Academic Catalog

Urban Studies (B.A.)

The field of urban studies explores contemporary cities and urban trends and addressed some of today's most pressing problems. Globally, complex systems of urban settlement house the overwhelming majority of the population and dominate their residents' social, economic, cultural, and intellectual lives. In the U.S., in particular, exploring the development and transformation of metropolitan regions is essential to understanding some of the most significant dynamics affecting the nation. Especially pertinent are the powerful forces of suburbanization, political fragmentation, and residential segregation along lines of race and class that reshaped our society in the latter half of the 20th century. These forces structure the resources, activities, and opportunities that unite and divide Americans. Wayne State's Detroit location offers a powerful vantage point from which students may gain valuable insight these complex dynamics.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University.

 

Program Requirements

Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the Departmental major requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees.

Major Requirements

Students majoring in Urban Studies are required to complete a minimum of thirty-four credits. This consists of the completion of eighteen credits in five core courses, six credits of core Urban Studies electives, and one three or four-credit research methods course. Students are also required to select at least six credits of additional electives from the list of Urban Studies electives or from additional courses not included in the list but approved by the undergraduate director within the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. 

Core Courses
US 2000Introduction to Urban Studies4
GPH 3130Introductory Urban Geography4
GPH 3600Introduction to Geographic Information Systems4
US 4510Cities and Regions3
US 4620Urban Studies Senior Capstone Research3
Research Methods Courses
Select one of the following:3-4
Research Methods in Criminal Justice
Quantitative Techniques I
Methods of Political Inquiry
Methods of Social Research
Urban Studies Core Electives
Select at least two of the following courses:6
Global Urbanism
Urban and Regional Planning
Public Health and the City
Urban Visualization
Sustainable Cities
Electives
Select a minimum of six credits from the course list below.6-7

Elective Courses 

AFS 2010African American Culture4
AFS 2210Black Social and Political Thought4
AFS 2350Black Detroit3
AFS 2600Race and Racism in America3
AFS 3160Black Urban History4
AFS 3180Black Social Movements4
ANT 2200Lost Cities and Ancient Civilizations3
ANT 2020Global Detroit3
ANT 2400Food and Culture3
ANT 3020Introduction to Archaeology3
ANT 3100World Cultures3
ANT 3111Digital Storytelling and Ethnic Detroit3
ANT 3410Global Health3
ANT 5060Urban Anthropology3
CRJ 3050Mental Health and Crime3
CRJ 3120Politics of the Criminal Justice Process3
CRJ 3200Police and Society3
CRJ 3350Corrections3
ELR 2500Introduction to Labor Studies4
GLS 2700Introduction to Global Stories3
GLS 2800Introduction to Global Issues and Institutions3
GLS 2900Intercultural Competence for a Global World3
GPH 4600Advanced Geographic Information Systems4
PCS 2000Introduction to Peace and Conflict Studies3
PCS 2050The Study of Non-Violence3
PH 2100Introduction to Public Health3
PH 3100Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health3
PH 3300Epidemiology 3
PH 3500Environmental Health3
PS 2240Introduction to Urban Politics and Policy4
PS 2410Introduction to Public Policy4
PS 2420Ethics and Politics of Public Policy4
PS 3250/HIS 3240Detroit Politics: Continuity and Change in City and Suburbs4
PS 4460Techniques of Policy Analysis4
UP 3530Urban and Regional Planning3
SOC 2201Race Relations in Metro Detroit3
SOC 2203Social Psychology3
SOC 2205Sociology of the Environment3
SOC 2207Sociology of Development3
SOC 2300Social Inequality3
SOC 2510People on the Move3
SOC 2210Sociology of Health and Medicine3
UP 4460Sustainable Cities3
UP 5430Cities and Food3
US 3900Topics in Urban Studies and Geography3
US 3650History of Detroit3
US 4000Internship1-4
UP 5650Metropolitan Detroit3
UP 5820Urban and Regional Economics4

Urban Studies Honors Program

Students with a grade point average of 3.3 or higher may be admitted to the Honors Program in Urban Studies. Department requirements (15 credits minimum):

  • Maintain a 3.3 grade point average.
  • Complete one HON 42xx-level Honors seminar (3 cr)
  • US 4620 honors section: Thesis. (3 cr.): A senior thesis under the direction of a full time faculty advisor in their major
  • Accumulate at least 9 credits in honors-designated course work, honors section, or honors option, within the major of Urban Studies coursework.
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