Program Overview

Urban Studies Program

The Urban Studies program introduces students to the structural conditions and social interactions that make urban societies unique. This interdisciplinary program is designed to help students understand the cultural, political, economic, and social diversity of cities around the world. Through historical, ecological, cultural, and social scientific perspectives, the program focuses on the rise and fall of cities, the opportunities and problems that arise when large groups of people live in close proximity, and the unique urban challenges to common issues such as education, housing, politics, sustainability, and many others.

Program Description

The goal of the Urban Studies program is to examine the city not as an isolated space, but as a part of a larger, interconnected world, from art to politics to economics to sports. Cities are more than just places -- they are engines of creativity and growth, while also being dependent on their global and local connections. Urban Studies majors obtain jobs in private industry, such as banks, corporations, or planning firms, or with non-profit agencies and foundations, such as organizations that create affordable housing, or in state, local, and national government agencies.

Career Opportunities

Many Urban Studies majors pursue graduate work in fields such as urban planning, public administration, and related professions such as urban education, policing, real estate, or health care. Others attend law school, professional schools of social work, or graduate school in economics, political science, sociology, and urban studies.

Major in Urban Studies

A total of 30 credits or 10 courses are required for the major in Urban Studies, including one course dealing primarily with urban subject matter in at least three of the following departments:

• Economics
• Fine Arts
• Government
• History
• Psychology
• Sociology

All majors are required to take the introductory course in Urban Studies, URBN 202 Urban Environments; the introductory field course, GOVT 222 Power in the City; and a senior Research Seminar, URBN 401 Seminar - Urban Affairs, or URBN 406 Urban Honors Thesis I and URBN 407 Urban Honors Thesis II. Also required is a supervised field experience/internship in an urban context, which may be satisfied by URBN 475 Internship or URBN 205 Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching.

Requirements for the Major

• A minimum grade of C is required to fulfill the requirements for the major.
• No more than four courses in any academic discipline can be counted towards the major in Urban Studies.

Minor in Urban Studies

The minor in Urban Studies is available to students in all schools of the College. 15 credits or five courses are required, including one of the two introductory courses in Urban Studies: URBN 202 Urban Environments or GOVT 222 Power in the City. No more than two courses from any one discipline can be counted towards the minor. A minimum grade of C is required to fulfill the requirements for the minor.

Courses for Urban Studies Majors and Minors

A variety of courses are available for Urban Studies majors and minors, including:

• ART 358: The New York Skyscraper
• ART 360: New York City Architecture, Urbanism and Design
• ART 370: Current Trends
• ECON 333: Public Finance
• ECON 405: Labor Economics
• ENGL 285: Literary New York
• GOVT 212: Wall Street
• GOVT 222: Power in the City
• GOVT 223: Environmental Politics
• GOVT 254: Global Cities
• GOVT 315: State and Local Government in the United States
• GOVT 321: Urban Government and Politics
• GOVT 322: Public Administration
• GOVT 420: Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution
• GOVT 426: Senior Seminar: The Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Class in the United States
• HIST 358: The Industrial Revolution
• HIST 387: New York City and the American Urban Experience
• HIST 390: Terror and Terrorism: The Uses of Political Violence
• MGMT 430: Business, Government, and Society
• MUSC 310: History of the Broadway Musical
• PSYC 321: Social Psychology
• RELS 363: Religious Faith and the Arts
• SOC 204: Urban Anthropology
• SOC 301: Social Problems
• SOC 302: Race and Ethnicity
• SOC 304: Social Class and Inequality
• SOC 305: Urban Sociology
• SOC 308: Juvenile Justice
• SOC 309: Criminology
• SOC 310: Sociology of Deviance
• SOC 327: Power and Conflict
• SOC 330: The Modern Metropolis
• SOC 338: Schools and Society
• SOC 345: New York City Ethnic Communities
• SOC 361: Criminal Justice Administration
• SOC 362: Organized Crime
• SOC 363: Prisons and Probation
• SOC 364: Law and Society
• SOC 365: Police and Society
• SOC 366: White Collar Crime

Urban Studies Courses

The following courses are specifically designed for the Urban Studies program:

• URBN 202: Urban Environments: An introduction to the complexities of urban life and space emphasizing the interaction of socio-cultural, political, economic, natural, and built environments.
• URBN 205: Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching: An interdisciplinary, service learning course that combines sociological, political science, and economic analysis of urban poverty with reflections on Catholic social teaching.
• URBN 301: Special Topics in Urban Affairs: Course descriptions will be announced when courses are offered.
• URBN 302: Sustainable Cities: This course examines issues related to urban environmental sustainability through classroom instruction and field experiences in New York City.
• URBN 303: Urban Planning: Introduction to the principles and techniques of urban planning, including practical application of knowledge from many disciplines in forming physical design for urban spaces.
• URBN 375: Internship: Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study, with frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a required paper.
• URBN 401: Seminar - Urban Affairs: Interdisciplinary consideration of selected modern urban problems, including environmental politics and public policy, conflict resolution, and women in politics.
• URBN 402: Independent Study: Supervised reading and/or research designed to allow majors to pursue areas of special interest, with topic and outline of plans approved by the director of the program and supervising professor.
• URBN 406: Urban Honors Thesis I: The first of a two-semester progression, allowing exceptional junior and senior students to engage in an independent research project under the direction of the program director and a committee drawn from Urban Studies faculty.
• URBN 407: Urban Honors Thesis II: The culmination of a two-semester progression, allowing exceptional junior and senior students to collect and analyze data to complete an original independent research project.
• URBN 475: Internship: Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study, with frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a required paper.