The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs (Levin) is an accredited college of

urban studies Urban studies is based on the study of the urban development of cities. This includes studying the history of city development from an architectural point of view, to the impact of urban design on community development efforts. The core theoretica ...

public administration Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit est ...

urban planning Urban planning, also known as town planning, city planning, regional planning, or rural planning, is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, including air, water, ...

, environmental studies, and nonprofit management at Cleveland State University located in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. The Levin College offers

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-le ...

, graduate, and doctoral degrees, as well as professional development programs. Its urban policy research centers and programs provide communities with decision-making tools to address their policy challenges. The Levin College is recognized for offering highly ranked programs in urban policy, local government management, nonprofit management, and public management and leadership. The Levin College is located on the Cleveland State University campus housed on the historic Euclid Avenue in The Playhouse Square District in downtown Cleveland. In 2016
Roland V. Anglin
previously the senior advisor to the chancellor and director of the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at

Rutgers University-Newark Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...

, was named dean.

History

In 1967, following the Hough riots and student protests on campus, Dr. Thomas F. Campbell and a group of Cleveland State faculty formed the Ad Hoc Committee on Urban Studies and called on the university to form an urban institute to "bring together faculty from a wide range of specializations to work on urban problems in an interdisciplinary setting, designed in particular to facilitate communication between specialists with common interests in urban problems... linking academic specialists with the political and economic leadership of a large metropolis.... ncludinga full range of undergraduate courses focusing on urban problems, particularly in the social sciences." The Institute of Urban Studies first offered classes in the fall of 1968 with the financial support of the Gund Foundation. The program was one of the first members of the Council of University Institutes of Urban Affairs, which became th
Urban Affairs Association
in 1981. In 1969, Maxine Goodman Levin, founder of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission and the Cleveland Restoration Society, and a real estate developer, established the Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service in honor of her late husband. It was the first endowed chair in the country to allow the chair holder to combine classroom teachings with public service to study and work at finding solutions to urban problems. Cleveland State reorganized the Institute as the College of Urban Affairs consisting of a single department of Urban Studies in 1977. In 1989, the college was renamed the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, following the benefactor's gift of an endowment to support the college.

Degree programs

Undergraduate Degree Programs

The Levin College offers

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

degrees in Urban and Regional Studies, Public Safety Management, Environmental Studies, Organizational Leadership, Nonprofit Administration, and

Economic Development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

Graduate Degree Programs

Levin offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Urban Planning and Development (MUPD), Master of Science in Urban Studies (MS), Master of Arts in Environmental Studies (MA), and a Master of Nonprofit Administration and Leadership (MNAL). Dual degree programs leading to a Juris Doctor are offered in conjunction with the Cleveland–Marshall College of Law. Levin also offers a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in Urban Studies and Public Affairs.

Rankings

The 2022 '' U.S. News & World Report'' ranking of best public affairs graduate schools ranked the Levin College #2 in the Urban Policy specialty, #16 in the Local Government Management specialty., #23 in the Nonprofit Management specialty, and #40 in the Public Management and Leadership specialty. The Levin College graduate urban planning degree was highly ranked in both the economic development and community development specializations in the ''

Planetizen Planetizen is a planning-related news website and e-learning platform based in Los Angeles, California. It features user-submitted and editor-evaluated news and weekly user-contributed op-eds about urban planning and several related fields. The ...

Guide to Urban Planning Programs - 4th Edition'' in 2015.

Student organizations

CSU APA is the Levin College student group affiliated with th
Cleveland section
of th
Ohio chapter
of the American Planning Association. A student from CSU APA serves as a member of the executive committee of APA Cleveland. The student-run organization "strives to facilitate the exchange of ideas and thoughtful discussions, foster professional development, and create a sense of community among all students at Cleveland State University."
CSU ICMA
is the student chapter of the

International City/County Management Association International City/County Management Association (ICMA; originally called the International City Managers' Association) is an association representing professionals in local government management. It is based in Washington, D.C. ) , image_s ...

, and is also affiliated with th
Ohio City/County Management Association
(OCMA), "the leading organization in the State of Ohio promoting and developing excellence in local government." The group partners with CSU APA to coordinate a speaker series, organize professional development events, host forums, and offer
shadowing program
Pi Alpha Alpha, Phi Alpha Alpha, "the Global Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration" has a chapter at Levin College. Th
CSU Student Environmental Movement
is a group, "dedicated to making a green difference here on campus and the surrounding Cleveland area."

Research Centers

The Levin College houses research centers and programs that provide urban leaders with decision support tools, technical assistance, and data analysis services. The five core research centers at the Levin College are:
Center for Community Planning and Development

Center for Economic Development

Center for Population Dynamics

Center for Public and Nonprofit Management

Energy Policy Center
The Levin College is also home to the additional research centers and programs including but not limited to:
Center for Emergency Preparedness

Community Planning Program

Levin College Forum

Northern Ohio Data and Information Service (NODIS)CSU's Office of Civic Engagement

Ohio Center for the Advancement of Women in Public Service

Unger Program

Water Resilient Cities Program

Professional Development

The Levin College offers courses, workshops, and seminars for individuals and organizations seeking to improve their skills as urban leader

The college also serves as the official Certified Public Manager® (CPM) program for the State of Ohio and offers comprehensive and nationally certified development programs for state and local government leaders and public administrators.
ArcGIS WorkshopCertified Public Manager® Program

Leadership Academy

LeanOhio Boot Camp

Public Management Academy

Notable alumni

* Nickie Antonio, Nickie J. Antonio (MPA 1992) Ohio State Representative. *

Nan Baker Nan Baker (born December 3, 1954) is a Republican politician. Formerly, she represented the 16th district as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2009 to 2016. Life and career Baker was a member of the Westlake City Council, and sh ...

(Leadership Academy 2001) former Ohio State Representative. * Janis Bowdler (MS Urban Policy) President, JP Morgan Chase Foundation. * Madeline Cain (MPA 1985) First female

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Lakewood, Ohio. Former Ohio State Representative. * Jane Campbell (MS Urban Studies 1980) First female mayor of

, Ohio. * Jerry Frangas (MPA 1995) former member of the Colorado House of Representatives. *

Tim Hagan Timothy Hagan (born March 18, 1946) is an American politician who served as Cuyahoga County Commissioner and other local offices from the 1980s through 2000s, and was his party's nominee for the governorship of Ohio in 2002. Early life Hagan was ...

(BA Urban Studies 1975) Former Cuyahoga

County Commissioner A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

and Democratic nominee for

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of Ohio * Stephanie Howse, (MA Environmental Studies) State Representative, House District 11 of Ohio House of Representative * Frank G. Jackson (BA Urban Studies 1975, MA Urban Affairs 1977)

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

. *

John McNally IV John A. McNally IV (born c. 1969) is a former mayor of Youngstown, Ohio. McNally was born and raised in Youngstown and graduated from Ursuline High School in 1987. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown Univ ...

(MPA/JD 1996) Former

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...

. *

Kent Smith Frank Kent Smith (March 19, 1907 – April 23, 1985) was an American actor who had a lengthy career in film, theatre and television. Early years Smith was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Smith. He was born in New York City and was educated ...

(MS Urban Studies 2001) Ohio State Representative. * Matt Zone (BA Urban Studies 1999)

City council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

man in Cleveland, Ohio and president of the

National League of Cities The National League of Cities (NLC) is an advocacy organization in the United States that represents the country's 19,495 cities, towns, and villages along with 49 state municipal leagues. Created in 1924, it has evolved into a leading membership ...