Main Content
Jobs related to Urban Design, Urban Studies, and Sustainable Urban Development can include planning, community development, public works, city policy, education, administration, law and non-profit work. Marketable skills include problem solving, critical thinking, spatial analysis, technical skills (computer, statistics, map design), research, writing and presentation skills.
Current & Recent Opportunities
Internships and jobs for current students and graduates of our programs
- Policy Specialist, WA Low Income Housing Alliance
- Resource Navigator, Spanish Speaking, King County DCHS: Closes 11/9/2024
- Permit Technician, King County Dept of Local Services: Closes 11/11/2024
- Graduate Internship, HEAL Program, King County: Closes 11/11/2024
- Solid Waste Outreach Specialist, Seattle Public Utilities: Closes 11/19/2024
- Social Housing Project Policy Analyst (Oakland, CA)
- Elections Worker Temporary, King County
- Affordable Housing Planner, King County
- Park Ambassador Temporary, Pierce County Parks & Rec
- Clean Water Advocate & Small Boat Operator, Communities for a Healthy Bay
- COMTO CITY Internship Program
- 2024-2025 AmeriCorps Jobs
- Summer Jobs with Environment Washington
Helpful Career Links
- American Planning Association Career Center
- Americorps
- Association of Washington Cities Job Portal
- City of Gig Harbor jobs
- City of Seattle Student Internships & Work study
- City of Tacoma Committees, Boards, and Commissions
- City of Tacoma Jobs
- Communities for a Healthy Bay employment
- Downtown on the Go jobs
- Forterra Careers
- GovernmentJobs.com
- Housing Development Consortium job Listings
- Indeed.com Paid Internships
- King County Careers
- King County Transit Internships
- Metro Parks Tacoma jobs & Internships
- O*Net - Occupational Information Network
- Pierce Conservation District Internships
- Pierce County Housing Authority Jobs
- Pierce County Paid Internship Program
- Puget Sound Regional Council Jobs and Internships
- Puget Sound Regional Council Policy Board Openings
- Seattle Housing Authority jobs
- Seed Internships
- Sound Cities Association
- Sound Transit jobs & internships
- State of Washington Job Opportunities
- Tacoma Housing Authority jobs
- Tacoma Tree Foundation Volunteer Opportunities
- United Way of Pierce County jobs
- Urban Land Institute Careers
- Urban Planning & Public Policy - UCI
- U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
- Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA) jobs
Other ways to prepare yourself for what comes next
Getting involved in things that interest you is a great way to make connections between your education and your future!
Try one of these ideas, or get out there and start finding your own opportunities.
Public Meetings
Public meetings are, by definition, open to the public, so anyone can attend. While almost all of these meetings are streamed and available recorded, showing up in person has a number of benefits, including potentially meeting and speaking with council members, staff, and other interested parties. While much of this information is about Tacoma, other municipalities in the region have similar structures.
- Attend a city council meeting. Tacoma City Council meets every Tuesday at 5pm. These meetings are open to everyone. Read agendas ahead of time to know something about the topics. Learn more from the City of Tacoma website. Find something you care about? You can speak to the council at public comment and have your voice heard. Not living in Tacoma? You can still attend, or find out about council meetings where you live.
- Attend a Study Session: These meetings can be valuable ways to gain insight on important issues being discussed right now. In Tacoma these sessions are streamed live, and supporting documents are available online ahead of time. Check out the City Council page for details.
- Tacoma Housing Authority meetings are also open to the public. Show up in person at their headquarters on South 9th and L, or stream online. Meeting details and documents on the THA website.
- 2024 is a Charter Review year in the City of Tacoma. The Charter outlines the structure of government and governance in Tacoma, and must be reviewed every 10 years. Meetings and the process are open to the public.
- Want to start smaller? How about a Neighborhood Council meeting? Each of Tacoma's 8 neighborhood councils has meetings you can attend, covering issues specific to their part of town.
- Other public meetings: Check out the Notices & Public Hearings page.
- Really want to get involved? Watch for openings that fit your interests and expertise, and apply to serve on a committee, board, or commission in your community. In Tacoma you can find more here on the CBC page.
Community events:
- Attend a Downtown on the Go "Friday Forum" or one of their other events. Really like what they do? You can volunteer or get involved with their advocacy work.
- Show up for a relevant lecture. This spring the School of Urban Studies Lecture Series on May 23rd features Prentiss Dantzler speaking on "Racial Capitalism and the (Re)Making of Urban Spaces." It's free and open to the public.
- Check out the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation Community Calendar for local opportunities.
Other opportunities:
- Next Gen Civic Leader Corps at UW Tacoma: Consider joining this program for students interested in careers in public service.
- Join a student organization: CIVITAS is the School of Urban Studies student organization. Attend regular meetings and participate in their events, and consider serving in a leadership position. There are a number of other student orgs on campus as well - all with opportunities to get involved in making things happen. Find them all on UWT Student Involvement's Dubnet system.
- Go to your favorite search engine, and see what's out there in areas you care about! Enter terms you care about, and the place you live. Look for current initiatives, upcoming events, and key organizations you'd like to know more about.
Looking for more ideas? Schedule an appointment with the School of Urban Studies advisor to brainstorm ideas that align with your interests.