Cuny queens Colleg

130
Urban 
Studies
Chair: Leonard Rodberg
Graduate Adviser: William A. Muraskin
The M.A. program in Urban Affairs is
designed to prepare the student for profes-
sional work and career advancement in the
areas of urban and public administration,
social policy, and community organization
and development. Graduates of the pro-
gram work in government agencies, com-
munity-based and non-profit organizations,
health care and education institutions, and
enterprises such as real estate firms con-
cerned with urban issues. Studying with
faculty who have extensive knowledge and
experience in contemporary urban affairs,
students gain training and expertise in the
design and administration of programs ad-
dressing issues of social and urban policy.
Faculty
Rodberg, Leonard, Chair, Associate Profes-
sor, Ph.D. 1957, Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology: health policy,
employment policy, urban data analysis
Muraskin, William A., Graduate Adviser,
Professor, Ph.D. 1970, University of
California at Berkeley: social/urban his-
tory, health policy, international health
Bayne-Smith, Marcia, Assistant Professor,
D.S.W. 1990, Columbia University:
health services and education, social
welfare policy, immigration, social work
Hanlon, Martin D., Associate Professor,
Ph.D. 1979, Columbia University:
health policy, public management, pub-
lic policy evaluation, workforce issues
Lawson, Ronald L., Professor, Ph.D. 1970,
University of Queensland, Australia:
housing, tenant activism, protest and
religious movements, urban sociology
Sardell, Alice, Associate Professor, Ph.D.
1980, New York University: health poli-
cy, community health planning, urban
and community politics
Seley, John E., Professor, Ph.D. 1973, Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania: urban and
regional planning, public policy, geogra-
phy, computer mapping
Shirvani, Hamid, Professor, Ph.D. 1980,
Princeton University: urban design and
planning, architecture of the city, post-
modernism
Steinberg, Stephen, Professor, Ph.D. 1971,
University of California at Berkeley:
racial and ethnic minorities, public poli-
cy, urban sociology
Tchen, John Kuo Wei, Associate Professor,
Ph.D. 1992, New York University: New
York City history, racialization and eth-
nicity, immigration, museum/cultural
studies
Program for the Master of Arts
Degree
Requirements for Matriculation
Applicants must demonstrate aptitude for
completing a graduate program in urban
affairs either through previous academic
performance or through performance in
relevant life situations. Applicants’ experi-
ence in urban policy or administration or
in community service jobs or activities will
be evaluated along with the academic
record in the admission decision. Inquiries
should be addressed to: Graduate Admis-
sions Committee, Department of Urban
Studies.
Requirements for the Master of Arts
Degree
Thirty-six credits including a 3-credit Mas-
ter’s project or thesis are required for the
M.A. degree. The credits shall include the
9-credit core sequence and 12-18 credits in
a major area (Urban Administration and
Social Policy or Community Organization
and Development). Students are encour-
aged to take 3-6 credits of fieldwork. Where
appropriate, and where approved by the
Adviser, 3-12 credits of the concentration
may be taken in other departments.
No comprehensive examination is
required.
CORE SEQUENCE
The following 9-credit core sequence is
required of all graduate students in Urban
Affairs.
724. Introduction to Public Policy
725. Urban Research Methods
727. Public Management
MAJOR SEQUENCE (12-18 credits, in
addition to a 9-credit core)
Along with the core sequence, students must
take a sequence of courses either in Urban
Administration and Social Policy or in Com-
munity Organization and Development. The
former prepares students for professional
work in local, state, or federal agencies con-
cerned with urban administration; the latter
prepares students for professional work in
community activities, including private
organizations and agencies, poverty pro-
grams, and other community applications.
Within the Urban Administration and
Social Policy option, a student may concen-
trate in a functional area such as health,
housing, community planning and develop-
ment, or welfare policy.
FIELDWORK AND PROJECT
SEMINAR (3-6 credits)
Field placements will be given in areas of
urban activity of interest to the student.
Fieldwork shall include participation in
seminars where the experience will be dis-
cussed and analyzed. Students will be
placed in an outside organization or partici-
pate in a group project or workshop orga-
nized by the department. Fieldwork will be
under the direction of a Faculty Adviser
who shall hold regular conferences with
students. Papers on fieldwork are required.
Fieldwork courses are 780 and 781.
THESIS OR PROJECT PAPER (3 credits)
A thesis or project paper is required, and
students are required to take the Master’s
thesis seminar, Urban Studies 791. The
thesis shall consist of a critical evaluation
of social policy in some specific area or of a
research report on data collected or ob-
tained by the student. The project paper
shall consist of a critical examination of the
project developed by the student. Prefer-
ably, the thesis or project paper shall be in
the area of the student’s Fieldwork or work
experience. A committee of two advisers, at
least one of faculty rank in the Urban Stud-
ies Department, must evaluate and ap-
prove the thesis or project paper. The
required Master’s thesis seminar is 791.
Courses in Urban Studies
626. Computer Methods in Urban Poli-
cy Analysis. 3 hr.; 3 cr. This course intro-
duces the student to a variety of methods
for performing urban policy analyses using
microcomputers, including the use of
spreadsheets, database systems, graphics
programs, mapping systems, and statisti-
cal packages. Students will be introduced
to essential file management functions and
will learn to use these computer-based
tools to analyze, interpret, and display
demographic, economic, and geographic
data. Students will carry out and present
projects using their own data or data pro-
vided by the instructor.
640. Public Administration. 2 hr. plus
conf.; 3 cr. This course offers a compre-
hensive survey of the field of public 
administration, from the philosophical
underpinnings of government activities to
the structure and function of present-day
state and local government programs and
agencies.
719. Applications of Social Psychology
to Urban Problems. 2 hr. plus conf.; 3
cr.††
722. Processes of Urbanization. 2 hr.
plus conf.; 3 cr. Provides an overview of 1)
the historical growth and economic posi-
tion of cities as centers of industry or com-
mercial and bureaucratic control, 2)
internal differentiation within cities, 3) the
experience of urban life at different socio-
economic levels. Fall
724. Introduction to Public Policy. 2
hr. plus conf.; 3 cr. This course is an intro-
duction to policy making in public and non-
profit organizations. Students learn the
major elements of the policy making
process: defining problems, developing
alternative policies, evaluating alterna-
tives, policy implementation, and evaluat-
ing policy outcomes. The focus is on policy
making at the local and state level. Sub-
U R B A N   S T U D I E S
†-Offered either Fall or Spring; see Class Schedule.
††-May be offered; see Class Schedule.

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