Undergraduate Catalog

Urban Affairs and Geography

Professors Oshiro, Pammer
Associate Professor Dustin (chair), Killian, Wenning
Assistant Professors Johnson, Subban
Lecturer Lowrey

Urban Affairs

Urban Affairs is an interdisciplinary program offering a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Students learn about the urban environment as a complex system. They study theories and practices of urban development processes from an interdisciplinary perspective. The program develops core competencies that include quantitative and qualitative analysis, effective communications, systems thinking, and consensus building and teamwork. The program is designed to prepare students for junior- or entry-level positions in local government and nonprofit organizations or to embark on a graduate program.

Students must have at least a 2.3 GPA or receive a special waiver from the chair to be admitted to the major. Interested students may apply for admission after meeting college admission requirements. Majors are required to complete a common core of courses and a consentration in one of four areas: community development, criminal justice, public administration, or urban social/physical planning.

Urban Affairs students are required to participate in the department's internship program. The internship is designed to complement class work and give students experience in the professional work environment. Students interested in the internship should contact the departmental coordinator of the program or their advisor. Students currently working in a related field may have the internship requirement waived.

For further information about the program and admission criteria and procedures, students should contact the Department of Urban Affairs and Geography.

Degree Requirements-Urban Affairs

Bachelor of Arts Degree
See General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements	56

Required Courses:
Area II: CST 221
Area VI: URS 200 or other approved Liberal Arts College Component Courses
Departmental Requirements	68-71

Core Courses:
URS 311, 411, 492	12
Foundation Courses (choose five):	20
URS 317, 321, 345, 424, 425, 450, 470, 475; GEO 340; SOC 444
Urban Affairs Concentration	32-35
(see concentrations below)
ENG 330 or 333	4
Foreign Language and Research Methods Requirement	24-32

Electives*	33-44

Total	192

*Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to compliment the major and support the student's career goals.

Degree Requirements-Urban Affairs

Bachelor of Science Degree
See General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements	52

Required Substitution:
Area I: MTH 228(Replaces MTH 145)
Required Course:
Area VI: URS 200 or other approved Liberal Arts College Component course
Departmental Requirements	68-71

Core Courses:
URS 311, 411, 492	12
Foundation Courses (choose five):	20
URS 317, 321, 345, 424, 425, 450, 470, 475;
GEO 340; SOC 444
Urban Affairs Concentration	32-35
(see concentrations below)
ENG 330 or 333	4
Science Requirements	24-26
MTH 128 or 129 and 228, plus two statistics and two computer science courses to be approved by the department
Electives *	46-48

Total	192

*Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to compliment the major and support the student's career goals.

Criminal Justice Concentration-32 Credit Hours
This concentration meets the needs of students preparing for careers in crime prevention and law enforcement. Knowledge of law, the urban environment, psychology, and social relations provides a foundation for work in the criminal justice system. Employment may be found in various judicial, administrative, and police agencies at all levels of government and in private companies. In addition to required courses, students select elective courses that fit their unique career objectives. Prior to enrollment, students should discuss with their advisor which courses best fit their needs.

Recommended foundation courses include URS 321, 345, 425, 450, and SOC 444.

Required concentration courses include URS 420 and PLS 436, plus 24 credit hours of department-approved courses.

Community Development Concentration-32 Credit Hours
Community development involves revitalizing, sustaining, and expanding urban areas. Such work requires an understanding of many of the principles found in planning, organizing, managing, policymaking, finance, economics, and physical development. The community development course series prepares students for careers as community developers in public, nonprofit, or grassroots organizations. Students should select courses that fit their unique career objectives, such as economic development, neighborhood development, and social development. Prior to enrollment, students should discuss with their advisor which courses best fit their needs.

Recommended foundation courses include URS 317, 321, 425, 450, and GEO 340.

Required concentration courses include URS 415, 416, and 24 credit hours of department approved courses.

Public Administration Concentration-32 Credit Hours
This area is suggested for students who wish to develop careers in management and administration in public agencies, including municipal, county, township, state and fedral governments, and in nonprofit organizations. It includes courses in management, personnel and labor relations, budgeting, and public administration. Prior to enrollment, students should discuss with their advisor which courses best fit their needs.

Recommended foundation courses include URS 321, 345, 425, 450, and 470 or 475.

Required concentration courses include URS 346, 446, and 24 credit hours of departmentapproved courses.

Urban Planning Concentration- 35 Credit Hours
Urban planning prepares students for involvement in functions and processes such as infrastructure design, zoning, land use, code enforcement, pollution abatement, health, recreation, welfare, and social wellness. Municipalities, counties, public authorities, nonprofit organizations, and engineering and architectural firms employ planners. Prior to enrollment, students should discuss with their advisor which courses best fit their needs.

