Urban Studies Concentration

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Committee: De Witt S. Dykes (History), Oded Izraeli (Economics)

The urban studies concentration is designed to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary understanding of modern urban civilization and to develop an appreciation of some of the problems and policy issues confronting contemporary American urban communities. It is also designed to introduce some of the technical skills that are a prerequisite to the successful pursuit of career opportunities in a variety of urban-oriented public and private service or administrative organizations.

The concentration provides a carefully selected group of required core courses drawn from several departments, allows a relatively broad choice of electives and provides an interdisciplinary seminar designed to help integrate the knowledge and skills acquired in the program.

Students wishing to pursue the concentration in urban studies must submit an advising plan to the concentration adviser and make application to the concentration coordinator to be admitted to the program. One course in statistics and/or methodology offered by a social science department or a statistics course offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences is a prerequisite to the program. To earn the urban studies concentration, students must complete a minimum of 28 credits, distributed as follows:

1. Core - three of the following four courses

ECN 3090 - State and Local Public Finance (3)
HST 3270 - History of American Cities (4)
PS 3130 - Local Government and Politics (4)
SOC 3640 - Urban and Community Sociology (4)

2. Electives - four of the following courses

None of the courses may overlap with courses in the student’s major and no more than two courses may be taken in a single department.

AH 3440 - Modern Architecture and Urban Design (4)
HRD 3520 - Career Development (4)
HST 3230 - American Labor History (4)
PS 3135 - State Politics (4)
PS 3305 - Public Administration (4)
PS 3310 - American Public Policy (4)
SOC 3220 - Social Welfare Policies (4)
SOC 3610 - Racial and Ethnic Relations (4)

3. Internship

Although an urban internship or field experience is not required as part of the concentration, it is strongly suggested that students complete such a course in their major department or another program in the university.