Urban Studies

Urban studies majors examine the sociological, economical and cultural aspects of cities and how they’re intertwined. Students learn why cities have adopted the cultures that make them unique, and how citizens of the cities live – whether it’s enjoyable or not so enjoyable. They study how humans have adapted to the conditions of urban life in the past. Students can learn skills ranging from community organizing to grant proposal writing. A variety of areas are covered, including environment policy and management, urban management and historic preservation. Classes that may be offered are social inequality, race and ethnicity, the emergence of modern America, the world’s cities, economic history population problems, crime and deviance and social research.

Graduates with a degree in urban studies find jobs in planning, government, education, public administration, social work and community development. If they wish to go into policy making, the degree is useful in preparation for law or graduate school. Overall, people who possess this degree are community-oriented and socially-conscious. They’re familiar with every detail of their city. In the coming years, fields that employ urban studies majors should expand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in state and local government are expected to grow by 11 percent through 2018, and social work employment is expected to increase by 16 percent.