Urban Studies B.A.

Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary major that prepares students for careers in urban planning, public policy, and the nonprofit sector. The program offers students a mix of academic, hands-on, experiential, and skill-based coursework anchored by one of four themes: urban social/cultural issues, urban political economy and planning, urban infrastructure and environment, or international urban issues. The course mix includes foundational courses on urbanization, a wide range of electives that allow students to tailor their degree program, and a diverse mix of workshops taught by local urban professionals in topics such as real estate development, transit planning, and community engagement. Students who major in urban studies come to understand the way cities work and use the vast resources of the Twin Cities to explore their interests. All students complete one required 120-hour internship as part of their exploration of careers they might pursue. Finding an internship is great practice for a job hunt. With the vast local network of alumni of the program, there are many internship possibilities each term.

The program offers one-on-one advising and students come to know one another through shared classes and through the Minnesota Urban Studies Student Association.

Urban Studies graduates are sought after in local and regional government agencies and community-based organizations and are highly competitive for graduate programs in fields such as social work, law, urban planning, finance, and geography.