About the Program

Bachelor of Arts

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 Urban Studies major is housed in the Department of City and Regional Planning (DCRP) of the College of Environmental Design. The major seeks to introduce students to the following bodies of knowledge:

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

Minor Program

There is no minor program in Urban Studies.

Minors offered by the Department of City and Regional Planning

City Planning
Geospatial Information Science and Technology (offered in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management in the College of Natural Resources)

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

1. All lower-division courses taken in fulfillment of major requirements must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
2. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 must be maintained in upper- and lower-division courses used to fulfill the major requirements.
3. A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 for all courses taken at UC Berkeley is required for graduation.
4. Courses used to fulfill upper-division requirements may not simultaneously fulfill the Breadth Requirements.
5. Up to two upper-division courses taken at another institution, including an approved study abroad program, may be applied to the below major requirements. Please see the CED website for further information.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Summary of Major Requirements

Lower-division Major Requirements: Freshman and Sophomore Year

Upper-division Urban Studies Core (Courses inside CED)

Upper-division Interdisciplinary Urban Studies (Courses Outside CED)

Select three Urban Studies-related courses outside CED from the following list of courses. At least one of the three courses must have international content, marked with an asterisk (*). Students can also petition to have other urban studies related courses to count for this requirement.

Upper-division Capstone Experience (required for students admitted Fall 2013 and later)

During the junior and/or senior year, students admitted to UC Berkeley in Fall 2013 and later are required to complete two of the following capstone experiences. Courses taken to fulfill the Capstone Experience requirement may not also be used to fulfill any other upper-division requirements.

1. Thesis: ENV DES 195B (Thesis Research and Writing). Whether a thesis is written or a project is produced, this option should be pursued with a faculty adviser. It is recommended that students also take ENV DES 195A (Introduction to Methods and Thesis Preparation) or CY PLAN 190 (Advanced Topics in Urban Studies) prior to ENV DES 195B, as these courses provides important training in research design and analysis.
2. Planning Studio: CY PLAN 116 Urban Planning Process--The Undergraduate Planning Studio, an advanced synthetic educational experience
3. Research Seminar: CY PLAN 180 Research Seminar in Urban Studies
4. Field experience/internship with a written planning report: CY PLAN 197, for at least three units, with a faculty adviser, and submit a written report that analyzes fieldwork and internship experience.

College Requirements

For College Requirements, please refer to the College of Environmental Design .

Sample Plan of Study

Each student’s plan will vary depending on interests. Students should see an adviser if they are interested in applying for graduate school, studying abroad, attending summer school, pursuing a minor or second major, etc.

For more detailed information regarding the courses listed below (e.g., elective information, GPA requirements, etc.), please see the Major Requirements tab.

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals of the Major

The Urban Studies major 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, 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 as well as ways to lead change for better urban futures.

Advising

The CED Office of Undergraduate Advising provides a wide array of programmatic and individual advising services to prospective and current students as well as to students in other colleges who are pursuing CED minors or taking CED courses. The professional advising team assists students with a range of issues including course selection, academic decision-making, achieving personal and academic goals, and maximizing the Berkeley experience.

Advising Staff

Architecture Major Adviser, Last Names A-N: Rachel Klein, 250 Wurster Hall, rachelk@berkeley.edu , 510-642-4944
Architecture Major Adviser, Last Names O-Z & College Evaluator: Lauren Worrell, 250 Wurster Hall, worrell@berkeley.edu , 510-642-0928
Landscape Architecture Major Adviser: Omar Ramirez, 250 Wurster Hall, 510-642-0926
Sustainable Environmental Design: Lauren Worrell, 250 Wurster Hall, worrell@berkeley.edu , 510-642-0928
Urban Studies Major Adviser: Omar Ramirez, 250 Wurster Hall, 510-642-0926
Director, Undergraduate Advising: Susan Hagstrom, 250 Wurster Hall, hagstrom@berkeley.edu , 510-642-0408
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies: Renée Chow, 366 Wurster Hall, rychow@berkeley.edu

CED Career Services

The CED Career Services Center (CSC) offers personalized career counseling, a yearly CED Career Fair, and a wide variety of professional-development workshops on topics such as licensure, internships, and applying for graduate school. To schedule an appointment with a Career Counselor or for more information on CED CSC, please click here .

Advising Hours

Fall/Spring: Monday-Friday, 10am-12pm (office opens at 9:00 am) & 1:00pm-4:00pm
Summer: Monday-Friday, 10:00am-12:00pm & 1:00pm-3:00pm

Address

Office of Undergraduate Advising
College of Environmental Design
250 Wurster Hall #1800
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-1800

Phone

510-642-4943

Office of Undergraduate Advising

• Newly-Admitted Students
• Current Students
• Graduation and Commencement
• Services and Contract
• Articulation
• Policies and Resources
• Forms and Documents

Mission

The College of Environmental Design (CED) Office of Undergraduate Advising helps students graduate in a timely way with a meaningful educational experience at Berkeley. In alignment with the College's Vision and Principles, the Office of Undergraduate Advising collaborates with CED faculty, deans, and student service units across campus toward the common objective of supporting students as they achieve their educational and career goals. The Office seeks to achieve the following:

• Attract a highly-motivated, diverse pool of applicants
• Connect students with resources that match their goals and aspirations
• Support the development and transformation of undergraduates as they become educated, active, and socially just citizens of the world
• Prepare graduates who are uniquely qualified and highly sought after in their field of choice.

