Christine Kray, Department Chairperson
(585) 475-4686, christine.kray@rit.edu
http://www.rit.edu/cla/sociology/urban/
Program overview
Eighty percent of U.S. residents work, learn, and raise families in metropolitan areas. Countries around the world are rapidly urbanizing, and the urban populations of the world are linked participants in a global economic and cultural system. Cities also present challenges regarding land use, access to resources, cross-cultural communication, pollution, crowding, and traffic. The prominence and interdependence of today’s urban landscape create a pressing need for individuals who possess the skills, aptitude, and commitment to create sustainable cities and communities for our shared future.
The bachelor of science program in urban and community studies explores the institutional and structural forces that shape, interconnect, and subdivide geographically bounded communities. The program’s interdisciplinary combination of classes in the liberal arts, sciences, and computing gives students a broad knowledge base that lets them approach urban issues from a number of perspectives.
Students will enter the work force technically grounded in and knowledgeable of urban theories, policies, and practices. Upon graduation, students will be equipped to take on positions in many fields, including city and regional government, social services, and local or international development.
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, urban planning, neighborhood revitalization, and crime and justice. A second track, communities in global perspective, 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 shape the life experiences of different subgroups. Special attention is paid to issues such as poverty, racial segregation, gender inequality, work and labor, and family life.
Curriculum
Urban and community studies, BS degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| 0515-442 | The Urban Experience | 4 |
| 0515-444 | Social Change | 4 |
| Choose one of the following courses: | 4 | |
| 0515-210 | Foundations of Sociology | |
| 0510-210 | Cultural Anthropology | |
| Mathematics and Science Requirements‡ | 22 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| 1105-051, 052 | First-Year Enrichment | 2 |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| 0526-440 | Quantitative Methods | 4 |
| 0515-406 | Qualitative Methods | 4 |
| 0515-485 | Diversity in the City | 4 |
| 0510-445 | Global Cities | 4 |
| 0515-413 | Urban Planning and Policy | 4 |
| 4002-320 | Introduction to Multimedia: The Internet and the Web | 4 |
| Liberal Arts* | 24 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Third Year | ||
| 0526-441 | GIS Applications in Urban and Community Studies | 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.
Sociology and anthropology (archaeology track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-101 | Discovery of Sociology and Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH-103 | Archaeology and the Human Past | 3 |
| Choose one of the following sociology core courses: | 3 | |
| SOCI-102 | Foundations of Sociology | |
| SOCI-103 | Urban Experience | |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4, 5† | 15 | |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-201 | Writing About Society and Culture (WI) | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-301 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-302 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| ANTH-215 | Field Methods in Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH-230 | Great Discoveries in Archaeology | 3 |
| ANTH-250 | Themes in Archaeological Research | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 6, 7A, 7B | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-303 | Quantitative Research | 3 |
| ANTH-255 | Regional Archaeology | 3 |
| Professional/Technical Elective‡ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 | 15 | |
| LAS Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| LAS Elective | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-498 | Practicum | 0 |
| SOCI/ANTH-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI/ANTH-501 | Senior Research Project | |
| SOCI/ANTH-502 | Scholar’s Thesis I | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Program Elective | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-503 | Scholar's Thesis II | |
| Free Elective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| LAS Electives | 18 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) General Education Requirements, in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin, for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement. The lecture section alone will not fulfill the requirement.
‡ Students choose from among the following archeaology professional/technical electives: Native North Americans (ANTH-260), Archaeology of Cities (ANTH-315), Historic Archaeology (ANTH-355), Humans and their Environment (ANTH-360), Islamic Culture and the Middle East (ANTH-365), Native American Repatriation (ANTH-375), Archaeological Science (ANTH-415), Exploring Ancient Technology (ANTH-420), Garbage Archaeology (ANTH-435), Survey of Metallurgy (ANTH-440), Applications Geographic Information System (ENVS-250).
Sociology and anthropology (cultural anthropology track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-101 | Discovery of Sociology and Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH-102 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Choose one of the following sociology core courses: | 3 | |
| SOCI-102 | Foundations of Sociology | |
| SOCI-103 | Urban Experience | |
| First Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4, 5† | 15 | |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-201 | Writing About Society and Culture (WI) | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-301 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-302 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| Professional/Technical Elective‡ 1, 2, 3 | 9 | |
| LAS Perspective 6, 7A, 7B | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-303 | Quantitative Research | 3 |
| Professional/Technical Elective‡ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 | 18 | |
| LAS Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| General Education Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-498 | Practicum | 0 |
| SOCI/ANTH-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI/ANTH-501 | Senior Research Project | |
| SOCI/ANTH-502 | Scholar’s Thesis I | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Program Elective | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-503 | Scholar's Thesis II | |
| Free Elective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| LAS Electives | 18 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) General Education Requirements, in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin, for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement. The lecture section alone will not fulfill the requirement.
