Program: Urban Studies, BA - University of Pittsburgh

Major Requirements

Core courses

URBNST 0080 - INTRODUCTION TO URBAN STUDIES
URBNST 1300 - URBAN SKILLS SEMINAR
URBNST 1500 - URBAN RESEARCH SEMINAR
URBNST 1900 - URBAN FIELD PLACEMENT - six credits

Geographic Information Systems course

Choose one of the following courses.

URBNST 1102 - INTRODUCTION TO GIS
URBNST 1104 - APPLIED GIS

Concentrations

In addition to the core and GIS courses, students are required to complete six courses from one of the following concentrations, in consultation with the major advisor. These courses must be chosen from at least three different disciplines.

Community Organization

This concentration is designed for the student who is interested in social issues such as poverty, education, housing, or other social welfare programs. Students who want to work at the grass-roots or neighborhood level or who want to pursue a career in the non-profit sector often choose this area of study.

Fundamentals

Choose one of the following courses.

SOCWRK 1000 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK
URBNST 1612 - SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE CITY

Concentration cores

Choose two of the following courses.

ENGCMP 1400 - GRANT WRITING
SOC 0444 - URBAN SOCIOLOGY
SOC 0460 - RACE AND ETHNICITY
SOCWRK 1000 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK
URBNST 1612 - SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE CITY
URBNST 1616 - RENT, BUY OR SQUAT: HOUSING AND PROPERTY IN US CITIES

Electives

Choose three elective courses. The following list provides a sample of appropriate courses, which change each semester. Students should check for the Urban Studies attribute on the PeopleSoft Mobile site (select the Pittsburgh campus) and should select courses in consultation with the Urban Studies advisor.

AFRCNA 1402 - LEARNING PARADIGMS AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILD DEVELOPMENT
ENGLIT 0628 - WORKING CLASS LITERATURE
PSY 1312 - CHILD DEVELOPMENT & SOCIAL POLCY
PUBSRV 1200 - PRACTICES OF NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT
PUBSRV 1230 - FUNDRAISING FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
SOC 0460 - RACE AND ETHNICITY
SOC 1277 - PITTSBURGH AREA STUDY
SOC 1286 - RACE AND THE CITY

Comparative International Urbanism

This concentration is designed for students interested in focusing on urban issues in a much broader context. Some students choose to have a geographic focus while others take a more thematic approach.

Fundamentals

Choose one of the following courses.

URBNST 1700 - INTERNATIONAL URBANISM SEMINAR
URBNST 1708 - WORLD URBAN PATTERNS

Concentration cores

Choose two of the following courses.

ECON 0500 - INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
ECON 0530 - INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
HIST 1019 - CITIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
URBNST 1104 - APPLIED GIS
URBNST 1700 - INTERNATIONAL URBANISM SEMINAR
URBNST 1708 - WORLD URBAN PATTERNS

Electives

ANTH 1530 - ORIGINS OF CITIES
GER 1528 - VIENNA
HAA 1880 - WORLD CITIES
HIST 0756 - INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION
HIST 1135 - BERLIN: HISTORY OF A EUROPEAN METROPOLIS
HIST 1772 - RACE, CASTE AND ETHNICITY IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
JS 1160 - JERUSALEM: HISTORY AND IMAGINATION
SPAN 0082 - LATIN AMERICA TODAY

Urban Planning

This concentration is designed for those who have an interest in the built environment, and who may be considering a career in urban planning. It is appropriate, more generally, for those interested in the use, design, and allocation of space in the urban environment.

Fundamentals

Choose one of the following courses.

HAA 0940 - APPROACHES TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
PUBSRV 1130 - PLANNING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

Concentration cores

Choose two of the following courses.

HAA 0940 - APPROACHES TO THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
PUBSRV 1130 - PLANNING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
URBNST 1104 - APPLIED GIS
URBNST 1608 - URBAN ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
URBNST 1614 - URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
URBNST 1616 - RENT, BUY OR SQUAT: HOUSING AND PROPERTY IN US CITIES

Electives

ANTH 1541 - CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
GEOL 1055 - ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
HAA 1510 - PITTSBURGH ARCHITECTURE/URBANISM
HAA 1531 - AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE SINCE INDUSTRIALIZATION
HAA 1920 - INTRODUCTION TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION
HIST 1019 - CITIES IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
HIST 1695 - ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
URBNST 1700 - INTERNATIONAL URBANISM SEMINAR

Urban Policy, Politics, and Administration

This concentration is designed for students interested in policy development as it pertains to a variety of urban issues. This concentration is also appropriate for those who want to pursue careers in politics or administration in the public sector.

Fundamentals

Choose one of the following courses.

PUBSRV 1100 - PRACTICES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
URBNST 1610 - URBAN POLITICS AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Concentration cores

Choose two of the following courses.

GEOL 1055 - ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
PS 1261 - AMERICAN PUBLIC POLICY
PUBSRV 1100 - PRACTICES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
URBNST 1104 - APPLIED GIS
URBNST 1610 - URBAN POLITICS AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
URBNST 1616 - RENT, BUY OR SQUAT: HOUSING AND PROPERTY IN US CITIES

Electives

HIST 1695 - ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY
LEGLST 1152 - LEGAL ISSUES IN PUBLIC SERVICE
LEGLST 1355 - EMERGING ISSUES IN LEGAL AND SOCIAL POLICY
PS 1252 - STATE GOVERNMENT
PSY 1312 - CHILD DEVELOPMENT & SOCIAL POLCY
PUBSRV 0030 - PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS
PUBSRV 1455 - LAW, ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY IN THE MASS MEDIA
SOC 1476 - URBAN POLICY AND PLANNING

Recommended courses

The following courses are recommended but not required, as indicated.

URBNST 1200 - URBAN STUDIES FIELD RESEARCH SEMINAR meets the elective requirement. This course is only offered in the summer.

URBNST 1700 - INTERNATIONAL URBANISM SEMINAR is required for comparative urbanism students.

The Urban Studies program encourages students to take either STAT 0200 - BASIC APPLIED STATISTICS or STAT 1000 - APPLIED STATISTICAL METHODS .

Additional Requirements

Honors requirements

Honors in urban studies consists of fulfilling all requirements for the major, plus an additional four credits for a total of 37 credits. Honors students must take the following courses in sequence. Students may apply for the honors program upon completion of URBNST 1300 . They must have an overall GPA of 3.25 and a GPA in Urban Studies of 3.5. As soon as a student is interested in doing an Honors Thesis, s/he must meet with the Urban Studies advisor. The meeting should be scheduled no later than the middle of the junior year.

Grade requirements: A minimum GPA of 2.0 in departmental and concentration courses is required for graduation.

Satisfactory/No Credit option: There is no limit to the number of courses in the major that can be taken on an S/NC basis.

Writing requirement: Students must complete one W-course in the major. URBNST 1500 Urban Studies Research Seminar fulfills this requirement.

Study abroad: It would be desirable for students to add an international dimension to their undergraduate education through their participation in a study abroad program.

Urban Students Association: The Urban Students Association (U.S.A.) is an official student organization formed by students in the Urban Studies Program. Through U.S.A., students have been actively involved in issues related to the major throughout the Pittsburgh region. U.S.A. has invited guest speakers to appear on campus, organized field trips, and participated in numerous community projects.