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Undergraduate Academic Policies and Information
Graduate Academic Policies and Information
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Urban Studies Certificate Requirements
The city is a persistent motif in Christian thought and a constant object of Christian and non-Christian inquiry. Scholars have long explored the significance of the city and its circumstances. While reflection on industrial and post-industrial urban conditions has focused, in large part, on the causes and consequences of urban decay and revival, a broader approach to urban studies requires careful consideration of the city’s presence and influence in the world. A rapidly increasing urban population and an emerging global urbanism highlight the continued importance of scholarly engagement with the city. A number of global forces (e.g., trade liberalization and economic restructuring) and local challenges (e.g., gentrification) are reshaping both domestic and global urban landscapes. At the same time, city governments, urban populations, and the church have responded to emerging threats and opportunities. Interdisciplinary urban studies explore these developments and consider the causes and consequences of the urban condition, examine the origins and implications of urban issues, and analyze the presence and influence of the city in an increasingly urban world. The Urban Studies Program offers students two options for completing the Urban Studies Certificate. Students can either complete the on-campus program, or they can spend a semester living in Chicago through the College's Wheaton in Chicago program. In either case, Wheaton's Urban Studies Program offers students a unique opportunity to learn about urban life through a combination of classroom study and field experience. The Urban Studies Program is open to all students, and the Urban Studies Certificate can be completed in conjunction with any major. It is also possible to complete the Certificate in conjunction with the HNGR program, in which case a student would complete their internship in a two-thirds world city. Enrolling in the program will give students a broad understanding of urban theory and experience. It examines the ethical and theological dimensions of urban life and seeks to instill a Christian perspective on social change. In order to earn an Urban Studies certificate, students must complete at least 24 credit hours in Urban Studies, some of which can also count towards general education or major requirements. All Urban Studies students are required to take "Chicago" (URBN 231) as the introductory course, which also can be taken for general education social science credit. They must also complete an internship and the “Integration Seminar” (URBN 485), a one-credit capstone paper integrating urban studies and a Christian worldview.
In order to complete the on-campus Urban Studies Program, students must meet the following requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to choose a course of study that will include global dimensions. This may be satisfied through on campus coursework (e.g., ANTH 362, PSCI/URBN 362), off-campus coursework (Urban Studies abroad), or an internship in a global context. 1. Core (3 hours) URBN 485 Integration Seminar (1)
2. Content Units (10-16 hours from a and b below)
a) Social, Historical, and Global Context (one required) ANTH 354 Anthropology of the Modern World (4) SOC 337 Racial and Ethnic Relations (4) SOC 352 Demography and Related Issues (4) SOC 355 Social Class and Inequality (4)
b) The City ENGL 349 African American Literature (4) URBN 495 Independent Study (1-4)
3. Internship (2-8 hours)
4. Flexible Course Additions (0-4 hours). On a case-by-case basis, the Urban Studies Certificate can include courses and independent study work in which students participate in a course with urban-related topics and/or pursue work directly related to the issues addressed in the Urban Studies Program. This can occur in one of two ways:
a) Experimental and Special Topics Courses that are offered on an occasional basis and address urban-related topics may be petitioned for acceptance as partial fulfillment of the Course Content Units.
b) With permission of the course instructor and Urban Studies Program, students could take a course in which they pursue urban issues as a significant part of the course. Examples include, but are not limited to, SWEL 331, in which a student might focus on social welfare in the urban context, SOC 326, in which a student might focus on urban environmental issues.