‡ Students choose from among the following cultural anthropology professional/technical electives: Culture and Globalization (ANTH-210), Globalizing Africa (ANTH-225), Immigration to the U.S. (ANTH-235), Muslim Youth Cultures (ANTH-240), Ritual and Performance (ANTH-245), Native North Americans (ANTH-260), Native Americans in Film (ANTH-265), African Popular Cultures (ANTH-310), Bodies and Culture (ANTH-325), Cultural Images of War (ANTH-330), Culture and Politics in Latin America (ANTH-335), Divided Europe (ANTH-340), Genocide and Post-Conflict Justice (ANTH-345), The Global Economy and the Grassroots (ANTH-350), Media and Globalization (ANTH-370), Native American Repatriation (ANTH-375), Nationalism and Identity (ANTH-380), Global Cities (ANTH-410), Global Sexualities (ANTH-425), Visual Anthropology (ANTH-430).
Sociology and anthropology (sociology track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-101 | Discovery of Sociology and Anthropology | 3 |
| SOCI-102 | Foundations of Sociology | 3 |
| Choose one of the following anthropology core courses: | 3 | |
| ANTH-102 | Cultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH-103 | Archaeology and the Human Past | |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4, 5† | 15 | |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-201 | Writing About Society and Culture (WI) | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-301 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-302 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| SOCI-225 | Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOCI-235 | Women, Work and Culture | 3 |
| SOCI-220 | Minority Group Relations | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 6, 7A, 7B | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-303 | Quantitative Research | 3 |
| Professional/Technical Elective‡ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 18 | |
| LAS Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| General Education Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-498 | Practicum | 0 |
| SOCI/ANTH-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI/ANTH-501 | Senior Research Project | |
| SOCI/ANTH-502 | Scholar’s Thesis I | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Program Elective | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-503 | Scholar's Thesis II | |
| LAS Electives | 18 | |
| Free Elective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) General Education Requirements, in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin, for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement. The lecture section alone will not fulfill the requirement.
‡ Students choose from among the following sociology professional/technical electives: Urban Experience (SOCI-103), African American Culture (SOCI-210), Changing Family (SOCI-215), Sociology of Work (SOCI-230), Deaf Culture in America (SOCI-240 ), Gender and Health (SOCI-245), Globalization and Security (SOCI-250), U.S. Housing Policy (SOCI-310), Global Exiles of War and Terror (SOCI-315), Population and Society (SOCI-320), Urban Poverty (SOCI-345).
Sociology and anthropology (urban studies track), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-101 | Discovery of Sociology and Anthropology | 3 |
| SOCI-103 | Urban Experience | 3 |
| Choose one of the following anthropology core courses: | 3 | |
| ANTH-102 | Cultural Anthropology | |
| ANTH-103 | Archaeology and the Human Past | |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4, 5† | 15 | |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-201 | Writing About Society and Culture (WI) | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-301 | Social and Cultural Theory | 3 |
| SOCI/ANTH-302 | Qualitative Research | 3 |
| ANTH-410 | Global Cities | 3 |
| SOCI-340 | Urban Planning and Policy | 3 |
| SOCI-410 | Diversity in the City | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 6, 7A, 7B | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1 | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-303 | Quantitative Research | 3 |
| Professional/Techical Elective‡ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | 18 | |
| LAS Immersion 2, 3 | 6 | |
| General Education Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following: | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-498 | Practicum | 0 |
| SOCI/ANTH-499 | Cooperative Education | Co-op |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| SOCI/ANTH-501 | Senior Research Project | |
| SOCI/ANTH-502 | Scholar’s Thesis I | |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Program Elective | ||
| SOCI/ANTH-503 | Scholar's Thesis II | |
| LAS Electives | 18 | |
| Free Elective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 120 | |
Please see Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) General Education Requirements, in the Graduation Requirements section of this bulletin, for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Students will satisfy this requirement by taking either a 3- or 4-credit hour lab science course. If a science course consists of separate lecture and laboratory sections, students must take both the lecture and lab portions to satisfy the requirement. The lecture section alone will not fulfill the requirement.
‡ Students choose from among the following urban studies professional/technical electives: Immigration to the U.S. (ANTH-235), Archaeology of Cities (ANTH-315), Urban Economics (ECON-440), Applications Geographic Information Systems (ENVS-250), State and Local Politics (POLS-250), Minority Group Relations (SOCI-220), Community and Economic Development: Rochester (SOCI-325), Urban Deviance (SOCI-330), Urban Cultures (SOCI-335), Urban Poverty (SOCI-345), Sustainable Communities (STSO-550).
Additional information
Cooperative education and field experience
Students will perform field work with government and not-for-profit agencies and organizations through internships or cooperatiev education assignments.