Urban and Community Studies
Paul Grebinger, Department Chairperson
www.rit.edu/cla/sociology/urbancomm/
Eighty percent of United States residents work, learn, and raise families in metropolitan areas. Reaching beyond borders, the urban communities of the world are increasingly linked in a global economic and cultural system. The prominence and interdependence of today’s urban landscape has created a pressing need for individuals with the ability to create sustainable cities. Those who also have experience using advanced analytical software such as SPSS and GIS can virtually assure their success in this field.
With this in mind, RIT’s urban and community studies program has been designed to give students the knowledge and technological skills needed to address the issues facing our rapidly urbanizing world. The bachelor of science program in urban and community studies provides an awareness of the institutional and structural forces that influence the development of urban and rural areas as well as the lives of their residents. The program’s interdisciplinary combination of classes in the sciences, computing, and the liberal arts gives students a broad knowledge base that lets them approach urban issues from a number of perspectives.
After graduation, students will be ready to take on positions in many different specialized fields, including health care, environmental consulting, city government, social services, local or international development, and, of course, urban planning.
Curriculum
Program core courses
Students will complete nine core courses that provide a foundation of knowledge in urban and communities studies.
0515-442 The Urban Experience
0515-413 Urban Planning and Policy
0515-406 Qualitative Methods
0526-440 Quantitative Methods
0515-444 Social Change
0510-445 Global Cities
0515-485 Diversity in the City
0526-441 GIS Applications in Urban and Community Studies
4002-320 Introduction to Multimedia: The Internet and the
Web
Tracks
The urban and community studies program offers three distinct tracks, allowing students to focus their interests in one particular area. The urban and community development track investigates the role of public, private, and nonprofit organizations in how cities function, with an emphasis on topics such as housing, public health, land use, and transportation. A second track is communities in global perspective, which is designed for students interested in regional economic and cultural issues within international settings. The third track, community: race, class, and gender, examines how political, economic, social, and environmental forces affect neighborhoods and entire regions. Special attention is paid to issues such as urban poverty, racial segregation, gender inequality, educational challenges, and urban family life.
Cooperative education and field experience
RIT has a longstanding tradition of providing students with hands-on training, particularly with the paid, professional experience gained through its cooperative education program. In addition to performing field work with local agencies and organizations through summer- or quarter-long internships and co-op assignments, urban and community studies students will have an active lab in Rochester—the third-largest city in New York state.
Accelerated dual degree option
Students who wish to pursue a graduate degree may take advantage of the college’s 4 + 1 program. Students complete the BS degree in urban and community studies and an MS degree in public policy in five years. The university also is initiating cooperative programs that would allow graduates of the urban and community studies program to pursue either a master’s or doctorate degree through Cornell University or the University of Buffalo at Amherst.
Urban and community studies, BS degree, typical course sequence |
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| Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | ||
First Year |
Urban and Community Studies Core: | |
| Choose one of the following courses: | 4 | |
| Foundations of Sociology 0515-210 | ||
| Cultural Anthropology 0510-210 | ||
| The Urban Experience 0515-442 | 4 | |
| Urban Planning and Policy 0515-413 | 4 | |
| Mathematics and Science Requirements** | 22 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| First-Year Enrichment 1105-051, 052 | 2 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
Second Year |
Urban and Community Studies Core: | |
| Quantitative Methods 0526-440 | 4 | |
| Qualitative Methods 0515-406 | 4 | |
| Social Change 0515-444 | 4 | |
| Global Cities 0510-445 | 4 | |
| GIS Applications in Urban and Community Studies 0526-441 | 4 | |
| Introduction to Multimedia: The Internet and the Web 4002-320 | 4 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 24 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
Third Year |
Urban and Community Studies Core: | |
| Diversity in the City 0515-485 | 4 | |
| UCS Track | 24 | |
| General Education Electives | 20 | |
| Cooperative Education or Internship (summer) | Co-op | |
Fourth Year |
UCS Track | 4 |
| General Education Electives | 12 | |
| Senior Thesis | 4 | |
| Free Electives | 20 | |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 184 | |
*Please see Liberal Arts General Education Requirements for more information. †Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. **Please see Mathematics and Science General Education Curriculum. |
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