Alura Chung-Mehdi November 28, 2020 5 Academic Tips and Info,College Lists

List of All U.S. Colleges with an Urban Studies Major

Have you ever wondered why Paris’ arrondissements are arranged in a “snail shell” pattern? Do you wish you could make Atlanta’s public transportation system more efficient?

If so, you may want to consider majoring in Urban Studies. Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary field that uses sociology, economics, history, and humanities to study city life and government. Urban Studies majors study the political, economic, social, physical, and cultural landscapes of the city.

Overview of the Urban Studies Major

In Urban Studies classes, you’ll study why people live in cities, how the landscape and built environment affects behavior, and how to address complex problems like wealth inequality, gentrification, climate change, and educational access.

Topics covered in Urban Studies courses may include some of the following:

• Sustainability
• Social justice
• Urban economics/political economy
• Urban planning/design
• History and contemporary analysis of urbanization 
• Theoretical frameworks for understanding cities, like economic analysis, statistics, social science theory, research methods, and visualization

You may be a good fit for Urban Studies if you:

• Enjoy reading, writing, and analyzing data;
• Are passionate about issues that affect city residents;
• Are prepared to plan and execute all aspects of a research project: create a proposal, interview people, and write a paper or present findings.

There’s no general guideline on whether Urban Studies majors go to grad school or not—some continue on to academic careers in Urban Studies; others go on to complete professional degrees; others do not go to grad school at all.

Majoring in Urban Studies will prepare you for career paths in some of the following fields:

• Government, Law, Public Policy
• Nonprofit and Social Justice
• Business and Real Estate

What to Look for in a College as an Urban Studies Major

Support in finding internships in related fields

Urban studies is a liberal arts major that doesn’t directly lead to a career, so it’s important to have the support to explore professional options. This generally means a knowledgeable career and academic advisors, and a strong alumni network in urban government, nonprofit, and business fields.

A strong major community

This is related to the point above; having a strong major community means better access to real-life connections and potentially involvement with urban communities.

Senior project/capstone research project

Urban Studies’ interdisciplinary nature means that there many subjects, frameworks, and focuses within the field. Completing a larger research project helps build knowledge and expertise in a specialized topic for future endeavors.

A wide interdisciplinary curriculum

Having a wide variety of courses will allow you to apply Urban Studies tools to real situations. In many cases, the Urban Studies department will provide a list of approved courses from other departments, along with their own course options. For example, at Brown University, students may fulfill major requirements by taking classes in American Studies, Anthropology, English, Geology, History of Art and Architecture, Political Science, and Sociology (among many other departments).

List of All U.S. Colleges With an Urban Studies Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

Colleges don’t usually have specific criteria for Urban Studies majors prior to application. As with other applicants, grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and essays will determine the likelihood of acceptance.

Most selective schools first screen applicants by their grades and test scores using a tool called the Academic Index. You’ll have a good chance of being accepted if your numbers fit or surpass those of previously admitted students.

If your quantitative data looks good, the next step is to make sure your extracurricular activities and essay topics demonstrate that you’re a good fit for the school and the Urban Studies major.

Demonstrating an enduring interest in city life and its challenges will make your application more focused. You might consider volunteering with nonprofits or participating in activism. You should also study economics, history, politics, and environmental science if you can.

If you want to know your personal chances of acceptance, we recommend using our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes into account a large portion of your individual profile, including academic stats and more qualitative factors like extracurriculars.