Explore the dynamics of city living.
UMW’s urban studies minor puts you in touch with the hustle and bustle, and focuses on the historical, social, cultural, economic, and political issues that cities face. Explore urban life, planning, policymaking, and issues such as housing, education, environmental risks, urban social movements, and crime and policing. This multidisciplinary minor includes classes in areas as disparate as Classics and Geography, Historic Preservation and Sociology. Students can study abroad, count internships towards the minor, and build with LEGOs!
Areas of Study
The urban studies minor requires six classes, which include extensive selections from the historic preservation, anthropology, geography, sociology, classics, history, and art history departments.
Career Opportunities
UMW’s minor in urban studies provides a thorough understanding of urban communities, along with a background in sociology, economics, historic preservation, and more. Our minor in urban studies will help prepare you to make a difference in the world around you in such fields as planning, community organization, housing, and economic development. A minor in urban studies is also good preparation for graduate work in planning, education, law, business, policy and more.
Internships
Working closely with faculty in the Geography, Historic Preservation, and Sociology departments, urban studies minors can find internships in Fredericksburg and the surrounding counties, in Washington, D.C., and in Richmond, with local and regional planning departments, non-profits and federal agencies such as the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior.
UMW’s urban studies minor requires 18 credits: one introductory class, four electives (special topics courses, independent studies, and internships in relevant topics may be substituted), and an urban studies capstone course. Elective courses span the disciplines of anthropology, art history, classics, economics, geography, historic preservation, history, political science, and sociology.
The Department of Historic Preservation, which administers the urban studies minor, offers several scholarships.