The Urban Studies Program houses two majors — Urban Studies and Health Equity — that enable students to explore and understand urban experiences in their richness and complexity and to appreciate how urban social contexts shape human health. The program provides an interdisciplinary learning experience grounded in the liberal arts and connected to concerns of the region and the world. Through integrative teaching and research, students develop and apply the skills needed to analyze the dynamic processes and structures of urban life and health as well as the ways that cities contribute to global change. Students engage fully with Memphis and the diversity of the mid-south region, as they learn to situate them within a global context. The major combines coursework with urban field experiences, including internships, fellowships, and research with community partners.

Many Urban Studies students spend a semester abroad. We see comparative perspectives as critical to examining cities and urban life. Speak with a faculty advisor to determine a program that fits your interests. Also, speak with the program chair before beginning the program to discuss courses and transfer credits. There are some programs that are designed specifically for Urban Studies students such as IHP “Cities in the 21st Century” and DIS “Urban Studies in Europe.” Rhodes also offers Maymester courses appropriate for Urban Studies students, including the course in London and Glasgow, "Healthy Cities."

Requirements for a Major in Health Equity

A total of forty four (44) credits as follows:

1. Urban Studies 201: Introduction to Urban Studies
2. A Policy course chosen from the following:
   1. Politics and Law 206: Urban Politics and Policy
   2. Politics and Law 320: Health Care Policy
   3. Health Equity 440: Politics of Health and Health Care Policy
3. Two Health Equity courses chosen from the following
   1. Religious Studies 231: Faith, Health, and Justice
   2. Health Equity 210: Introduction to Health Equity and Health Disparities or Health Equity 410: Health Equity and Health Disparities
   3. Africana Studies 350: Race Thinking and Health Disparities
   4. Anthropology/Sociology 347: Medical Sociology
   5. Anthropology/Sociology 265: Anthropology of Health
   6. Health Equity 420: Developing Cultural Humility
   7. Health Equity 435: Global Health, Local Practice
   8. Urban Studies 235: Principles of Public Health
4. A methods course chosen from the following
   1. Health Equity 445, Research Methods in Health Disparities
   2. ENVS/URBN 225, Geographic Information Systems
   3. Social Statistics (URBN 220)
   4. Statistical Methods (PSYC 211)
   5. Statistical Analysis for Economics and Business (ECON 290)
   6. Applied Statistics for the Liberal Arts (MATH 111)
   7. Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences (EDUC 395)
5. A course designated as having a community engagement component. This course may not be fulfilled by the Introduction to Urban Studies (URBN 201) course. This course may also count as an elective or requirement for the major. Courses that fulfill this requirement include the following. Other courses may fulfill this requirement, and will require permission of the Chair of Urban Studies.
   1. Nonprofits in the City: Health, Community, and the Voluntary Spirit (URBN 340)
   2. Community Psychology (PSYC 330)
   3. Intro to Urban Planning and Design (URBN 310)
   4. Community Development & Action (URBN 350)
6. Urban Studies 385: Senior Research Design
7. Urban Studies 485: Senior Seminar
8. An Additional 16 credit hours selected from a list of approved electives or other courses selected in consultation with a faculty advisor and approved by the program chair. 

**Two electives (8 credits) must be taken at the 300 or 400 level. Courses taken to complete required courses for the major (items 1-8 above) may not be used to fulfill this requirement. 

**No more than two 100-level courses may be used as major requirements or electives.

The Health Equity courses listed below are regularly offered. Other electives may be added during the academic year, including topics courses. During registration check Banner Web or the Urban Studies Program office for a complete list of approved electives. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students may select other courses as electives provided the courses (1) are relevant to the social construction of health and (2) are approved by the Chair of Urban Studies.

