Mar 28, 2024  
Spring 2017 Catalog and Handbook 
    
Spring 2017 Catalog and Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Community Studies


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Academic Director: Michael Javen Fortner, PhD
CUNY School of Professional Studies
Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education
25 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
Email Contact: June Cumberbatch, june.cumberbatch@cuny.edu

The Program

The BA in Urban and Community Studies is designed for students with interests in urban, social, economic, and political issues, especially as they relate to diverse working-class communities. The program explores the dynamics of urban life, public policy and administration, the structure of urban government and agencies, the delivery of social services, and community and labor organization.

The field of urban and community studies draws on sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology to analyze our global economy and culture. Students in the program have opportunities for experiential and applied learning, including fieldwork and workplace based projects in New York City. They study with nationally known faculty from CUNY as well as with expert practitioners in the fields of public and health care administration, municipal politics, workforce development, labor, and community organizing. Additionally, students develop their special interests within the field by selecting one of three areas of concentration: Urban Studies, Community Studies, or Labor Studies.

The program is offered through CUNY SPS’s Joseph S. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies.

Note: Contingent upon the availability of General Education classes during a given semester, students may need to enroll in online courses to fulfill General Education curriculum requirements.

Program Requirements


120 credits are required for the B.A. in Urban and Community Studies.

  • General Education   - 39 credits
  • Urban and Community Studies Courses - 36 credits
    • Core requirements - 20 credits
    • Concentration - 16 credits
  • General Electives - 45 credits. General electives may be chosen from the Urban and Community Studies courses or courses in other degree programs.

Note: Courses are four (4) credits except where indicated.

Concentration Courses


Students select one of the following three concentrations:

Urban Studies


Community Studies


Labor Studies


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