Recommended foundation courses include URS 317, 321, 424, 450, and GEO 340.

Required concentration courses include URS 318, GEO 365, 447, 448, and 16 credit hours in department-approved courses.

Urban Affairs Honors Program
The Urban Affairs Honors Program provides an opportunity for students to achieve their highest possible level of intellectual attainment. Urban Affairs majors of superior academic ability are invited to apply. A student may enter either upon successful application or at the invitation of the Urban Affairs Honors Committee. To be eligible, the student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better in all course work completed at Wright State University. It is recommended that students apply to enter the program during their junior year and no later than the first quarter of their senior year.

Honors students are required to complete all urban affairs degree requirements, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 in all course work, complete URS 411 (senior seminar) with a grade of A, defend orally the seminar paper to a committee composed of the URS Honors Committee and the faculty advisor for the seminar paper, and complete at least one University Honors Seminar.

Minor in Urban Affairs
The minor in Urban Affairs will benefit students who pursue careers related to urban administration, planning, criminal justice, or community development and nonprofit organizations. Interdisciplinary urban affairs courses may be useful to majors in the social sciences, economics, business, education, and health care. Students taking the Urban Affairs Minor will study and analyze cities and urban regions as systems. They will gain an understanding of complex social, political, and economic forces shaping urban life.

Acceptance into the minor in urban affairs requires an overall 2.3 GPA. Students who do no tmeet GPA requirements may petition the chair of the department for a waiver from this requirement. Students should complete the social science General Education requirements prior to enrolling in minor classes. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.

Urban Affairs Minor Requirements	28

Required Courses	16
URS 311, 317, 321, and 345
Elective Courses	12
Select three courses: URS 412, 415, 423, 424, 425, 450, 470 or 475
* Political Science majors who take URS 321 and URS 345 for their major must take URS 450 and 470 for the Urban Affairs minor.

Nonprofit Administration Certification Program

Students interested in a rewarding career in the nonprofit sector should consider the Nonprofit Administration Certificate Program. Urban Affairs offers the certificate through American Humanics (AH), a national alliance of colleges, universities, and nonprofit organizations. The purpose of the program is to prepare undergraduate students for management positions in the nonprofit sector. The AH Nonprofit Administration Certificate Program is open to students pursuing a bachelor's degree in any major. To be accepted into the program, a student must have at least a 2.5 GPA, formally apply to the program, and successfully complete an interview with the AH Program Director. Wright State now offers the AH Nonprofit Administration Certificate Program at the graduate level.

Students seeking the AH certificate must take up to 24 credit hours of approved course work, complete a 300-hour internship, participate in co-curricular activities, and attend the American Humanics National Management Institute Conference. Co-curricular activities include participation in the Wright State University's American Humanics Student Association and at least one annual retreat. For more information, please contact, The Department of Urban Affairs Studies and Geography, 225 Millett Hall, (937) 775-4451.

Comparitive Development Certificate Program
Global change introduced new challenges for development professionals. The Comparative Development Certificate Program adopts an international and interdiscliplinary approach to understanding governance, policy making, economic development, and transsectorial relationships. Courses focus on core competencies in management and administrative principles, techniques for communicating vision and mission, and public sector strategies for organizing and implementing continuous improvement to enhance the competitiveness of metropolitan regions.

This certificate program will be attractive to individuals planning careers in the public sector, in private and nonprofit development agencies, and in private sector positions involving relations with metropolitan governments. Students must meet the following qualifications to be admitted in the certificate program:

Reached junior standing
Completed Areas II, III, and IV of the General Education requirements
Declared a major or a concentration in public administration, political science, business, or communication
Achieved a foreign language proficiency of at least 202 level
Earned a 3.0 grade point average or better

Program Requirements (11 credit hours)
Students complete 23 hours of approved coursework. Required courses count for eleven hours and elective courses twelve hours. Course equivalencies may be considered for students studying abroad or for special international programs. Students seeking the Comparative Development Certificate should contact the chair of the Department of Urban Affairs and Geography, 225 Millett, (937) 775-4451

Required Courses
URS 200, 423 Comparitive Public Administration, 490 (11 hours)

Selected Courses (12 credit hours with at least 4 credit hours of economics)
COM 457
EC 310¹
EC 330
EC 435¹
EC 440
EC 444¹
IB 201
MGT 485²
PLS 360

¹ Prerequisite: EC 204 and 205 or permission of instructor
² Prerequisite: MGT 304

Geography

Geography is the study of the location and interrelationships of human and physical phenomena on the earth's surface. Because of its emphasis on spatial organization and distribution of these phenomena, geography has a broad cross-disciplinary base. Such topics of study as cartography, climatology, landform analysis, photogrammetry and remote sensing, settlement theory, spatial interaction, and urban morphology indicate the breadth of contemporary geography. The undergraduate major in geography includes the study of cultural, economic, physical, and regional geography, as well as cartography, quantitative methods, and field work. Backgrounds in the natural and social sciences, humanities, statistical methods, and computer programming are useful to the geography major.

