Degree:
B.A.
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Program Options:
Area of Concentration, Joint Concentration

As an Urban Studies student at New College, you will learn about cities throughout the world, as well as the range of issues that these cities grapple with. 

About the Urban Studies Area of Concentration

Students in Urban Studies draw on multiple disciplines from across the curriculum in order to understand the social, political-economic, cultural and ecological processes of growth and decline that have shaped the structure and development of human settlements, from rural villages to metropolitan regions.

The focus of urban studies is the city, but this is not as narrow as it might seem. Urban studies covers the history and development of forms of human settlement from rural villages and small towns to sprawling metropolitan regions and contemporary global “mega-cities.” To understand the city as a form of human settlement, it is necessary to understand the history and processes of urban growth (and decline); the patterns of urban vs. suburban development; the politics, economics and sociology of the way we create and occupy the built landscape; the contested nature of the city as a site of inequalities of class, race and gender; and the relationship of the built environment to the underlying natural systems of the planet.

For an area of concentration in Urban Studies, students design a multidisciplinary program of course work that includes a core introduction to urban issues, tools for urban analysis, and foundational work in disciplines related to the student’s particular interests and career aspirations. Advisers work closely with students to explore career possibilities and craft a coherent and focused program, oriented towards a career path.

Recent Courses

  • Urban Sociology
  • Introduction to Sociological Research Methods
  • Research Methods in Political Science
  • Ethnography
  • Introduction to Sociology through Inequality
  • Science, Policy, Media and Politics
  • Medieval Cities
  • Rise of Urban America
  • Death, Hell, and Capitalism
  • Urban Ecology
  • Sustainable Cities

Career Pathways

  • Government Research
  • Urban Planning
  • Nonprofit Administration
  • Law
  • Education
  • Social Science Research

Contact Us

Dr. David Brain

Urban Studies Program Director, Professor of Sociology
Image of Dr. David Brain
Contact
Phone Number
Email Address
Location
Office
College Hall 207
Mail
Social Science 102
Office or Division
Area of Concentration

Faculty Steering Committee