester must apply via the online portal by December 1st, 2024.

Information Sessions

Information sessions will be hosted by Urban Studies Academic Advisors Henry Hammond and Justin Hayes. Information Sessions are MANDATORY for internal transfer (or major add) applicants!

Fall 2024 (for Spring 2025 Admission) Info Sessions:

RSVP Here!

Eligibility

To be considered for internal transfer, students must:

• have attended a MANDATORY Information Session
• have earned a cumulative UT Austin GPA of 3.0 or higher at time of admission
• have completed 12 or more hours in residence (i.e., at UT Austin) at time of admission
• apply prior to their 5th fall or spring semester of full-time college enrollment; students who have transferred to UT Austin from another institution may apply during their first UT Austin semester (regardless of prior semesters completed)
• be on track to graduate in four (or fewer) years, or otherwise demonstrate that the Urban Studies major allows for timely progress to degree
• have participated in an Urban Studies information session at time of admission; session details below

Students who do not meet these requirements may still apply, but should address any extenuating circumstances in the required personal statement.

Selection Criteria

• Academic performance
• Quality of personal statement: Students who are able to convey a clear motivation to pursue Urban Studies based upon personal experiences—including but not limited to: segregation, gentrification, homelessness, housing scarcity, police neglect, police brutality, food deserts, environmental racism, deficient transit and access to urban space, and urban political struggles—are strongly encouraged to apply
• Though enrollment in URB 301 and a statistics course are not required to apply, solid grades in those and other relevant courses will strengthen an application; however, please attend an Urban Studies information session prior to attempting calculus 
• Students pursuing Urban Studies as their sole major will also be prioritized