Advising Values

Student Success

Above all, the CED Office of Undergraduate Advising dedicates itself to maximizing student potential and to helping students succeed in their University experiences. The Office encourages students to explore their minds and their hearts, challenges them to do their best work, and helps them realize their talents and passions and achieve their goals.

Equity & Inclusion

The College of Environmental Design (CED) is committed to creating an inclusive environment in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued. CED aspires to provide fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all students and to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent the full participation of all.

Health & Well-Being

CED collaborates with campus partners to keep the CED community healthy by helping students balance the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, occupational, spiritual and environmental aspects of life.

Advising Excellence

In all that the Office does, it strives to deliver personalized advising services of the highest quality. The CED Office of Undergraduate Advising seeks to continuously educate itself on developments in the field and to evaluate, improve, and streamline its services to support students in obtaining the best education and experience possible.

Academic Opportunities

Student Groups and Organizations

The College provides opportunities for students to be involved in student chapters of professional organizations such as the American Institute of Architects (AIAS) as well as other student groups like the Berkeley Urban Studies Student Association (BUSSA), the Chican@/Latin@ Architecture Student Association (CASA), Global Architecture Brigades, and more. For information regarding  student groups, please see the Getting Involved page of the CED website .

Study Abroad

The College of Environmental Design (CED) encourages all undergraduates in the college to study abroad. Whether students are interested in fulfilling general education requirements, taking courses related to their major/career, or simply living and studying in a country that is of interest to them, CED will work with students to make it happen. For information about Study Abroad programs, please see the Berkeley Study Abroad website .

CED Career Services

The CED Career Services Center (CSC) offers personalized career counseling, a yearly CED Career Fair, and a wide variety of professional-development workshops on topics such as licensure, internships, and applying for graduate school. For further information, please see the CED Career Services website .

Prizes and Awards

CED offers a number of annual prizes, awards, scholarships, fellowships, and grants to its currently enrolled students. Some of these prizes and awards are college-wide, and some are geared toward students in specific majors. For general information regarding CED prizes and awards, including application instructions and a deadline calendar, please click here .

CED Events and Exhibits Calendar

CED and Wurster Hall is home to a variety of events, lectures, and exhibitions that welcome professors, professionals, and friends to the College to discuss and celebrate the community and professions. Through events and media, CED is constantly creating ways to keep the College connected and up-to-date. To view this calendar, please click here .

CED on Facebook

CED on Twitter

Cal Design Lab

The Cal Design Lab at Wurster Hall is an experimental studio space to promote hands-on, interdisciplinary design activities. Faculty and students from UC Berkeley's many schools and departments can come together at the Cal Design Lab to work on critical design challenges. The goal of the lab is to be a nexus for design research and practice and to facilitate discourse that transcends different design disciplines. For further information, please see the Cal Design Lab's website .

CED Lecture Series

The departments of Architecture, City and Regional Planning, and Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning each sponsor lecture series which offers students the opportunity to hear internationally-acclaimed speakers. These speakers often also participate in classes and seminars as part of their visit to campus. For a schedule of speakers and events in these lecture series, please see the CED website .

CED Mentorship Program

Mentors are an invaluable resource for current students, and one of the strengths of the College of Environmental Design is its strategic partnership with practicing professionals, many of whom are CED graduates. The CED Mentorship Program  offers students opportunities to develop a better understanding of the various professions in the fields of design and planning through the guidance and insight of knowledgeable alumni.

Research Opportunities, Internships, Public Service, and Volunteer Opportunities

Check out the CED Office of Undergraduate Advising website  for additional opportunities.

Courses

Urban Studies

Faculty

Professors

Nezar Alsayyad, Professor. Virtual reality, urban history, Architectural history, Middle Eastern Studies, cross-cultural design, cities and cinema, cultural studies of the built environment, environmental design in developing countries, housing and urban development, Islamic architecture and urbanism, traditional dwelling and settlements, urban design and physical planning.
Research Profile

Peter C. Bosselmann, Professor. Urban design, architecture, city and regional planning, landscape architecture.
Research Profile

Teresa Caldeira, Professor.

Elizabeth A. Deakin, Professor. Urban design, city and regional planning, transportation policy, planning and analysis, land use policy and planning; legal and regulatory issues, institutions and organizations, energy and the environment, new technologies.
Research Profile

Michael James Dear, Professor. Social theory, disability studies, urban theory, comparative urbanism.
Research Profile

Ananya Roy, PhD, Professor. Social theory, city and regional planning, comparative urban studies, international development.
Research Profile

Paul Waddell, Professor. UrbanSim, land use models, transportation models, urban sustainability.
Research Profile

Jennifer R Wolch, PhD, Professor.

Associate Professors

Karen Chapple, Associate Professor. Poverty, economic development, information technology, social networks, metropolitan planning, metropolitan spatial patterns, labor markets, community development, neighborhood change, upward mobility.
Research Profile

Jason Corburn, Associate Professor.

Elizabeth S. Macdonald, Associate Professor. Urban design.
Research Profile

Assistant Professors

Charisma S. Acey, Assistant Professor.

Malo Andre Hutson, PhD, Assistant Professor. Urban and regional planning, community development, urban policy, population health.
Research Profile

Adjunct Faculty

Frederick M Etzel, Adjunct Faculty. Land use planning and regulation.
Research Profile