Urban Society and Social Change

People March at the Black Lives Matter protest in Washington DC

Many students are drawn to Urban Studies by their desire to understand and address the unique problems confronting cities today.  This concentration focuses on issues in contemporary urban society, and on the tools and concepts that can bring about change to improve urban life. 

Courses focus on a diverse range of issues, from public health crises to racial and class inequality.  Students also learn how community action, urban planning and design, and organizations in nonprofit, for-profit, and government sectors address these challenges. This concentration prepares students to enter graduate programs concerned with urban affairs, community service, and public policy, and to work with local governmental agencies and for-profit and nonprofit organizations engaged in community service and development.

Advising

Special Programs and Opportunities

Students in the Urban Society and Social Change concentration should consider applying for an Urban Studies Summer Fellowship or a Haas Center Summer Fellowship, both of which provide funding for a summer spent working for a non-profit or government organization. 

Extensive service-learning opportunities are available through the BOSP Capetown campus and through the Stanford in New York City program.  Those interested in policy should also consider applying for a summer placement with Stanford in Government, or a quarter at Stanford in Washington.  Consult your Urban Studies advisor to determine if courses or internships taken at another Stanford campus can fulfill Urban Studies course requirements or the internship requirement.

Required Course

  • URBANST156A: "The Changing American City" (4 Units)

Additional Courses

Courses in the concentration (including the required course and additional courses) must total at least 20 units. Please consult with your advisor to select a program of courses that suits your intellectual and personal goals.

If a course has not already been approved for a concentration, you may petition to count it by submitting this form to your advisor. 

Title
Instructor
Quarter
Day, Time

Beischer, T. (PI)
Tuttle, G. (GP)
Barton, J. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday
9:30 AM
11:20 AM

2023 - 2024
Autumn

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Tanaka, Y. (TA)
Sedar, B. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
9:00 AM
10:20 AM

2023 - 2024
Summer

Levitt, R. (PI)
Mokrian, P. (PI)
Mulor, C. (TA)
Portocarrero Rodriguez, C. (TA)
Sansare, S. (TA)
Lyons, M. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Thursday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Fong, D. (PI)
Nairn, I. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Monday Wednesday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Archie, P. (PI)
Wilhelm, M. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Wednesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Rosston, G. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Monday Wednesday
8:30 AM
10:20 AM

Goulder, L. (PI)
Yan, J. (GP)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
9:30 AM
11:20 AM

Diver, S. (PI)
Balogun, A. (TA)
Nomura, C. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Wednesday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

Hobbs, A. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Heaney, C. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
9:00 AM
10:20 AM

LAW 2505

Fox, T. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Monday Wednesday
2:15 PM
3:45 PM

Siino, R. (PI)
Guillaume, R. (TA)
Engeda, B. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Monday Wednesday
9:30 AM
11:20 AM

Karunakaran, A. (PI)
Garg, A. (TA)
Bhalerao, P. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Siino, R. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Summer

Wednesday
12:30 PM
3:20 PM

Doyle, A. (GP)
He, Y. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Correa, G. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Summer

Bruce, J. (PI)
Ly, M. (TA)
Taylor, L. (TA)
De Luna, J. (PI)
Floyd, B. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Wednesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Davenport, L. (PI)
Flores, C. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Monday Wednesday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM

Coyne, B. (PI)
Mrsny, S. (SI)

2023 - 2024
Summer

Monday Wednesday
10:30 AM
12:20 PM

Michalchik, V. (PI)
Salia, R. (TA)
McElroy, M. (PI)
Nguyen, J. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Hancock, R. (PI)
Benest, F. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Wednesday
4:30 PM
5:50 PM

Perlin, R. (PI)
Miller, R. (GP)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Miller, R. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Miller, R. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Miller, R. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Grusky, D. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Tuesday Thursday
3:00 PM
4:20 PM

Rosa, J. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
3:00 PM
4:20 PM

Glanz, D. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Friday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM

Velazquez, M. (PI)
pearman, f. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday
9:00 AM
11:50 AM

Diver, S. (PI)
Sanchez, S. (TA)
Lee Hing, C. (TA)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM

Lobo, K. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Monday Wednesday
4:30 PM
5:50 PM

Hahn Tapper, L. (PI)
Kokenis, T. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Thursday
3:00 PM
5:50 PM

Hahn Tapper, L. (PI)
Kokenis, T. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Hahn Tapper, L. (PI)
Kokenis, T. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Thursday
3:00 PM
4:50 PM

Edwards, M. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Monday
4:30 PM
5:50 PM

Edwards, M. (PI)
Bunch, A. (GP)
Loughridge, L. (GP)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Monday
4:30 PM
5:50 PM

Varkey, K. (TA)
Ulvestad, K. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday
12:00 PM
2:50 PM

Scher, L. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Tuesday
11:30 AM
1:20 PM

Kahan, M. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Monday Wednesday
3:30 PM
5:20 PM

Thielke, C. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
1:30 PM
3:20 PM

Diver, S. (PI)
Gupta, A. (SI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM
2:50 PM

Rich, D. (PI)
von Borck, J. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Kos, R. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Monday
9:30 AM
11:20 AM

McAdam, T. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Winter

Thursday
6:00 PM
8:50 PM

McKibben, C. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Glanz, D. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Spring

Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM
4:20 PM

Raya, M. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Friday
10:30 AM
1:20 PM

Wolfe, M. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM
11:50 AM

Liccardo, S. (PI)

2023 - 2024
Autumn

Monday
4:15 PM
7:15 PM