Urban Studies
Dr. David Shefferman
Director of the Program
Cities are places where human life is at its most intense - everything seems to be faster, louder, and more frenetic. They are where economies grow, where political movements emerge, and where cultural treasures are preserved. Cities are also where inequalities are most apparent. It seems safe to say that in cities you find the best and the worse that human societies have to offer. And, in the 21st century, cities around the world will only continue to grow.
Whether you are interested in business, history, engineering, sociology, political science, environmental sustainability, art, or education, it all happens in a city. Come learn how cities work. The Urban Studies Program at Manhattan College offers the perfect major, double major, or minor for your time in New York City!
Major
Requirements for a Major in Urban Studies
Ten courses totaling at least 30 credits are required. These courses must come from the list approved for Urban Studies credit and they must be taken from at least 3 departments.
All majors are required to take:
1) the introductory course in urban studies, URBN 202 Introduction to Urban Studies;
and
2a) either the senior Research Seminar, URBN 401 Seminar - Urban Studies,
or
2b) senior thesis, URBN 406 Urban Honors Thesis I and URBN 407 Urban Honors Thesis II
3) a supervised field experience/internship in an urban context. 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 department can be counted towards the Urban Studies major.
A minimum grade of C is required in all courses 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 the introductory course in Urban Studies: URBN 202 Introduction to Urban Studies . 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
Courses are approved for Urban Studies credit on an ongoing basis. List below is not comprehensive.
| AHS 206 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| ART 358 | The New York Skyscraper | 3 |
| ART 360 | New York City Architecture, Urbanism and Design | 3 |
| ART 370 | Current Trends | 3 |
| CIVL 201 | Introduction to Civil Engineering | 3 |
| CIVL 202 | Transportation | 3 |
| CIVL 403 | Civil Engineering Economy and Law | 3 |
| COMM 400 | Political Communication | 3 |
| ECON 332 | Introduction to Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ENGL 212 | Latino/Latina Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 285 | Literary New York | 3 |
| ENGL 338 | Studies in Twentieth-and Twenty-first-Century American Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 348 | Postcolonial Literature | 3 |
| ENGL 400 | The Theater and the City | 3 |
| ENSC 101 | Intro to Environmental Science | 3 |
| ENVL 406 | Water and Wastewater Treatment Processes | 3 |
| HIST 231 | Introduction to African American History | 3 |
| HIST 358 | The Industrial Revolution | 3 |
| HIST 387 | New York City and the American Urban Experience | 3 |
| HIST 390 | Terror and Terrorism | 3 |
| LABR 301 | Field Work | 3 |
| MGMT 430 | Business, Government, and Society | 3 |
| MUSC 300 | History of Rock and Roll | 3 |
| MUSC 310 | History of the Broadway Musical | 3 |
| MUSC 325 | Modern Music & The Avant-Garde | 3 |
| MUSC 330 | History of Jazz | 3 |
| POSC 210 | Research Methods in Political Science | 3 |
| POSC 212 | Wall Street | 3 |
| POSC 221 | Urban Govt & Politics | 3 |
| POSC 222 | Power in the City | 3 |
| POSC 322 | Public Administration | 3 |
| POSC 223 | Environmental Politics | 3 |
| POSC 254 | Global Cities | 3 |
| POSC 315 | State and Local Government in the United States | 3 |
| POSC 318 | Community Organizing for Social Change | 3 |
| PSYC 321 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| RELS 202 | U.S. Latino/A Catholicism | 3 |
| RELS 204 | Religion and Social Justice | 3 |
| RELS 312 | Muslims in America | 3 |
| RELS 363 | ||
| RELS 399 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 |
| SOC 204 | Urban Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 210 | Introduction to Social Services | 3 |
| SOC 220 | Social Problems | 3 |
| SOC 225 | Telling Stories with Maps | 3 |
| SOC 250 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| SOC 262 | Contemporary Latin American Development | 3 |
| SOC 270 | Criminology | 3 |
| SOC 273 | Mass Incarceration and Collateral Consequences | 3 |
| SOC 275 | Issues in Contemporary Policing | 3 |
| SOC 294 | Gender, Crime & Justice | 3 |
| SOC 295 | Capitalism | 3 |
| SOC 296 | Introduction to Human Geography | 3 |
| SOC 303 | Urban Planning | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Race and Resistance | 3 |
| SOC 304 | Social Inequalities | 3 |
| SOC 307 | Research Methods | 3 |
| SOC 308 | Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| SOC 310 | Sociology of Deviance | 3 |
| SOC 312 | Social Service Practice | 3 |
| SOC 318 | Community Organizing for Social Change | 3 |
| SOC 324 | Sociological Theories | 3 |
| SOC 327 | Power and Conflict | 3 |
| SOC 332 | Labor Studies Colloquium | 3 |
| SOC 333 | US Labor Patterns and Movements | 3 |
| SOC 334 | Sustainable Development | 3 |
| SOC 350 | Advanced Topics in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 3 |
| SOC 338 | Schools and Society | 3 |
| SOC 361 | Criminal Justice Administration | 3 |
| SOC 362 | Modern American Gangs | 3 |
| SOC 364 | Law and Society | 3 |
| SOC 366 | White Collar Crime | 3 |
| SOC 367 | Criminal Justice Ethics | 3 |
| SOC 380 | Sport and American Society | 3 |
Courses
URBN 202. Introduction to Urban Studies. 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 soical 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 302. Sustainable Cities. 3 Credits.
This course examines issue related to urban environmental sustainability through classroom instruction and field experience in New York City. Primary topics will include an introduction to the methods used by environmental scientists to measure environmental conditions, historical and contemporary environmental issues facing urban communities, the potential for sustainable urban development and growth, and issues pertaining to urban inequalities and environmental justice.
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. Senior Seminar in Urban Studies. 3 Credits.
An in-depth, interdisciplinary analysis of specific research and practical problems. A capstone course intended to help students integrate the various courses they have taken in Urban Studies.
URBN 402. Ind Sty: Urban Affairs. 3 Credits.
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 advanced 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.