Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies
Wayne State's Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary course of study that equips students with a firm grounding in knowledge about cities and metropolitan areas, their history and spatial patterns, social, economic and political life and their greatest challenges and opportunities.
The urban studies bachelor's degree prepares students for:
- Advanced training in traditional academic disciplines, or professional activities with an urban orientation
- Advanced training in specialized academic disciplines with urban foci, including law, public administration and urban planning
- Wide variety of vocations present in an urban setting
- Citizenship in an urban world
We study cities around the world as well as in our own backyard to understand city life and find solutions to urban problems. Classes examine cities and their regions in historical context and in an international and comparative manner. Students will examine economic, political and cultural concerns and explore practical solutions to current urban problems. As a highly interdisciplinary program, students are required to take courses in at least five separate disciplines, but may, with elective requirements, take courses in many more disciplines.
Urban studies program requirements and curriculum
As an urban studies and planning major, you must complete a minimum of 120 credits by satisfying the following requirements:
- University general education requirements
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences group requirements
- Overall urban studies program requirements
Courses
Here are some of the urban studies courses (along with sample syllabi) that you'll take at Wayne State.
- Required courses
Course Title Instructor US 2000/GPH 2000 Introduction to Urban Studies (HIS 2000, PS 2000) Patrick Cooper-McCann US 2000/GPH 2000 Introduction to Urban Studies (HIS 2000, PS 2000) Jeff Horner US 2000/GPH 2000 Introduction to Urban Studies (HIS 2000, PS 2000) Jeff Horner US 2000/GPH 2000 Introduction to Urban Studies (HIS 2000, PS 2000) Kami Pothukuchi US 4510 Cities and Regions Jeff Horner GPH 3130 Introductory Urban Geography Carolyn Loh GPH 3600/UP 6700 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Alex Bellak GPH 3600/UP 6700 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Daryl LaFlamme UP 5820 Urban and Regional Economics John Sase - Elective courses
Course Title Instructor GPH 3900/US 3900 Urban Visualization Laura Foxman GPH 3900/US 3999 Introduction to Architectural Studies Department GPH 4600/UP 6830 Advanced Geographic Information Systems Department UP 3530/US 3530 Urban and Regional Planning (meets with UP 5110) Patrick Cooper-McCann UP 4460 Sustainable Cities Allison Laskey UP 5010 Resources and Communication in Planning Carolyn Loh UP 5110 Urban Planning Process (meets with UP 3530/US 3530) Patrick Cooper-McCann US 3550/UP 5999 Public Health and the City Alex Hill
An accelerated path to your master's in urban planning
The AGRADE program provides the opportunity for undergraduate students to enroll simultaneously in any undergraduate program. M.U.P. students can apply a maximum of 16 credits towards both an undergraduate major and the M.U.P. This arrangement works easily for students majoring in urban studies or a closely related field like political science. Students from more unrelated fields will need to plan early. If you're interested in AGRADE, contact your undergraduate advisor to request a with them and the M.U.P. graduate director to discuss your enrollment in the program.
Career insights
A degree in urban studies and planning can lead to a variety of career paths. Here are just a few of the many opportunities available in this field.
| Career | Median salary |
|---|---|
| Biofuels/biodiesel technology and product development managers | $159,000 |
| Architectural and engineering managers | $159,000 |
| Urban and regional planners | $76,000 |
This data provides a broad overview of how major selection can lead to careers and is provided without any implied promise of employment. Some careers will require further education, skills or competencies. Actual salaries may vary significantly between similar employers and could change by graduation, as could employment opportunities and job titles.