Bachelor in Urban Studies

Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts & Sciences. It draws on faculty and resources across the university and the city to offer students a multi-faceted approach to studying urban trends. Urban Studies was founded in 1970 in response to demand by students interested in engaging the time's important urban and social issues. The program continues to be driven by a commitment to the connection of theory and practice in its curriculum and pedagogy.

Urban Studies is a flexible and intimate program. You can shape your program through courses that reflect your particular interests and cover the range of topics in the field - the history of cities, theory and global concerns, the built environment, urban economics, and urban politics and policy. Because Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary field, you choose a disciplinary specialization that serves as an academic anchor for your learning.

The University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences forms the scholarly excellence foundation that has established Penn as one of the world's leading research universities. We teach students across all 12 Penn schools, and our academic departments span the reach from anthropology and biology to sociology and South Asian studies.

Members of the Penn Arts & Sciences faculty are leaders in creating new knowledge in their disciplines and are engaged in nearly every interdisciplinary innovation area. They are regularly recognized with academia's highest honors, including membership in prestigious societies like the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society, as well as significant prizes such as MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships.