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Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies

CRP at the Taj MahalProvided
Associate Professor Jeff Chusid (back row, center) with CRP students at the Taj Mahal.


 

Addressing the Challenges of Contemporary Urban Life

In our program students develop the insights, knowledge, and technical skills they need to address the challenges of contemporary urban life. Our graduates can make a difference in how cities and regions grow. They can influence what happens to a neighborhood in transition, a community threatened by dam construction, an endangered park or historic district, or a city faced by job loss. They can help metropolitan areas plan transportation systems, develop environmentally sound policies, and provide services on an equitable basis.

 

In urban and regional studies (URS) courses we ask how social and economic forces have changed cities, and what these changes mean for people in their daily lives. We also learn how citizens, community groups, and planners can work together to make productive, safe, lively, and livable places.

The program’s small size (about 25–30 graduates each year) encourages students to work closely with professors. Sharing academic interests and concerns, professors and students learn from one another both inside and outside the classroom. For more information see:

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The URS Curriculum

Core courses in the major focus on cities and regions — their history, governments, economies, and sociology; students elect other courses from the department and throughout the university.


Freshmen begin with two introductory courses, one on American cities and one on cities throughout the world. Sophomores take core courses on urban politics, policy, and planning. The major also requires students to take courses in the following areas:


  • Design
  • Urban History, Society, and Politics
  • Land Use and the Environment
  • Regional Development and Globalization
  • Methods for Planning and Urban Studies

Seniors with a strong record of academic accomplishment may enroll in the department’s honors program. Honors students prepare a thesis on a topic of their own choosing under the direction of a faculty member.
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URS in the World

Throughout the academic year, URS students often participate in special projects with faculty members, workshop and service-learning courses, and internships with agencies and organizations that place them in real-world learning environments. AAP has a long-established Cornell in Rome program in which the majority of URS students participate.

URS students with special interests may participate in one of the many opportunities offered by Cornell Abroad, or in off-campus internships with the New York state government in Albany.

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Focusing Your URS Degree
While the URS degree does not have formal concentrations some students wish to focus their degree on specific areas of knowledge and skills. The following link provides more information on groups of courses with a common theme or approach.
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Additional Degree Options
M.R.P. Program
URS seniors may also apply to earn a Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.) (PDF). If admitted, they can complete the program in one academic year plus a summer rather than the usual two years required for the M.R.P. degree.

Dual degree option
In five years, students can complete both a B.S. degree from AAP and a B.A. degree from the College of Arts and Sciences.

URS Minor for non-majors
The URS minor for non-majors is for students with an interest in the field who are not enrolled in the URS program. 
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