BARNARD-COLUMBIA URBAN STUDIES PROGRAM

2000-2001

The Urban Studies program offers students the opportunity to explore the important political, economic, historical, and cultural issues that inform urbanism. By integrating study from numerous academic disciplines, students gain a strong understanding of the complex relationships that contribute to both the problems and opportunities of city living. The inter-disciplinary approach is further enhanced by two consecutive colloquia during the student's junior year. Then, in the senior year, each student completes a year-long research seminar.

Throughout the program, students are encouraged to use techniques of scholarly investigation through advanced and concentrated work in a particular urban-related discipline. Accordingly, a major in Urban Studies is taken in conjunction with a specialization in one of the participating departments. Students should meet with the Chair or Assistant Director of the program to prepare an individual course of study.

We  encourage our majors to use New York City as their laboratory. Also, the Suzanne Farkas Urban Studies Collection, located in the Urban Studies Seminar Room (421 Lehman Hall), is available to Urban Studies students for reading and research.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The requirements for a major in Urban Studies are as follows:

A. One course dealing primarily with urban subject matter from each of three of the following departments: Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Sociology.
B. One course dealing primarily with urban subject matter from a department not listed above (such as Art History, Architecture, Education, English, Environmental Science, Psychology, Religion, Urban Planning, etc.)
C. One course in Methods of Analysis (such as Political Science W4910 Principles of Quantitative Political Research, Urban Studies BC3200 Program Evaluation, or Sociology V1205 Evaluation of Evidence). A list of eligible courses can be obtained from the Program Office.
D.

Five courses in a specialization in one of the participating departments.  In some circumstances, special approval for specializations other than those listed may be obtained, after consultation with the Chair or Assistant Director.
E. In the junior year, two colloquia:
    V 3545x The Shaping of the Modern City
    V 3546y Contemporary Urban Problems and Solutions
F.

In the senior year, a senior thesis written in conjunction with a two-semester research seminar, chosen from the following three options:
   1) Senior research Seminar in the department of specialization
   2) Senior Seminar in Urban Studies: The Built Environment (V3992x-93y)
   3) New York Area Undergraduate Research Program (V3994x-95y).

For more details:

REQUIREMENT A (Urban-related Social Science) 

REQUIREMENT   B (Urban-related, not Social Science)

REQUIREMENT C (Methods of Analysis)

REQUIREMENT D (Specialization)

REQUIREMENT E (Junior Colloquiua)

REQUIREMENT F (Senior Seminars)

A Note on Course Substitutions:
Not all courses are offered every year and sometimes students find appropriate substitutions which are not listed. Appropriate substitutions may be made with the permission of the Chair or the Assistant Director.

REQUIREMENT A

It is preferable, though not mandatory, to fulfill this requirement before the junior year.

Anthropology:

V 3070x

 The Study of Cities: An Archaeological Perspective

BC 3868y

 Ethnography of New York City

V 3960y

 The Culture of Public Art and Display in New York City

Economics:

BC 3029x

 Development Economics

BC 3041x

Theoretical Foundations of Political Economy

W 4438y

 Economics of Race in the United States

W 4465x

Public Economics

History:

V 3525y

 20th Century Urbanization in Comparative Perspective

W 3660y

 Harlem: A Social and Cultural History

V 3910y

The Post-War American City

W 3941y

 Seminar on American Urban History

W 4712x

History of the City of New York

Political Science:

W 3245x

Race and Ethnicity in American Politics

W 3313y

 American Urban Politics

W 4226y

American Politics and Social Welfare Policy

G 8232

 Urban Politics, Policymaking, and Administration

Public Affairs:

U 4260x

 Critical Issues in Urban Public Policy

Sociology:

BC 3206x Race, Culture, and Identity
W 3221x Social Disorganization: Deviance and Social Control
W 3222y Criminology
W 3247y The Immigrant Experience, Old and New
W 3265y Minorities and Ethnic Groups in American Life
W 3270x Sociology of Mass Media and Popular Culture

REQUIREMENT B

Art History/Architecture:

C 3001x Introduction to Architecture
V 3117 Perceptions of Architecture
C 3643y The American City: Urban Form and City Planning
W 3840y Colloquium on the History of Architecture
W 3982x The Shape of New York: McKim, Mead, and White

Dance:

BC 2570y Dance in New York City

Earth and Environmental Science:

V 1005y The Design and Maintenance of a Habitable Planet
U 4735x Environmental Science for Policy Makers

English:
W 3237x Race and Racism: Literary Representations

German Literature:

W 3675x City and Metropolis (in English)

Urban Planning: Consult course guide for School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.

