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Undergraduate Catalog » Colleges & Schools » Liberal Arts » Urban Affairs and Geography

Urban Affairs and Geography

Professors Oshiro, Levine
Associate Professor Choudhury, Dustin (chair), Killian, McLellan, Subban, Wenning

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 concentration 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 Course
Core Requirements	28
URS 311, 411, 492	12
Foundation Courses	20
URS 321, 345, 346, 450	16
Urban Affairs Concentration	36-39
(Pick from concentrations below)
Additional Requirements	8
PLS 210 or STT 264 and ENG 330 or 333
Foreign Language and Research Methods Requirement	32
Students should take URS 410 for the statistics requirement.
Related electives: Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to compliment the major and support the student's career goals.	29-32
Total	192

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 II: CST 221
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:	16
URS 321, 345, 346, 450
Urban Affairs Concentration	36-39
(Pick from concentrations below)
Additional Requirements
ENG 330 or 333	4
Research Requirements	21
MTH 228	5
PLS 210 and URS 410	8
CS 205, 206; GEO 343. 447, or 448	8
Related Electives: Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to compliment the major and support the student's career goals.	48-51
Total	192

Criminal Justice Concentration-36 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 advisors which courses best fit their needs.

Required concentration courses include URS 420, PLS 436, 437 and 442, and 20 credit hours of department-approved courses.

Community Development Concentration-36 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 advisors which courses best fit their needs.

Required concentration courses include URS 415, 416, 418, EC 330 and 24 credit hours of department-approved courses.

Public Administration Concentration-36 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 federal governments, and in nonprofit organizations. Courses in the public administration concentration focus on developing knowledge and skills needed to solve social, economic, and environmental problems. Prior to enrollment, students should discuss with their advisors which courses best fit their needs.

Required concentration courses include URS 446, 427, 470, and 24 credit hours of department-approved courses.

Urban Planning Concentration - 39 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 advisors which courses best fit their needs.

Required concentration courses include URS 317, 318; GEO 365, 447, 448, and 8 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. 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 not meet 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, 345, and 450
Elective Courses:	12
Select three courses: URS 423, 424, 425, 470, 475

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 contac the Department of Urban Affairs Studies and Geography, 225 Millett Hall, (937) 775-4451.

Public and Social Service Transportation Certificate Program

The Certificate in Public and Social Service Transportation emerges from a demand for individuals who have knowledge and skills specific to transportation administration. The certificate program will appeal to individuals currently working or plan to work in public/non-profit and social transportation services. Students will gain an understanding of transit administration, decision-making, intersectorial and interorganizational collaboration, organizational development, resource allocation, and accountability within the context of developing and operating transportation systems.

The certificate in Public and Social Service Transportation is open to all majors. To be accepted into the certificate program students must be of junior standing or higher and have earned at least a 2.5 GPA and completed Area I and III of the General Education Requirements.

Students are required to complete 24 hours of coursework: 16 hours of required courses and 8 hours of elective selected with the approval of the certificate program director. A transit internship is required but may be waived on a case-by-case basis by the program director and replaced by an approved course from the electives. Students are encouraged, but not required, to take GEO 455, Geography of Transportation. Students seeking the Certificate in Public and Social Service Transportation should contact the Chair of the Department of Urban Affairs and Geography, 225 Millet Hall, (937) 775-4451.

Comparative Development Certificate Program
Global change introduces new challenges for development professionals. The Comparative Development Certificate Program adopts an international and interdisciplinary 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

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 Millet, (937) 775-4451.

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 concentration 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.

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 Course
Core Requirements	30
GEO 201, 202, 203, 365, 370, 385, 486
Departmental Major Requirements	36
Physical: GEO 343, 361, 430 , 431	12
Economic-Social: GEO 340, 353, 375, 455	12
Skills: GEO 362, 447, 448, 463	14
Course should be selected with the student's Geography advisor.
Related Electives : Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to complement and support the student's career goals.	38
Language and Research Methods Requirement:  The department recommends students take the following courses that meet the requirements: CS 205 or 141; PLS 210 or STT 264; PHL 215, 471, or 472	32
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 II: CST 221
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
Physical: GEO 343, 361, 430, 431	12
Economic-Social: GEO 340, 353, 375, 455	12
Skills: GEO 362, 447, 448, 463	12-14
Related Electives: Electives should be selected in consultation with the student's departmental advisor to complement the major and support the student's career goals	45
Research Requirements	29
MTH 228	5
STT 264, 265	8
PHL 215, 471, or 472	8
CS 141, 142, 205 or 300	8
Total	192

Geographic Information Science 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 procedures. 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.

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. Students complete 32 credit hours of approved course work. The course requirements for a minor in geography are as follows:

Geography Minor Requirements	32
GEO 340, 353, 361, 365, 385, 431, 430, 481 (2 credit hours)