Urban Studies - Morehouse College

Urban Studies from Morehouse College is a Campus Bachelor Urban Studies degree that prepares you for a Human Services career. Undergraduate Program in Urban Studies The Urban Studies Program was established at Morehouse College in 1976. The program enjoys an excellent reputation in the nation, and especially among the universities and colleges in Atlanta that offer Urban Studies and City and Regional Planning programs. The program in Urban Studies at the College is made up of the core curriculum designed to introduce students to the field and pre- pare them for advanced work, and two concentrations, Urban Management and Urban Planning, designed to provide students with knowledge and competencies specific to each concentration. The Urban Studies Program and Planning Profession The program offers opportunities for undergraduate work to students interested in academic and professional careers in the areas of urban affairs and urban management, urban and regional planning, and public policy. The structure of the program is based on the premise that the Urban Studies graduate, and subsequently the planner, should possess a set of skills adaptable to varied tasks and employment set- tinges. The Urban Studies Program draws together skills and approaches of the various social science departments, as well as other disciplines in order to enable students to understand urbanization - particularly the complex problems which 20th and 21st century American cities face. The interdisciplinary approach is necessary for the explanation of urban phenomena, as they do not fall neatly within disciplinary boundaries. In addition to courses designed and taught by specialists in Urban Studies , City Planning, Political Science, Economics, and Sociology, the program relies heavily on courses cross-indexed with other Social Science departments. The major purpose of the program is to prepare graduates for en- try-level professional positions as planners, managers, and program research specialists in government, business, and non-profit organizations. The City of Atlanta, where Morehouse is located, provides an excellent laboratory for the urban studies students. The city provides an excellent environment to study and tackle issues on rapid urbanization and urban development and complex urban problems. The program also prepares interested students for acceptance by and competent performance in graduate and professional schools. Students completing the curriculum should be able to go directly into graduate programs in planning, management, and policy analysis without having to take qualifying courses. The Planning Profession The Urban Studies Program at Morehouse College prepares the students for professional planning practice and provides the grounding in theory and methods which will sustain a longterm planning practice. We believe both aims are met by our program of study and trial practice (internship) that combine theory and methods of planning with substantive knowledge about public policy and development issues. Urban Studies graduates are urban planners, who are often called urban, community or regional planners. They develop programs to provide for future growth and revitalization of urban , suburban, and rural communities. Planners consider issues affecting where and how people live, work, play, shop, and receive social services. They apply appropriate analytic and management techniques to evaluate and resolve opposing demands, to offer alternative uses of resources, and to develop suggestions for improving community life while maintaining sensitivity to the often conflicting political, social, and economic factors underlying these issues. Planners prepare for situations or needs that are likely to develop as a result of population growth or social and economic change. They estimate, for example, the community\\\'s long-range needs for housing, transportation, and business and industrial sites. Working within a framework set by the local government; they analyze and propose alternative ways to achieve more efficient and attractive urban areas. Planners often confer with private land developers, civic leaders, and officials of public agencies that do specialized planning. They may prepare materials for community relations programs, speak at civic meetings, and appear before legislative committees to explain and defend their proposals. Career Opportunities Planning skills are useful at various geographic and political levels. Most work for city, county or regional planning agencies. A growing number are employed by states or by the federal government in agencies dealing with housing, transportation, economic development, urban revitalization, or environmental protection. Increasingly, they are finding employment opportunities in large business corporations (e.g., banks, insurance companies) in urban areas. Some planners also engage in international appointments with foreign countries or with organizations such as United Nations and World Bank dealing with development and planning issues abroad. Why is Urban Studies/Planning Important to Blacks Urban planning should be an instrument of change. As often the case, the field does not always live up to its potential. More progressive Black experts in urban studies and planning are needed to assure that planners act as change agents rather than as defenders of the status quo. They are needed also to assure that planners use their expertise for improving the quality of urban life, tackling urban pathologies that ravage and disproportionately affect Black families and other minorities, and for committment to Black development rather than for exploitation. There is a scarcity of Black urban planners. Thus, there is an important and creative role for Blacks in the Urban Studies and Planning profession. The Urban Studies Program at Morehouse College provides a rigorous and supportive environment for the training of progressive Black Urban Studies experts and planners. Goals and Objectives of the Morehouse Urban Studies Program To advance the state of the art of Urban Studies and Planning education; To recognize the need to determine the underlying structural systems of communities; To foster planning in democratic societies by emphasizing not only public interest advocacy, but also political engagement; To train more progressive Black planners who should act as change agents rather than as defenders of the status quo; To be responsive to the users of planning services in the public as well as the Private sector; To provide service to the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia by translating and applying urban studies training to the solution of specific community problems, more importantly, that pertain to urban pathologies. View more details on Morehouse College . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Urban Studies courses.