The UCS program is an interdisciplinary major for students interested in social change who want a meaningful career in public and community services. The program gives students a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of urban life by looking at communities through a variety of academic perspectives. This holistic approach provides students with the tools they need to take an active role in their communities and prepare them, upon graduation, for a variety of careers and/or graduate degrees.
As a graduate with a B.A. in Urban and Community Studies from UConn, students have a solid foundation for employment in fields such as social work, public policy, criminal justice, law, public health, social service, community organizing, nonprofit management, urban and regional planning - to just name a few. A degree in UCS also provides an excellent foundation for pursuing a graduate degree in a variety of academic subject areas.
Our flexible curriculum offers our majors the ability to take courses with UCS based on their own personal career or graduate school aspirations. Students may choose to create a personalized degree plan based on their own academic interests or they may choose to follow a specific emphasis area offered by the program.
What Emphasis Area Best Matches Your Career or Graduate Study Interests?
Emphasis Area |
Careers in areas such as … |
Solid foundation for graduate study in … |
Criminal Justice & Law |
law enforcement, special investigation, law, parole and probation |
M.A. in Criminal JusticeJ.D. (Law School)M.S. in Homeland Security |
Non-profit and Public Management |
city management, nonprofit management, human resources, fundraising, leadership development |
Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Nonprofit ManagementMaster of Business Administration |
Public Health |
health promotion, health education, disease prevention, epidemiology, health policy, nursing |
Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public PolicyM.A. in Political Science |
Public Policy |
public policy analysis, survey research, lobbying, government service, advocacy, consulting |
Master of Public AdministrationMaster of Public PolicyM.A. in Political Science |
Fast-Track MPA / Fast-Track MPA with Honors |
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Social Service and Community Organizing |
community organization, case management, counseling, mental health services, career services |
Master of Social WorkM.A. in CounselingM.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy |
Urban and Regional Planning |
city planning, transportation, housing, economic development, historical preservation, land use, demography |
Master of Urban and Regional PlanningM.A. in GeographyM.S. in Economic Development |
UCS and Pre-Med | Increasingly, medical schools are looking for students with a deeper understanding of individuals and community life. The UCS degree provides students this foundation with its interdisciplinary curriculum. | |
Double Major: UCS and Journalism |
Contact the Urban and Community Studies Program or the Journalism Department for additional information. |