Urban Studies
Dr. Cory Blad
Director of the Program
Urban Studies introduces the student to the structural conditions and social interactions that make urban societies unique. The program is designed as an interdisciplinary opportunity to understand the cultural, political, economic, and social diversity of cities of varying types throughout the world. Through historical, ecological, cultural, and social scientific perspectives, the program focuses on the rise and fall of cities, the countless opportunities and problems that are created 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. The goal 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. 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
Requirements for a Major in Urban Studies
A total of 30 credits or 10 courses are required, including one course dealing primarily with urban subject matter in at least 3 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, ; and a senior Research Seminar, URBN 401 Seminar - Urban Affairs, or the Urban Honors Thesis courses, URBN 406 Urban Honors Thesis I and URBN 407 Urban Honors Thesis II. Also required is a supervised field experience in a government or social service agency or in an elected official’s office. This requirement may be satisfied by URBN 475 Internship or URBN 205 Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching. A field-oriented independent research study, URBN 402 Independent Study, may substitute for the internship/field experience only by permission of the program director.
No more than 4 courses in any academic discipline can be counted towards the major in Urban Studies. A minimum grade of C is required to fulfill the requirements for the major.
Minor
The minor in Urban Studies is available to students in all schools of the College. 15 credits or 5 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
| ART 358 | The New York Skyscraper | 3 |
| ART 360 | New York City Architecture, Urbanism and Design | 3 |
| ART 370 | Current Trends | 3 |
| COOP 402 | Assimilating the Internship Experience (elective credit) | 3 |
| COOP 403 | Assimilating the Internship Experience | 3 |
| ECON 332 | Environmental Economy | 3 |
| ECON 333 | Public Finance | 3 |
| ECON 405 | Labor Economics | 3 |
| ENGL 285 | Literary New York | 3 |
| GOVT 212 | Wall Street | 3 |
| GOVT 222 | Power in the City | 3 |
| GOVT 223 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 254 | Global Cities | 3 |
| GOVT 315 | State and Local Government in the United States | 3 |
| GOVT 321 | Urban Government and Politics | 3 |
| GOVT 322 | Public Administration | 3 |
| GOVT 420 | Senior Seminar: Conflict Resolution | 3 |
| GOVT 426 | Senior Seminar: The Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Class in the United States | 3 |
| HIST 387 | New York City and the American Urban Experience | 3 |
| MGMT 430 | Business, Government, and Society | 3 |
| MUSC 310 | History of the Broadway Musical | 3 |
| PSYC 321 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| RELS 363 | Religious Faith and the Arts | 3 |
| SOC 204 | Urban Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 301 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Race and Ethnicity | 3 |
| SOC 304 | Social Class and Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 305 | Urban Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 308 | Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| SOC 309 | Criminology | 3 |
| SOC 310 | Sociology of Deviance | 3 |
| SOC 327 | Power and Conflict | 3 |
| SOC 330 | The Modern Metropolis | 3 |
| SOC 338 | Schools and Society | 3 |
| SOC 345 | New York City Ethnic Communities | 3 |
| SOC 361 | Criminal Justice Administration | 3 |
| SOC 362 | Organized Crime | 3 |
| SOC 363 | Prisons and Probation | 3 |
| SOC 364 | Law and Society | 3 |
| SOC 365 | Police and Society | 3 |
| SOC 366 | White Collar Crime | 3 |
Courses
URBN 202. Urban Environments. 3 Credits.
An introduction to the complexities of urban life and space emphasizing the interaction of socio-cultural, political, economic, natural, and built environments. The course will examine the factors that influence urbanization, the distinct patterns of social interaction that typify urban life, motivations for various patterns/strategies of urban development, and the effect of globalization on urban expansion and decline. These points of emphasis are founded on the understanding of cities as unique environments with distinct challenges to social organization, economic growth and inequality, and sustainability.
URBN 205. Urban America and Catholic Social Teaching. 3 Credits.
An interdisciplinary, service learning course. Sociological, political science, economic analysis of urban poverty, combined with reflections on Catholic social teaching, provide the framework for student-volunteer work at various Bronx-based community organizations.
URBN 301. Special Topics in Urban Affairs. 3 Credits.
Course descriptions will be announced when courses are offered.
URBN 303. Urban Planning. 3 Credits.
Introduction to the principles and techniques of urban planning. Practical application of knowledge from many disciplines in forming physical design for urban spaces. Consideration of demographic, political, economic, and legal factors in the planning process.
URBN 375. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Arts.
URBN 401. Seminar - Urban Affairs. 3 Credits.
Environmental Politics and Public Policy; Conflict Resolution; Women in Politics and the Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Class in the U.S.A. Interdisciplinary consideration of selected modern urban problems.
URBN 402. Independent Study. 3-6 Credit.
Supervised reading and/or research designed to allow majors to pursue areas of special interest. Topic and outline of plans must be approved by director of program and supervising professor.
URBN 406. Urban Honors Thesis I. 3 Credits.
The first of a two-semester progression, Urban Honors Thesis I allows exceptional junior and senior students the opportunity to engage in an independent research project under the direction of the program director and a committee drawn from Urban Studies faculty. In the first semester, the student will conceptualize and propose the independent project and pursue advance study in theory, method, and analysis. Open only to Urban Studies majors who meet program criteria. Approval of program director required.
URBN 407. Urban Honors Thesis II. 3 Credits.
The culmination of a two-semester progression, Urban Honors Thesis II, allows exceptional junior and senior students to collect and analyze data to complete an original independent research project. Open only to Urban Studies majors who meet program criteria and successfully complete URBN 406. Approval of program director required.
URBN 475. Internship. 3 Credits.
Students participate in an off-campus training experience closely related to their area of study. Frequent meetings with the internship advisor and a paper are required. Internships are arranged through the Center for Career Development and must be approved in advance by the chair and the Dean of the School of Arts. Open to majors only.