• Race Thinking and Health Disparities (Africana Studies 350)
• Anthropology of Health (Anthropology/Sociology 265)
• Race and Ethnicity in American Society (Anthropology/Sociology 331)
• Medical Sociology (Anthropology/Sociology 347)
• Environmental Science (Biology 120)
• Genetics (Biology 304 with lab OR Biology 303 without lab)
• Molecular Biology (Biology 325)
• Virology/Immunology (Biology 330)
• Foundations of Education (Education 201)
• Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Education (Education 320)
• Introduction to Health Equity and Health Disparities (Health Equity 210)
• Health Equity and Disparities (Health Equity 410)
• Intercultural Communication for Healthcare (HLEQ 415)
• Developing Cultural Humility (Health Equity 420)
• Narrative Medicine and Inequality (Health Equity 430)
• Politics of Health and Health Care Policy (Health Equity 440)
• Global Health and Local Practice (Health Equity 435)
• Research Methods in Health Disparities (Health Equity 445)
• African American History (History 242)
• The Civil Rights Movement (History 243)
• History of Poverty in the United States (History 249)
• Urban History (History 205)
• Geographic Information Systems (Interdepartmental 225)
• Music and Healing (Music 105)
• Medical Ethics (Philosophy 303)
• Health Care Policy (Politics and Law 320)
• Psychology of Health (Psychology 220)
• Community Psychology (Psychology 330)
• Infant and Child Development (Psychology 229)
  Community and Program Evaluation (Psychology 350)
• Statistical Methods (Psychology 211)
• Faith, Health, and Justice (Religious Studies 231)
• Pain, Suffering, and Death (Religious Studies 233)
• Health Equity Internship (Religious Studies 460)
• Social Statistics (Urban Studies 220)
• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence (Urban Studies 250)
• Music and Community in Memphis (Urban Studies 262 or 382)
• Topics in Urban Studies (Urban Studies 265 or 365)
• Black Communities and Law Enforcement (Urban Studies 270)
• Intro to Urban Planning and Design (URBN 310)
• Globalization and Cities (URBN 320)
• Nonprofits in the City (Urban Studies 340)
• Urban Political Economy (Urban Studies 345)
• Community Development and Action (URBN 350)
• Internship (Urban Studies 460)

Requirements for a Major in Urban Studies

A total of forty-four (44) credits as follows:

1. Urban Studies 201: Introduction to Urban Studies
2. Politics and Law 206: Urban Politics and Policy
3. One 4 credit course that addresses Race and Ethnicity in the United States 
   1. Malcolm/Martin/Baldwin/America (Africana Studies 220)
   2. Africana Theory (Africana Studies 305)
   3. Race Thinking and Health Disparities (Africana Studies 350)
   4. Indigenous People of North America (Anthropology/Sociology 221)
   5. Race and Ethnicity in American Society (Anthropology/Sociology 331)
   6. Survey in African American Literature (English 224)
   7. Study in African American Literature (English 264)
   8. African American History (History 242)
   9. The Civil Rights Movement (History 243)
   10. African American Music (Music 118)
   11. Philosophy of Race and Racism (Philosophy 220)
   12. Faith, Health, and Justice (Religious Studies 231)
   13. Black Theology (Religious Studies topics course)
   14. Intercultural Knowledge and Competence (Urban Studies 250) 
       (other courses may fulfill this requirement, and will require permission of the Chair of Urban Studies)
4. One methods course from the following list by the end of the junior year:
   1. GIS (ENVS/URBN 225)
   2. Social Statistics (URBN 220)
   3. Statistical Methods (PSYC 211)
   4. Statistical Analysis for Economics and Business (ECON 290)
   5. Applied Statistics for the Liberal Arts (MATH 111)
   6. Qualitative Methods in the Social Sciences (EDUC 395)
5. One 4 credit course that has a community-engagement component from the following list:
   1. Nonprofits in the City: Health, Community, and the Voluntary Spirit (URBN 340)
   2. Community Psychology (PSYC 330)
   3. Intro to Urban Planning and Design (URBN 310)
   4. Community Development & Action (URBN 350)
   5. (other courses may fulfill this requirement, and will require permission of the Chair of Urban Studies)
6. Urban Studies 385: Senior Research Design
7. Urban Studies 485: Senior Capstone Seminar
8. An additional 16 credit hours selected from a list of approved electives or other courses selected in consultation with a faculty advisor and approved by the program chair. These courses should support student interests and future goals. 