The geography program allows students to select a curriculum best suited to their particular interests. Geography majors select a program leading to either a Bachelor of Arts degree or Bachelor of Science degree.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in geography focuses on examining the processes of formation and the characteristics of the cultural landscape. Students select an area of study from physical geography, resource analysis land management, or economic geography.

The Bachelor of Science program in geography emphasizes technical skills and logic. Courses in physical, economic, and social geography and in cartography, remote sensing, and geographic information are emphasized in the program. These courses are complemented by courses in mathematics, philosophy, and computer science.

Geography may be selected as an academic major as a secondary teaching major in a social science or earth science program, or as part of an elementary teaching major. Students majoring in geography may qualify for licensure at the secondary level by meeting the minimum requirements in professional education courses for licensure by the state of Ohio. Because of sequential requirements and prerequisites, students are strongly urged to consult with a geography advisor before registering. Geography majors may participate in the department's internship program. The internship is designed to complement geography students' class work and gives them experience in the actual work environment. Students interested in the internship should contact the departmental coordinator of the program or their advisor.

Certificate Program
Geography provides a certificate program in geographic information science. Included is a group of five courses exposing participants to the latest developments in data collection and analysis techniques, aerial and space cameras and sensors, and computer mapping. Upon completing these courses, each participant must present a portfolio of materials for faculty review and complete an oral review of his or her work with the faculty.

Students interested in the certificate program should contact the Department of Urban Affairs and Geography, 225 Millett Hall, (937) 775-4451.

Degree Requirements-Geography

Bachelor of Arts Degree
See General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements	56

Required Courses:
Area II: CST 221
Area VI: URS 200 or other approved Liberal Arts College Component Courses
Core Requirements 30

GEO 201, 202, 203, 365, 370, 385, 486
Departmental Major Requirements	32-33

GEO 322, 361, 430	12
GEO 340, 353, 375	12
Additional appropriate geography courses numbered 300 or above to suit particular interests or future plans of the student 8-9
Related Course Requirements	24

Approved courses numbered 200 and above (not to exceed four courses in one department) in biological sciences, computer science, economics, engineering, geological sciences, history, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, and urban affairs
Language and Research Methods Requirement	24-32

Electives	17-26

Should be selected in consultation with the departmental advisor to complement and support the student's area of interest
Total	192

Degree Requirements-Geography

Bachelor of Science Degree
See General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements	52

Required Substitution:
Area I: MTH 228(replaces MTH 145)
Required Course:
Area VI: URS 200 or other approved Liberal Arts College
Component course
Departmental Core Requirements	30

GEO 201, 202, 203, 365, 370, 385, 486
Departmental Major Requirements	36-38

Physical Component
Three of the following:
GEO 322, 430, 431, 432	12
Economic-Social Component
Three of the following:
GEO 340, 353, 375, 455	12
Skills Component
Three of the following:
GEO 361, 362, 445, 446, 447, 463	12-14
Related Course Requirements	29

Mathematics and Statistics
STT 264, 265
MTH 228	13
Philosophy
Two of the following:
PHL 215, 471, 472	8
Computer Science
Two of the following:
CS 141, 142, 205	8
Electives	43-45

Should be selected in consultation with the departmental advisor to complement and support the area of concentration
Total	192

Geography Honors Program

The geography honors program allows superior students to work on a geographic problem of their own choosing. Applicants must be majors in geography, have senior standing with 36 hours of geography courses to their credit, and meet certain minimum GPAs. Candidates are required to complete an honors project under the direction of a geography faculty member. Successful completion of the project, including written and oral project reports, carries four academic credits and entitles students to graduate with honors in geography. Geography honors students are encouraged to participate in the University Honors Program; interested students should contact the departmental coordinator of the program.

Minor in Geography

The minor in geography is designed for students in other disciplines who wish to supplement their knowledge and skills with geographic analytical skills and perspectives. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required in the minor.

The course requirements for a minor in geography are as follows:

GEO 340, 353, 361, 365, 385, 431, 430, 481, 492

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