The Urban Studies curriculum includes courses that develop qualitative and quantitative methods. Included into the curriculum are field-work experiences, an internship and studio class, which take students into the real world to test what is learned in the classroom. Because New York City is a vast urban laboratory, it is a powerful learning tool. Urban Studies faculty use it to make discussions about affordable housing, transit, and recycling come alive and useful to students.
The department offers several options to students interested in cities and how they function. The most intensive is, of course, the major. Additional programs include elective courses that may constitute a minor for a non-major, and a program of education for public service that is open to selected students (see Special Programs, below). Of particular note for non-majors is the specially designed introductory course, “Urban Life: The Personal and Observational View.”
Unlike many introductory courses that are confined to the classroom, this “intro” class requires students to go out in the community to map the location of housing, stores, doctors’ offices and parks that define neighborhood character. Students also attend a community board meeting. The goal of both exercises is to help students better understand their home neighborhoods. In addition, the course is designed to give students an appreciation of the important role that race, class, gender and sexual orientation play in urban life.
The urban studies curriculum is enriched by its location in the Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, which also includes graduate curricula in urban planning and urban affairs. The sharing of faculty and facilities, the interchange among advanced and beginning students, and the cooperation of other social science departments at Hunter create a synergy for comprehensive examination of “urban” concerns in a major city. After graduating, urban studies alumni have pursued public or private sector careers in urban planning, social work, municipal budgeting, public administration, real estate, community economic development, law, business, and journalism.
Program Director: Dr. Sigmund C. Shipp
General Education Requirement
Preparation for Graduate Training
Special Programs
Urban Studies Major
General Education Requirement (GER): All URBS courses fulfill GER, as follows:
URBS 101, 102 and 201 meet writing requirement and fulfill GER 2B
URBS 310, 401, 402, 403 and 409 fulfill GER 3B
Preparation for Graduate Training: A substantial number of majors in urban studies pursue professional graduate study in urban planning, law, social work, public administration, architecture, and related fields. Students should discuss their professional goals with the adviser in their junior year in order to plan their programs accordingly.
Special Programs: Urban studies majors may apply to the Public Service Scholar Program--a competitive program open to 24 juniors/seniors each year. All Hunter students are eligible for this program, which includes an internship in a public or nonprofit agency and two weekly seminars. Participants receive credit and a stipend. For further information, contact the program director.
Urban Studies Major (30 credits)
The Urban Studies major provides a strong background in the study of urban issues, institutions, and policies. The core curriculum is designed with specific objectives (click for PDF) that form the foundation for advanced study of the urban landscape. In addition, the major includes a methodology component, an internship experience, and courses selected from closely related social science disciplines. Completion of the major gives students a fuller understanding of contemporary cities from a variety of perspectives: social, physical, political, and economic. The major consists of components A, B, C, and D as listed below. Courses not listed may be selected with special permission of the urban studies program adviser.
A. Urban Studies Core (15 credits)
URBS 101 Urban Life: Personal and Observational View (3 cr)
URBS 102 Structure of Urban Region (3 cr)
URBS 201 Plans and Policies for Contemporary Urban Community (3 cr)
URBS 310 Methods of Urban Research and Policy Analysis (3 cr)
URBS 311 Quantitative Approaches for
Urban Analysis (3 cr)
B. Urban Studies Electives (6 credits) Select one from:
URBS 401 Managing Urban Physical Environment (3 cr)
URBS 402 Urban Social and Economic Development (3 cr)
URBS 404 Urban Budgeting and Fiscal Policy (3 cr)
Component B can also be met by another 400-level URBS course approved by adviser
C. Fieldwork Component (3 cr) Select one from:
URBS 409 Internship (3 cr)
D. Basic Social Science Component (6 cr) Select two from:
AFPRL 304 Leaders and Movements Of Black Urban Communities (3 cr)
ASIAN 390.1 International Migration (3 cr)
ECO 330 Economic Development (3 cr)
ECO 335Urban Economics (3 cr)
GEOG 221 Economic Geography (3 cr)
GEOG 321 Transporation Geography (3 cr)
GEOG 341Urban Geography (3 cr)
GEOG 357 Geography of New York
City/Vinicity (3 cr)
GEOG 370 Geography of Sustainable
Development in Developing Countries (3 cr)
HIST 250.45History of New York City (3 cr)
HIST 317History of the American City (3 cr)
HIST 318 History of the American
Working Class (3 cr)
HIST 368 From Frontier to City (3 cr)
PLSC 212Urban Politics (3 cr)
SOC 211Urban Sociology (3 cr)
SOC 217 Race and Ethnicity (3 cr)
