Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 UMass Dartmouth Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 UMass Dartmouth Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Urban Studies


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Urban Studies Minor

This 18-credit interdisciplinary minor provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and address the diverse challenges currently facing our cities.  Courses from a wide range of disciplines explore how we can make city life more ecologically sustainable, economically and culturally vibrant, and socially just.  Opportunities to contribute to local as well as national and global research projects and social change initiatives allow students to connect classroom learning with meaningful community engagement.

Urban Studies minors work with faculty in the social sciences, humanities, arts, and natural sciences, to:

  • Study the development of urban environments, institutions, and cultures over time
  • Analyze key problems facing contemporary cities and critically assess possible solutions
  • Explore the role of cities in historic, cultural, and social contexts on regional, national, and global scales

Questions explored in the field of Urban Studies benefit from communication across disciplinary boundaries.  They include:

  • Why are our cities so segregated by race, ethnicity, and class and what could we do about it? 
  • How could we fix disparities in urban educational and job opportunities?  
  • How can we make cities healthier and safer places to live? 
  • What can we do to reduce the carbon footprint of city life?
  • How can we improve the quality of life for all city residents?

The Urban Studies minor pairs well with degrees in humanities, social sciences, education, business, sustainability, and the visual and performing arts. Many courses can double count for major and minor as well as university studies and distribution requirements – so with careful planning, it is relatively easy to add this minor to a student’s course of study. The Urban Studies minor offers a solid foundation for careers and graduate study in a variety of fields including advocacy, civil service, development, education, environmental policy, law, non-profits, and urban planning.

Contact

Andrea Klimt
Director, Urban Studies
Professor, Sociology/Anthropology
Liberal Arts Building, Room 392H
508.999.8831
aklimt@umassd.edu

Urban Studies Board

Art History

  • Professor Anna Dempsey
  • Professor Pamela Karimi

Crime and Justice Studies

  • Professor Heather Turcotte

Economics

  • Professor Sarah Cosgrove

English

  • Professor Shari Evans

History

  • Professor Mark Santow

Labor Education Center

  • Kimberly Wilson
  • Camilo Viveiros

Sociology and Anthropology

  • Professor Andrea Klimt (Urban Studies Director)
  • Professor Rachel Kulick
  • Professor Glória de Sá

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