Urban Affairs Degree Program
36 hours: 13 Courses & Internship
The major in urban affairs is a social sciences interdisciplinary program of study examining urban issues. The program draws on the natural laboratory of the city of Indianapolis, and the enormous resources that are available in this urban environment. Moreover, the program provides students with the opportunity to connect academic knowledge gained in the classroom with real world urban problems. Through internships, service learning, field trips and other urban experiences students learn how theory and analysis can be brought to bear on specific issues in the urban environment. This is an interdisciplinary program offered with the Department of Economics in the College of Business as well as with other social science departments such as sociology, anthropology, geography and political science. Employment for graduates with a degree in urban affairs may be found in: community development; judicial and police agencies; zoning, land use, and code enforcement; and economic development.
LAS Requirements
- Computer Competence
- Writing Intensive
- Language -- (6 hrs. 200+)
- Physical Education (2 hrs.)
- Freshman Writing -- EN 102
- Humanities Program -- ID 103
- Interdisciplinary Studies/ Change and Tradition
- Public Speaking -- SH 198
- Division Courses
- Humanities
- Fine Arts
- Social Sciences
- Natural Sciences
- Quantitative and Formal Reasoning
Interdisciplinary Foundation (12 hours)
Four courses from the following disciplines:
AN 102 Introduction to Anthropology or GE 109 Cultural Geography
EC 101 Economics and the Modern World or EC 231 Principles of Economics
PO 101 Introduction to Politics or PO 131 Introduction to U.S. Politics or PO 151 Introduction to Comparative Politics
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology or SO 205 Contemporary Social Issues
Content Area Courses (21 hours)
Four required courses as follows:
EC 351 Urban Economics
PO 332 State and Local Government and Politics or PO 337 Politics of the Urban Experience
PO 335 Racial and Ethnic Politics or SO 323 Race and Ethnic Relations or SO 329 Sociology of Racism
SO 347 Urban Society
Three courses from at least two different disciplines:
AN 354/GE 313 The American City/Urban Geography
EC 391 Environmental Economics
EC 434 Public Finance or EC 435 Government and Business
PO 373 Public Policy
PO 385 The Enduring Quest for Community
SO 303 Political Behavior, Polity & Society
SO 309 Sociology of Economic Life or SO 325 Class, Status, Power
SO 331 Latin American Societies or EC 433 International Economics or SO 335 Global Society or PO 364 United States-Latin American Relations
SO 327 Community Organization
SO 343 Popular culture or SO 307 Leisure in Everyday Life (new title)
SO 380 Selected Topics in Sociology: PO 380 Topics in Political Science (requires approval)
Research Methods (3 hours)
One methods course from the following (more than one recommended):
AN 350 Anthropological Methods
EC 464 Quantitative Methods
PO 375 Public Opinion
SO 393 Research Methods
Internship (minimum of one three-hour credit hour course in an urban/community setting or organization):
SO 484
SO 485
PO 404
PO 405
PO 406