REQUIREMENT C

Economics:

BC 2411x Statistics for Economics

Political Science:

W 4910x Principles of Quantitative Political Research
W 4911y Analysis of Political Data

Sociology:
V 1205 Evaluation of Evidence
V 3212 Methods of Social Research

Statistics:

W 1001xy Introduction to Statistical Reasoning
W 1111xy Introduction to Statistics

Urban Studies:

BC 3200x Program Evaluation: Methods and Case Studies


REQUIREMENT D - SPECIALIZATION

Columbia College students must take five courses from one of the following departments: Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, or Sociology. The selection of courses must be approved by your advisor. If you wish to specialize in a different department, you must consult with the Chair, the Assistant Director or Dean Yatrakis.

Barnard College students must complete a five-course specialization, as described below.  If the department you wish to specialize in does not appear below, you must meet with the Chair or Assistant Director to work out an appropriate program.

Anthropology: Consult the Anthropology Department.

Architecture and Urban Planning: One introductory studio course (either V3101 or V3103), any three architectural history and theory courses, and one additional architecture course, either a studio or history/theory.

Economics: Consult the Economics Department.

Education: Consult the Education Program.

English: Consult the English Department.

Environmental Science: Consult the Environmental Science Department.

History: Four courses in an area of concentration (for example American History or European History) and one course outside of the area of concentration. At least one of these three courses must be a seminar.

Political Science:

BC 3001 Dynamics of American Politics
W 3313 American Urban Politics

AND three courses from the following list

W 3245 Race and Ethnicity in American Politics
BC 3322 The American Congress
BC 3326 Colloquium on Civil Rights and Liberties
BC 3327 Colloquium on the Content of American Politics
BC 3331 Colloquium on American Political Decision Making
BC 3335 Mass Media and American Democracy
W 3400 Law and Politics of Civil Liberties
W 4311 American Parties and Elections

Psychology:

BC 1001 Introduction to Psychology
BC 1101 Statistics

AND three courses from the following list
BC 1125 Personality
BC 1138 Social Psychology (without lab)
BC 2134 Educational Psychology
BC 2141 Abnormal Psychology
BC 2151 Organizational Psychology
BC 2370 Psychology of Racism
BC 3166 Social Conflict

Sociology:

BC 1001 Introduction to Sociology

AND any four 3000-level courses

 

REQUIREMENT E - JUNIOR COLLOQUIA

 

In the junior year, two Junior Colloquia are required. If you intend to study abroad during your junior year, see the Chair or Assistant Director during your sophomore year to plan your program.

• V 3545x Junior Colloquium: The Shaping of the Modern City.  O. Gutfreund. An introduction to the historical process and social consequences of urban growth. Readings and discussion are focused on various types of cities and the origins of urban problems.
• V3546y Junior Colloquium: Contemporary Urban Problems.  K. Johnson. An examination of selected problems that currently afflict urban areas with particular attention to problems of urban development, housing education, poverty, crime and finance.

 

SENIOR SEMINARS

In the senior year, a senior thesis written in conjunction with a two-semester research seminar, chosen from the following three options:

            1) Senior Research Seminar in the department of specialization

            2) V3992x-3993y Senior Seminar in Urban Studies: The Built Environment

               Emphasizes the study of the built environment of cities and suburbs, and the related
               debates. Seminar readings, class presentations, and written reports culminate in major
               individual projects that combine written work and design work.  Readings will
               include architecture, urban design, urban planning, and urban history.

            3) V3994x3995y New York Area Undergraduate Research Program

               Students engage in a social research project from conceptualization to final report,
               using New York City as a research laboratory.  Working individually and in small
               groups, under the guidance of the faculty coordinator: students clarify basic theoretical
               issues related to the research problem; find ways of making a series of empirical
               questions operational; collect evidence to test hypotheses,; analyze the data using a
               variety of social science techniques; and produce reports of basic findings

 

© 1999, 2000 Urban Studies Program, Barnard College, Columbia University
Last updated on June 1, 2000