The Urban Studies major draws from classes in sociology, geography, history, political science, economics, urban studies, and urban planning to explore issues related to cities, suburban communities and metropolitan regions such as transportation, education, housing, population shifts, crime, discrimination, and more.
The Department of Urban Studies develops students analytical and critical thinking abilities through an examination of the history and growth of urban centers and the challenges they face today and into the future. Our faculty includes international specialists, but much of our curriculum focuses on American cities, and Milwaukee in particular. Our home city is unique, vibrant, and a wonderful place for hands-on study and research.
Because of their interest in urban populations and problem-solving, many graduates work in the areas of community development, land-use planning, public works, community organization, housing policy development and implementation, public education administration, social services, construction management, public health, journalism and fund-raising. Entry-level roles can include tasks ranging from research to planning to program implementation to customer support.
Students in Urban Studies take courses in a variety of disciplines with elective classes that reflect their specific interests and goals. Classes may come from the History Department, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, and more. An internship or study abroad experience is a popular option for students to gain real-world experience working in urban environments. We believe so strongly that experiential learning is an essential part of an urban studies education that we require a service learning experience for all of our majors. An undergraduate certificate in Urban Studies is also available for students seeking a program that is closer to a minor.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Urban Studies Major Requirements
Four required urban studies courses form the foundation of the major: URB STD 150, a core course in which students conduct service learning by working in an urban organization or agency; one of two urban studies survey courses; a theory course on urbanism and urbanization; and a capstone course (URB STD 600) taken in the senior year. Students also take a statistics course, which is a standard requirement for social science majors. In addition, students complete five elective courses selected from urban studies and approved courses in the affiliated areas. Student internships (URB STD 289 or URB STD 489) are encouraged strongly. Students also are encouraged to participate in and present at various urban studies-sponsored events, such as the annual Urban Studies Student Research Forum conference and the Urban Studies State of Milwaukee Summit, and to contribute to the epolis ejournal (currently, each issue includes one paper from an undergraduate).
To declare a major in Urban Studies, students can complete the declaration form on the Urban Studies website which will be followed by an appointment with the Urban Studies Associate Director to review needed courses and plan upcoming semesters.
Course of Study
The Urban Studies major requires a minimum of 30-31 credits, including at least 18 credits in the College of Letters and Science with coursework from at least two L&S departments. No more than 9 credits in a single curricular area outside of urban studies may count toward the major. SOCIOL 377, which is jointly offered in the Urb Std curricular area, will count as an Urb Std course for this purpose. Students must complete at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) L&S courses for the major in residence at UWM. In addition, students must attain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all UWM credits attempted for the major. The College of Letters and Science also requires that students attain a 2.0 GPA in all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. The following are required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| URB STD 150 | Multicultural America | 3 |
| Survey | ||
| URB STD 360 | Perspectives on the Urban Scene: | 3 |
| or URB STD 250 | Exploring the Urban Environment | |
| Statistics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Quantitative Analysis in Geography | ||
| The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data | ||
| Political Data Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Statistical Thinking in Sociology | ||
Or equivalent course approved by the program director | ||
| Theory | ||
| SOCIOL/URB STD 377 | Urbanism and Urbanization | 3 |
| Capstone | ||
| URB STD 600 | Capstone Seminar in Urban Studies (satisfies L&S research requirement) | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 15 credits (see below) | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30-31 | |
Electives
