Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Urban and Community Studies BS - Requirements
In addition to the Graduation Requirements for all RIT students, the Urban and Community Studies curriculum has several requirements.
1. Prerequisite Course
Cultural Anthropology (0510-210) OR Foundations of Sociology (0515-210)
2. Program Core Courses (9 courses)
The Urban Experience (0515-442)
Urban Planning and Policy (0515-413)
Qualitative Methods (0515-406)
Quantitative Methods (0526-440)
Social Change (0515-444)
Global Cities (0510-445)
Diversity in the City (0515-485)
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Applications in Urban and Community Studies
(0526-441)
Introduction to Multimedia: The Internet and the Web (4002-320)
3. Track Electives (7 courses)
Students will complete seven courses in the area of specialization (Track) of their choice: Urban and Community Development; Communities in Global Perspective; or Community: Race, Class, and Gender. The full description of the Tracks and the courses that count toward each one is found here: http://www.rit.edu/cla/sociology/urbancomm/curriculum.html.
4. Cooperative Education
The program requires students to accumulate professional work experience through a co-op or internship in areas such as housing, transportation, community development, social welfare, and education. Co-ops or internships are typically done during the summer quarter after the third year and students have the pick of some exciting opportunities in the United States and abroad. The RIT Office of Cooperative Education and Career Opportunities can provide very helpful advice as you begin planning your co-ops and internships. They are located on the main floor of the Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77). Website: http://www.rit.edu/~964www/.
5. Senior Thesis
During the final year at RIT, students will register for and write a senior thesis, working closely with an advisor, often building upon the work done during the co-op or internship.
Advising Notes
Students who specialize in any one of the three Tracks may choose to take an upper-division Economics course, therefore students might find it advisable to use Principles of Microeconomics (0511-211) as one of their General Education Social Science core courses.
Data Analysis I (1016-319), Data Analysis I Lab (1016-379), and Data Analysis II (1016-320) are prerequisites for the core course on Quantitative Methods. Depending on their math placement scores, students may need to take other math courses before the Data Analysis courses and should consult closely with their advisors.
Students can fulfill their requirements as follows:
| First Year | Quarter Credit Hours |
| Liberal Arts Core | 12 |
| Math & Science General Education Requirement | 9-12 |
| Prerequisite: Foundations of Sociology or Cultural Anthropology | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Urban Experience | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Social Change | 4 |
| Data Analysis I 1016-319 + lab | 6 |
| Free electives | 8 |
| First-Year Enrichment | 2 |
| Wellness Education | 0 |
| Second Year | |
| Liberal Arts Core | 12 |
| Data Analysis II 1016-320 | 6 |
| UCS Core Course: Diversity in the City | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Global Cities | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Qualitative Methods | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Internet and the Web | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Urban Planning and Policy | 4 |
| UCS Core Course: Quantitative Methods | 4 |
| Liberal Arts Minor or Concentration | 8 |
| Wellness Education | 0 |
| Third Year | |
| UCS Core Course: GSI Applications | 4 |
| UCS Track courses | 24 |
| Liberal Arts Minor or Concentration | 4 |
| Liberal Arts Minor or elective | 12 |
| Gen. Ed. COLA or COS elective | 4 |
| Summer: co-op or internship | 0 |
| Fourth Year | |
| UCS Track course | 4 |
| UCS Senior Thesis or Project | 4 |
| Liberal Arts elective | 4 |
| Gen. Ed. COLA or COS elective | 12 |
| Free electives | 12 |
Total Quarter Credit Hours |
184 |