(Bachelor of Arts)

Urban Studies develops individuals who want to make a difference in their community: a difference in what happens to older neighborhoods in transition, a difference in what happens as new suburban communities are planned and built, a difference in the lives and well-being of persons across metropolitan and rural regions. It offers undergraduates an opportunity to become familiar with concepts that will be useful whether they become community organizers, lawyers, city or regional planners, architects, teachers, economic development specialists, journalists, city managers, or enter careers in business and real estate.

Urban Studies offers students an opportunity to develop the insight, knowledge, and technical skills needed to deal effectively with the far-reaching challenges of contemporary urban society. It prepares students to become educated world citizens through a solid foundation of core courses emphasizing skills and tool subjects, broad introductory courses at the freshman and sophomore level, and more demanding courses at the junior and senior level which explores topics at a greater depth.

Faculty bring together urban and regional perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including economics, ethnic studies, physical and human geography, political science, and sociology. Urban Studies faculty have traveled widely and have lived and conducted research in many countries outside of the United States. In addition to teaching in the program, faculty are active in applied work in Northeast Wisconsin, working with community and grass-roots organizations, participating in city and county task forces and planning committees, and consulting for government and international agencies.

Students should meet with the faculty adviser in Urban Studies to discuss their academic and career interests. Students are encouraged to select courses which emphasize particular areas within the program, including community economic development, ethnic studies, and urban and regional planning. Internships in this program are especially encouraged, as are applied research projects in the Urban Studies laboratory and in independent study courses, as well. Internship experiences have proven to be an important enhancement to graduate school applications, and they also increase opportunities for employment after graduation.

This major also provides excellent preparation for graduate study in master’s and doctoral programs such as architecture, geography, political science, public administration, public policy, sociology, urban and regional planning, urban studies, economic development and related fields.

Urban Studies majors are encouraged to enroll in travel and study abroad programs. The department offers travel courses to Italy, the Ecuadorean Andes and Amazon, and the Galapagos Islands. These travel courses are developed with Urban and Regional Studies students in mind. For more information, please contact Urban and Regional Studies faculty directly, and or see the Urban and Regional Studies website. Students may study abroad (for semester or year long) or at other campuses in the United States through UW-Green Bay’s participation in international exchange programs and the National Student Exchange. For more information on these programs contact the Office of International Education at (920) 465-2190 or see http://www.uwgb.edu/international/.