Wheaton in Chicago is a semester-long, residential, experiential program of study. During the Wheaton in Chicago semester, students examine the origins and implications of urban issues through coursework, internships, and service opportunities. Since the program’s inception, more than 100 students—representing every division and more than 20 majors—have joined us downtown. Wheaton in Chicago prepares these students for a lifetime of engagement with the presence and influence of the city in an increasingly urban world while requiring that they do so in a way that integrates a faithful Christian worldview. Students live in apartments located in Uptown—one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods—along Chicago’s north lakefront. Renovated to Wheaton College specifications for student life and instruction, the building and its location permit robust instructional and experiential opportunities. Student activities are overseen by the Assistant Director of Urban Studies. The program integrates faith and learning through a curriculum that combines urban theory and experience with Bible and theology. Students register for two core courses, Urban Theory and Experience (URBN 451) and Christian Thought (BITH 315), a two-to-eight hour internship, and a choice of electives. Courses are taught both by Wheaton faculty and practitioners from the city, while drawing on a rich array of guest speakers. Students will also receive an in-depth exposure to a wide range of Christian ministries and other service organizations in the city. The "Chicago" course (URBN 231) is a prerequisite for the program. Students must also have completed 16 credit hours within their major in order to receive major credit for their internship. Students who are not interested in the Urban Studies Certificate are welcome in the Wheaton in Chicago program, but students who do intend to complete the certificate will be given priority enrollment status if applications exceed capacity for a given semester. In order to receive the Urban Studies certificate, students who complete the Wheaton in Chicago program will need to complete the “Integration Seminar” (URBN 485) and 3-9 credits from sections 2 and 4 under “On Campus Program” above. 1. Prerequisite (2 hours)
2. Wheaton in Chicago (12-18 hours)
a) Core (10-16) URBN 451 Urban Theory and Experience (4) BITH 315 Christian Thought (4) Internship (2-8)
b) Elective (0-4) URBN 321 Urban Issues and Active Faith (4)
3. Capstone (1 hour) URBN 485 Integration Seminar (1)
4. Content Units or Flexible Course Additions (3-9 hours)
a) Content Units ANTH 354 Anthropology of Modern World (4) SOC 337 Racial and Ethnic Relations (4) SOC 352 Demography and Related Issues (4) SOC 355 Social Class and Inequality (4) ENGL 349 African American Literature (4) URBN 495 Independent Study (1-4)
b) Flexible Course Additions (0-4 hours). On a case-by-case basis, the Urban Studies Certificate can include courses and independent study work in which students participate in a course with urban-related topics and/or pursue work directly related to the issues addressed in the Urban Studies Program. This can occur in one of two ways:
i.) Experimental and Special Topics Courses that are offered on an occasional basis and address urban-related topics may be petitioned for acceptance as partial fulfillment of the Course Content Units.
ii.) With permission of the course instructor and Urban Studies Program, students could take a course in which they pursue urban issues as a significant part of the course. Examples include, but are not limited to, SWEL 331, in which a student might focus on social welfare in the urban context, SOC 326, in which a student might focus on urban environmental issues.
URBN 231. Chicago. An introduction to urban life. Survey of the city's ethnic, economic, and institutional diversity will be presented through lectures, slides, and field trips. Special emphasis on the problems and promises of urban life. (2) URBN 321. Urban Issues and Active Faith. An interdisciplinary course designed to help students integrate their internship, classroom, and daily life experiences while living in the city under the Wheaton in Chicago program. Wheaton in Chicago. URBN 331, Comparative Urban Studies: Cities of South America. Urban studies concerns the causes and consequences of the urban condition, the origins and implications of urban issues, and the presence and influence of the city in the world. With respect to causes and consequences of the urban condition, cities have much in common. With respect to the origins and implications of urban issues, they often differ greatly. This course explores significant similarities and differences between various cities of South America. Every other summer, part of URBN in South America. (2) URBN 362x. Global Cities. See PSCI 362. URBN 385x. Urban Politics. See PSCI 385. URBN 451. Urban Theory and Experience: Perspectives on the City. Urban theory draws upon the social sciences and selected other fields to examine causes and consequences of the urban condition. Engaging major themes in urban theory, this course explores the origins and implications of urban issues, such as gentrification, brownfields, segregation, and social movements, as well as the presence and influence of the city in the world. Wheaton in Chicago. URBN 455x. American Urban History. See HIST 455. URBN 485. Integration Seminar. A capstone paper that evaluates and integrates the totality of the student's urban studies experience in the context of a Christian worldview. (1) URBN 495. Independent Study. Directed reading and research during the student's urban field experience. (2-4) URBN 496. Internship. Supervised field experience in an urban setting, usually Chicago. The internship is designed to meet the particular interests of the student, as well as the needs of the host organization and neighborhood. Graded pass/fail. (2-8) Revision Date: May 1, 2008
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