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Admission Contact
Office of Undergraduate Admission
72 Fifth Avenue, 1st floor
New York, NY 10011
212.229.5150 or 800.292.3040
finish@newschool.edu
Curriculum Notice:
We are in the midst of an exciting redesign of this curriculum that addresses the urgent challenges of our time, building new programs and majors that respond to changes in the world and tap into The New School’s unique strengths and groundbreaking work. Students who begin their studies in the Adult Bachelor's Program in fall 2026 or after can take courses in this subject and pursue it further through minors, electives, or broader individualized study. Students interested in following a guided path of study in this subject are encouraged to speak with their Student Success advisor for more information.
The BA degree in Urban Studies in the Adult Bachelor's Program requires completion of 120 credits, including specific credits for the major as described below. All Urban Studies majors should consult Brian Dudley, manager of BA/BFA Student Success, on specific requirements for completing your degree.
Accepted students in the Adult Bachelor's Program who have not previously completed at least 30 liberal arts credits will be required to take their first 12 credits at The New School in general education courses. Search the University Course Catalog for a list of current course offerings.
| Subject Area | Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| One Fundamentals Course* | ULEC 2620 Urban Worlds: Lecture/Discussion | 3 |
| One Urban Methods Elective* |
UURB 3210 Spatial Thinking with GIS UURB 3112 Ethnographic Writing Workshop LMTH 2030 Statistics with SPSS LLSJ 3505 Visualizing Data UURB 3XXX Urban Photography UURB 3XXX Urban Community Lab LCOD 2012 Code Toolkit: Python LMTH 2025 Statistics for Social Scientists | 3–4 |
| One NYC Experiential Learning* | UURB 3XXX Urban Community Lab UURB 2510 Urban Homelessness | 3–4 |
| One 2000-Level Elective* |
UURB 2411 Urban Planning, Design, and Social Justice UURB 2056 Immigrant New York UURB 2510 Urban Homelessness | 3–4 |
| Four 3000-Level Electives* |
UURB 3001 Planning Sustainable Cities UURB 3015 Urban Choreography: Bodies and Cities in Motion UURB 3111 Freedom Cities: Black Geographies and Social Activism UURB 3112 Ethnographic Writing Workshop UURB 3210 Spatial Thinking with GIS UURB 3505 Urban Community Lab UURB 3506 Urban Photography UURB 3610 Gentrification Through Media | 12–16 |
| Two 4000-Level Electives* |
UURB 4001 Cities and Migration UURB 4005 Root Shock UURB 4191 Urban Century UURB 4521 Political Economy of the City UURB 4139 Smart Cities and Urban Values UURB 4514 Housing Policy | 6–8 |
| Senior Capstone (4–8 credits) |
UURB 4900 Senior Thesis, Fall UURB 4901 Senior Thesis, Spring | 4–8** |
| Total Credits | 34–47 |
*Elective course offerings vary from semester to semester and may include courses with other prefixes. One UURB elective must be at the 2000 level, four UURB electives must be at the 3000 level, and two UURB electives must be at the 4000 level. Electives must include one non-Western or comparative course at any level.
**Senior seminars operate on a sliding credit scale (one to four) depending on the nature and extent of the senior capstone project. A minimum of four credits combined must be allocated to senior seminars.
The New School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.