Associate of Arts in Urban Studies Program Prepares Students to Create a Better City

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY)  is proud to announce a new Associate of Arts program in Urban Studies, housed within the Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice Department.

The Urban Studies program was developed in partnership with the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU). BMCC Urban Studies graduates will be eligible to transfer to the Bachelor of Arts in Urban Community Studies at SLU and continue their higher education careers.

“I am very excited about the new Urban Studies program, which we have worked to develop for two years now,” said Sangeeta Bishop, Chair of the Social Sciences, Human Services and Criminal Justice Department at BMCC. “Professor Shirley Leyro has worked tirelessly on the new program and I am very proud of her work. We are also thrilled to be partnering with the School of Labor and Urban Studies (SLU) at CUNY, to provide our students with a seamless transfer into a bachelor’s degree program where all their credits from BMCC will be accepted and they will enter as juniors in the Urban Community Studies program at SLU.”

“I’m thrilled that BMCC is now offering a degree in Urban Studies,” says Professor Leyro, who is also the coordinator for the Urban Studies program. “BMCC already had a wealth of academic offerings — 55 associate degree programs — and this new program adds a significant option to the repertoire. It speaks to our students’ goals, their concerns and their strengths. I am looking forward to welcoming our first cohort this fall!”

According to the New York State Ed proposal summary, Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary field that introduces students to a wide range of topics and issues in urban community development.

It draws on a variety of study areas — including sociology, economics, political science, and anthropology — to analyze our global economy and culture. Students in the program will examine how urban problems arise, how they have been addressed and how to plan cities of the future.

The program will prepare students for a range of careers in fields such as public administration, law, urban planning, social work, education, business administration, political analysis, non-profit community work, research and fundraising.

The BMCC Associate of Arts in Urban Studies program is set to start in Fall 2022.