* One elective must have a global or comparative perspective.

* Only one elective may be taken at the 100 level.

*Two electives (8 credits) must be taken at the 300 or 400 level. Courses taken to complete required courses for the major (items 1-7 above) may not be used to fulfill this requirement. 

Urban Studies Electives that are regularly offered are listed below. Urban Studies elective courses may be added during the school year, including topics courses as appropriate. During registration, check Banner Web or the Urban Studies Program office for a complete list of Urban Studies electives. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students may select other courses as electives provided the courses (1) are relevant to urban institutions or issues and (2) are approved by the Chair of Urban Studies. 

Urban Studies Electives:

• Africana Theory (Africana Studies 305)
• Race Thinking and Health Disparities (Africana Studies 350)
• Art and Life in Pompeii (Art History 353)
• Race and Ethnicity in American Society (Anthropology/Sociology 331)
• Sociology of Education (Anthropology/Sociology 341)
• Environmental Science (Biology 120)
• Management of Organizations (Business 361)
• Foundations of Education (Education 201)
• Urban Education (Education 220)
• Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Education (Education 320)
• Environment and Society (Environmental Studies and Sciences 150)
• African American History (History 242)
• The Civil Rights Movement (History 243)
• Politics of Migration (International Studies 340)
• Public Policy Analysis (Politics and Law Science 305)
• Community Psychology (Psychology 250)
• Urban Geography (Urban Studies 230)
• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence (Urban Studies 250)
• Music and Community in Memphis (Urban Studies 262)
• Topics in Urban Studies (Urban Studies 265)
• Black Communities and Law Enforcement (URBN 270)
• Intro to Urban Planning and Design (URBN 310)
• Globalization and Cities (Urban Studies 320)
• Asian Urbanization through Cinema (Urban Studies 330)
• Justice and the City: Nonprofits, Community and Social Change (Urban Studies 340)
• Urban Political Economy (Urban Studies 345)
• Community Development & Action (Urban Studies 350)
• Advanced Seminar in Urban Studies (Urban 365)
• Music and Community in Memphis (Urban Studies 382)
• Internship (Urban Studies 460)

A total of 24 credits as follows:

1. Introduction to Urban Studies (URBN 201)
2. Two courses from the list under requirement #3 for the Health Equity Major
3. Three electives chosen from the list of electives in the Health Equity Major. At least one course has to be designated as community engaged. At least one course must be at 300 or 400 level

A total of 24 credits as follows:

1. Introduction to Urban Studies (Urban Studies 201)
2. One 4 credit course that has a community-engagement component from the following list:
   1. Justice in the City: Nonprofits, Community and Social Change (URBN 340)
   2. Community Psychology (PSYC 330)
   3. Community Development & Action (URBN 350)
   4. Into to Urban Planning and Design (URBN 310)
   5. (other courses may fulfill this requirement, and will require permission of the Chair of Urban Studies)
3. Four courses selected from the Urban Studies Curriculum (including Urban Studies major requirements and electives.) Courses in the Urban Studies Major and Urban Studies Electives that are regularly offered are listed under the major. Urban Studies elective courses may be added during the school year, including topics courses as appropriate. During registration, check Banner Web or the Urban Studies Program office for a complete list of Urban Studies electives. Other courses may be used to fulfill the minor requirement provided the courses: 1) contain an urban institutional or urban issues focus, and 2) are approved for minor credit by the Chair of Urban Studies.

** Four of the courses in the minor must come from fields outside of one’s major. 

** One course in the minor must be taken at the 300 or 400 level.

Faculty

• Austin Harrison
• Peter Hossler
• Kendra Hotz
• Charles Hughes
• Duane T. Loynes Sr.
• Elizabeth Thomas
• Shaolu Yu