15 credits selected from the following courses or other appropriate courses approved by the program director. (No more than nine credits from the same department outside of urban studies may apply to the 30- or 31-credit minimum in the major.)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| URB STD | All U and U/G courses | |
| URBPLAN | All U and U/G courses | |
| AFRIC 125 | Economics of the Black Community | 3 |
| AFRIC 300 | Urban Violence | 3 |
| AFRIC 319 | African American Urban History | 3 |
| AFRIC 341 | Black Politics and City Government | 3 |
| AFRIC 416 | Race and Social Justice in the United States | 3 |
| ANTHRO 431 | Cities and Culture | 3 |
| ARCH 190 | Living Learning Community: (only with topic "Field School") | 1-3 |
| ARCH 352 | History & Theory III | 3 |
| ARCH 353 | History & Theory IV | 3 |
| ARTHIST 323 | Age of Apocalypse: Western European Art after the First Millennium | 3 |
| ARTHIST 326 | Chivalry and Spirituality: French Gothic Art and Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 356 | American Architecture | 3 |
| ARTHIST 431 | Renaissance Architecture in Italy | 3 |
| ARTHIST 462 | Frank Lloyd Wright | 3 |
| BUS ADM 441 | Diversity in Organizations | 3 |
| CRM JST 291 | Current Issues in Criminal Justice: | 1-3 |
| CRM JST 310 | Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| ED POL 111 | Introduction to Community Action and Change | 3 |
| ED POL 113 | The Milwaukee Community | 3 |
| ED POL 114 | Community Issues, Policies, and Solutions | 3 |
| ED POL 203 | Communities and Neighborhoods in America | 3 |
| ED POL 630 | Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy in Urban America | 3 |
| GEOG 114 | Geography of Race in the United States | 3 |
| GEOG 140 | Our Urban Environment: Introduction to Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| GEOG 441 | Geography of Cities and Metropolitan Areas | 3 |
| GEOG 443 | Cities of the World: Comparative Urban Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 464 | Environmental Problems | 3 |
| GEOG 520 | Physical Geography of the City | 3 |
| GEOG 525 | Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GEOG 540 | Globalization and the City | 3 |
| GEOG 564 | Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice | 3 |
| GEOG 625 | Intermediate Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| HIST 192 | First-Year Seminar: (Living in Ancient Rome or The Burbs: History of American Suburbs) | 3 |
| HIST 200 | Historical Roots of Contemporary Issues: | 3 |
| HIST 303 | A History of Greek Civilization: The Greek City-State | 3 |
| HIST 307 | A History of Rome: The Republic | 3 |
| HIST 308 | A History of Rome: The Empire | 3 |
| HIST 404 | Topics in American History: (Big City Life Viewed Through HBO’s 'The Wire' or A Tale of Two Cities: Milwaukee and Los Angeles) | 3 |
| HIST 436 | Immigrant America Since 1880 | 3 |
| HIST 440 | History of the American Working Classes | 3 |
| HIST 446 | African Americans Since the Civil War | 3 |
| HIST 450 | The History of Milwaukee | 3 |
| HIST 460 | The History of Poverty in America | 3 |
| HIST 463 | History of the American City | 3 |
| POL SCI 213 | Urban Government and Politics | 3 |
| POL SCI 243 | Public Administration | 3 |
| POL SCI 450 | Urban Political Problems | 3 |
| POL SCI 452 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| PUB ADM 243 | Public Administration | 3 |
| PUB ADM 452 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| SOC WRK 306 | Introduction to Social Welfare Policy | 3 |
| SOC WRK 630 | Families and Poverty | 3 |
| SOCIOL 224 | Race and Ethnicity in the United States | 3 |
| SOCIOL 235 | Social Change in the Global Economy | 3 |
| SOCIOL 323 | Perspectives on Latino Communities | 3 |
| SOCIOL 324 | Race and Ethnicity in Global Contexts | 3 |
| SOCIOL 325 | Social Change | 3 |
| SOCIOL 330 | Economy and Society | 3 |
| SOCIOL 350 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| THEATRE 305 | The Theatrical Experience: (With topic: Out and About in Milwaukee) | 3 |
Urban Studies BA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Urban Studies, BA program will be able to:
- Accurately identify, explain, and contrast key concepts and empirical findings about major urban problems, the nature of contemporary urban society, and patterns of development and change in urban areas.
- Critically assess the claims, evidence, and assumptions of urban scholarship.
- Apply theory and interpretive frameworks to research questions and empirical findings.
- Demonstrate familiarity with different methodologies/methods in urban studies research and understand their strengths and limitations.
- Develop skills necessary to plan, collect, analyze, and evaluate original research as part of capstone project.
- Present and communicate research findings effectively as part of senior capstone experience.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
Accelerated Program Option
This program is offered as part of an accelerated graduate program. For more information, see Accelerated Graduate Degrees.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.