Urban and Community Studies (BA)
The undergraduate major in Urban and Community Studies is an interdisciplinary program in the Department of Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies with a focus on educating citizens on the multiple dimensions of urban and community life and preparing students for careers in public and community service as well as graduate study in social work, public administration, law, planning, public health, or other related areas.
The major has three parts. First, students receive a broad education in the study of cities, suburbs, neighborhoods and communities through core courses in three fields drawn from Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Public Policy, Sociology, and Urban and Community Studies. Second, students acquire a solid foundation in analytical techniques such as statistical analysis, survey research, geographic information systems, qualitative methods, or archival research. Finally, students take additional electives in order to broaden their academic training or to develop a deeper specialization in selected areas.
A minor in Urban and Community Studies is described in the “Minors” section.
Location
- Hartford Campus
Modality
- In Person
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| GSCU 2101 | Introduction to Urban and Community Studies | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Urban Semester Field Work Seminar | ||
| Understanding Your Community | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Core | ||
| Select three of the following with no more than one per department (cross-listed courses count towards the non-GSCU department): | 9 | |
| Urban Development and Policy | ||
| Economics of Poverty | ||
| The American Suburb: History, Power, Design | ||
| Work and Economic Justice | ||
| Globalization | ||
| Introduction to Sustainable Cities | ||
| Urban Geography | ||
| Urban and Regional Planning | ||
| Urban Parks and Sustainability | ||
| The History of Urban America | ||
| African American History Since 1865 | ||
| Immigrants and the Shaping of American History | ||
| History of Latinos/as in the United States | ||
| Urban Politics | ||
| Public Administration | ||
| Social Policy | ||
| Sociological Perspectives on Poverty | ||
| Urban Sociology | ||
| Social Welfare and Social Work | ||
| Methods | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Information Technology for Economics | ||
| Survey Research Methods | ||
| Research Methods and Analysis in Urban and Community Studies | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Urban and Community Studies | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Geographic Data Analysis | ||
| Quantitative Analysis in Political Science | ||
| Methods of Social Research | ||
| Introduction to Statistics II | ||
| Supporting | ||
| Select two additional courses selected from Group 2, Group 3, or the following list: | 6 | |
| Ethnicity and Race | ||
| City and Community in Film | ||
| Migration | ||
| Economics of Taxation and Government Spending | ||
| Public Economics | ||
| Urban and Regional Economics | ||
| Introduction to Sport Based Youth Development | ||
| Variable Topics | ||
| Seminar in Urban Problems | ||
| Urban Semester Field Work Seminar 1,2 | ||
or GSCU 4981 | Internship: Field Study | |
or GSCU 4991 | Internship: Seminar | |
| Race, Sex, Space, and Place | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| International Study | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Variable Topics | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Diversity Issues in Human Development and Family Sciences | ||
| Social and Community Influence on Children in the United States | ||
| Planning and Managing Human Service Programs | ||
| Public Policy and the Family | ||
| Child Welfare, Law and Social Policy | ||
| Connecticut: A History of the World Around Us | ||
| Asian American Experience Since 1850 | ||
| Crime, Policing, and Punishment in the United States | ||
| African American History to 1865 | ||
| History of Urban Latin America | ||
| Topics in Public History | ||
| Hip Hop, Politics and Youth Culture in America | ||
| Sustainable Urban Ecosystems | ||
| State and Local Government | ||
| Comparative Perspectives on Human Rights | ||
| Globalization and Political Change | ||
| American Political Economy | ||
| African-American Politics | ||
| Latino Political Behavior | ||
| Cases in Public Policy | ||
| Race and Policy | ||
| Criminology | ||
| African Americans and Social Protest | ||
| Sociology of Families | ||
| Sociology of Carework | ||
| Sociology of Religion | ||
| Sociology of Sexualities | ||
| Sociology of Food | ||
| Society and Climate Change | ||
| City Life | ||
| Aging and Society | ||
or HDFS 3245 | Aging in American Society | |
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Urban Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 24 | |
- 1
Three credits combined
- 2
GSCU 3194 Urban Semester Field Work Seminar (or GSCU 3194W Urban Semester Field Work Seminar) and GSCU 4997W Senior Thesis can be counted if not used to fulfill requirement number one above.
GSCU 3194 Urban Semester Field Work Seminar and GSCU 4997W Senior Thesis can be used to meet the Group 1: Core Requirement or as Group 4: Supporting course, but not both. Students must attain their UCS advisor’s consent to use GSCU 4997W Senior Thesis for their Group I: Core Requirement prior to enrolling in the course.
In order to assure a breadth of experience, students are encouraged to take courses that include content in each of the following areas: change over time, structural and spatial dimensions, diversity, power and decision-making, and political and social processes. One unique option for students is to enroll in the 15 credit Urban Semester Program, which provides major credit for two courses GSCU 3184 Seminar in Urban Problems and GSCU 3194 Urban Semester Field Work Seminar (or GSCU 3194W Urban Semester Field Work Seminar).
Students interested in pursuing a program in Urban and Community Studies are advised to complete 1000-level courses in the social sciences, which may be prerequisites for courses in Urban and Community Studies. These include, but are not limited to:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GSCU 1100 | Global Urbanization | 3 |
| GSCU 1130/1130W | Exploring Your Community | 3 |
| GSCU 1200/1200W | Site and Sound: Understanding Cities Through Popular Music | 3 |
| GSCU 1600 | Cities of Imagination | 3 |
| ECON 1201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| POLS 1602 | Introduction to American Politics | 3 |
| PP 1001 | Introduction to Public Policy | 3 |
| SOCI 1001 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 1251 | Social Problems | 3 |
| STAT 1000Q/1100Q | Introduction to Statistics I | 4 |
They should also plan on enrolling in GSCU 2101 Introduction to Urban and Community Studies as soon as possible.
The writing in the major requirement can be met by taking any 2000-level or above W course approved for this major. Students should be aware, however, that availability of specific W courses varies by campus. The information literacy requirements are met by successfully completing GSCU 2101 Introduction to Urban and Community Studies.
University Common Curriculum Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see Common Curriculum Requirements.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's Common Curriculum requirements. For more information, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this catalog.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the historical and/or contemporary relationships between economic, social, environmental, political, and cultural factors shaping community life, cities, and the built environment.
- Explain the sources of specialized urban and community issues, trends, and problems.
- Evaluate policy approaches to addressing urban and community issues, trends and problems.
- Apply quantitative or qualitative analytical techniques, such as: statistical analysis; survey research; geographic information systems; interviews; focus groups; ethnography; oral history; or, archival research, to urban and community issues.
- Present, individually or as part of a group, the findings of a community-based research project in written, digital, and/or oral format.