Urban Studies (B.A.)
At-a-Glance
Degree granted: Bachelor of Arts
Hours required for major: 36
Hours required for minor: 20
Hours required for GIS Certificate: 16
Concentrations: urban planning, urban management, environmental policy and management, historic preservation, geographic information systems, and general urban studies
Articulation Agreements: public management, public safety management, community health management, paralegal studies, and human services
Advising: designated college adviser: phone: 687-2138
Student organizations: Urban Studies Association, Pi Alpha Alpha, American Planning Association
Additional Information:
Internship opportunities are available to all students; the Columbus Seminar and Washington Seminar provide on-site involvement in government in action; scholarships are available to qualified students; all courses in major fields are available in the evening; students with substantial prior learning experience may apply for credit through the Assessment and Accreditation of Prior Learning Experience program.
Opportunities to participate in small seminar groups, research projects, reading courses, and internships are available. Students may also participate in the Cooperative Education Program. Students majoring in Urban Studies should consult their advisers for assistance in planning course work.
Major-Field Requirements
Urban studies majors are required to complete a minimum of 36 credit hours from the following courses, A through C.
- Required courses:
(15 to 16 credit hours ) - Application Courses:
(8 credit hours), chosen from:- UST 410 Proposal Writing and Program Evaluation
- UST 403 Cartography and Graphics
- UST 434 Introduction to GIS
- UST 473 Columbus Seminar
- UST 474 Washington Seminar
- UST 479 Regional Competitiveness
- (Other appropriate courses may be substituted.)
- Thematic Concentration:
Students select one concentration from 1 through 6 below (12 credit hours) or a Degree Completion program area if transferring with a degree from a community college.- Urban Planning
Urban planners use their skills in research, design, and program development to effect social goals in cities. The urban planning concentration helps students use the heritage of urban planning to influence urban development. Planners analyze a range of data regarding an area — the economic base, the needs of the people, the available resources, and the effects of change — and make recommendations for action.- UST/ART 374 American Architecture
- UST/ART 475 Cleveland: Form and Development of an Urban Environment
- UST 416 Cleveland Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Institutions
- UST 418 Urban Planning *Required course
- UST 419 Neighborhood Planning
- UST 420 Urban Design Seminar *Required course
- UST 433 Negotiation and Conflict Management
- UST 436 Urban Sustainability
- UST 441 Environmental Planning
- UST 463 Housing Analysis
- UST 472 Canadian Studies
- UST 476 Historic Preservation
- UST 478 Cleveland Sacred Landmarks
- Urban Management
Urban managers develop budgets, strategic plans, policies, and programs for a variety of public and private organizations. The urban management concentration gives students basic management techniques and analytic skills necessary to manage effectively in an urban environment. - Environmental Policy and Management
This concentration is designed to give students an understanding of the economic, political, and social changes necessary for improving the quality of the physical environment in cities. Courses focus on domestic environmental policies and programs, environmental design, and issues related to sustainable development.- BIO 108 Environmental Ecology or
EVS 206 Introduction to Environmental Science - UST 418 Urban Planning
- UST 433 Negotiation and Conflict Management
- ENV 435 Environmental Policy and Administration *Required course
- ENV 440 Environment and Human Affairs
- ENV 441 Environmental Planning
- ENV 442 Environmental Finance and Capital Budgeting
- PHY 470 Environmental Physics
- BIO 108 Environmental Ecology or
- Historic Preservation
This concentration is designed to increase students' awareness of the considerable resources of urban art, culture, history, and ethnicity found in major American cities. They will examine archival information and historic structures, and learn methodologies for preserving those physical aspects of cities that continue to contribute to the quality of life of their citizens.- UST/ART 374 American Architecture
- UST/ART 418 Urban Planning
- UST 433 Negotiation and Conflict Management
- UST/ART 475 Cleveland: Form and Development of an Urban Environment
- UST 452 Management of Urban and Nonprofit Organizations
- UST 476 Historic Preservation *Required course
- UST 478 Cleveland Sacred Landmarks *Required course
- Geographic Information Systems
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computerized database management system for capture, storage, retrieval, analysis, and display of spatial (locationally defined) data. GIS is useful to every discipline that utilizes geographic data and is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing computer technologies- UST 403 Cartography and Graphics *Required Course; prerequisite: UST 401 or equivalent
- UST 434 Introduction to GIS *Required Course
- UST 486 GIS Capstone Seminar *Required Course
- General Urban Studies
Students majoring in Urban Studies who wish to specialize in an area that is not offered as a departmental concentration may use this option to complete their major-field requirements. Students design a three-course interdisciplinary program (12 credit hours) in consultation with their academic adviser and the program director. Examples of general urban studies concentrations include: comparative urban studies, criminal justice, economic development, and conflict management.
- Urban Planning
Degree Completion Programs
For community college transfer students with A.A.S. and A.A.B. degrees the following degree completion programs may be completed with technical credits transferred into the Levin College.
Public Management
(For transfer students from public administration programs)
Public Safety Management
(For transfer students from law enforcement, corrections, security administration, police and fire science programs)
Community Health Management
(For transfer students from nursing and physician assistant programs)
Paralegal Studies
(For transfer students from paralegal studies programs)
Students who have earned an AAB in Paralegal Studies can earn the BA, Urban Studies by completing the following program.
- Completion of all University and College requirements, including a minimum of 128 semester hours, 36 hours at the upper division (300-400 level), and 30 hours in residency, with a grade point average of 2.00 or better.
- Clearance of foreign language deficiency, if any.
- 28 credit hours as follows:
Human Services
(For transfer students from human services programs)
Urban Studies Minor
Students in any discipline may elect to minor in Urban Studies, Nonprofit Administration, or Environmental Studies. The Urban Studies minor consists of 20 credit hours.
Urban Studies Minor (20 credit hours)
- Required Courses:
- Students choose two courses from the following:
- Students choose one concentration from the following (8 credit hours):
- Urban Planning
- Urban Public Management
- Environmental Management
- Historic Preservation
Certificate in Urban Geographic Information Systems
(16 credit hours)
The Undergraduate GIS Certificate Program consists of the following required four-credit courses:
- UST 401 Computer Applications for Urban Research (or equivalent)
- UST 403 Cartography and Graphics
- UST 434 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
- UST 486 GIS Capstone Seminar
It is strongly recommended that students take these classes in the order listed above.
Any student eligible to take undergraduate courses at Cleveland State University may enroll in the GIS courses on a space-availability basis. Students must have a B-average across all courses and earn a B or better in UST 486 to earn the certificate.