Letter from the Director

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Urban Studies Program—a truly interdisciplinary space in the Dietrich School where you can engage with courses and research addressing some of the truly pressing problems facing cities today. I joined the Urban Studies Program in 2008, and am proud to work alongside our talented lecturers, staff, and undergraduate students. While we are diverse in terms of our backgrounds, interests, and skills, we share a common commitment to making our neighborhoods and city-regions more equitable, resilient, and dynamic places in which to live, work, and play.

The Urban Studies Program has always prided itself on a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, and you will find many different courses and outside the classroom opportunities that will help you understand how to navigate and challenge the urban worlds that we live in. Through our structured sequence of core and elective classes you will have the chance to develop a degree program that is conceptually rich and grounded in real-world issues.

This is the perfect time for you to consider a degree in Urban Studies, as urbanization and urbanism are the fundamental themes driving social, economic, and environmental processes worldwide. Careers including urban planning, public administration, geographic analysis, and urban sustainability are all growth sectors, and we can position yourself for your future career. Most importantly, urban studies will help you put your career and personal interests into the context of the urban world and will prepare you with in-demand skills including project management, critical thinking, creative expression, and data analysis. Along the way you will have the chance to study off campus, work with our award-winning faculty, and create your own path toward contributing to the cities of tomorrow.

We’re excited to welcome you to the Urban Studies Program and invite you to explore our website and get in touch with us to learn more.

Michael Glass

Director of Urban Studies
Senior Lecturer, Urban Studies Program