The study of cities is a vital part of a liberal arts curriculum. During this moment of global change, such forms of knowledge are of critical importance. The world is more urban than in any other era in human history, and with this rapid urbanization has come the crucial role of cities as sites of economic development, crucibles of civic citizenship, and spaces of cultural imagination.

The Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) offers an undergraduate major in urban studies and a minor in City and Regional Planning. Over 80 students in the Colleges of Environmental Design, Letters & Science, and Natural Resources complete the minor each year. DCRP’s undergraduate courses are also highly popular and serve over 600 students each semester.

Individual Major. The individual major is a program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in an area of study that is appropriate to the College of Environmental Design but that cannot be accomplished through the three existing majors. See the Undergraduate Individual Major for more information on this degree program.

Urban Studies Major

Download the 2009-10 A.B. Urban Studies Curriculum Sheet [pdf]
Download the 2009-10 A.B. Urban Studies Handbook [pdf]

Launched in 2002, the undergraduate program in urban studies, leading to the A.B. degree, seeks to introduce students to the following bodies of knowledge:

• Historical and contemporary analysis of American and global urbanization, urbanism, urban societies, and urban political economies.
• Conceptual tools, analytical methods, and theoretical frameworks to understand urban environments, such as economic analysis, social science theory, and visualization technologies.
• Forms, functions, and practices of urban planning and design, metropolitan governance, and social movements and social justice, including issues such as transportation planning, community development, and housing.
• Ways of providing more humane, equitable, environmentally sensitive, and efficient settlements and to lead change for better urban futures.
   

The major trains undergraduates for a variety of future careers and fields of graduate study that are related to urban studies and planning. These include practice-oriented fields such as urban planning, law, non-profit management, and public policy as well as research oriented fields such as geography, sociology, and anthropology. Above all, the intent of the major is to produce urban citizens and global leaders. Currently, there are over 50 students enrolled in the Urban Studies major.

A total of 120 units is required for the A.B. degree in urban studies. The degree curriculum may be found on the urban studies course requirements webpage.

Capstone Experience

Students in the urban studies major are encouraged to undertake a capstone experience, which can take one of three forms:

• Thesis: This option should be pursued with a faculty adviser. ENV DES 195, the Senior Thesis course, also provides important training in research design and analysis.
   
• Studio: CY PLAN 116 is available to majors as an advanced synthetic educational experience.
   
• Field experience/internship with a written planning report: Students may sign up for CY PLAN 197 with a faculty adviser and submit a written report that analyzes fieldwork and internship experience.
   

Urban Studies Faculty

Urban studies at Berkeley draws from faculty across the three departments in the College of Environmental Design: