UB Programs At-A-Glance

Urban and Public Policy Studies

Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs
College of Arts and Sciences
203 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4670

Phone: 716.645.2245
Fax: 716.645.3640
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/programs/idp/ugrad/

Lee Dryden
Director
dryden@buffalo.edu

About the Department

The Urban and Public Policy Studies concentration of the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary major provides a general academic introduction to the field. It may prove useful to, but is not specifically designed for, those students who are anticipating graduate work in an associated field such as public administration, urban planning or law school, or are seeking employment opportunities in government, public or private agencies. After a foundation in the American society, public policy and economic structure, students can choose advanced courses on any number of specific public policy issues like housing, transportation, women's or race issues, or economic inequality.

Degrees Offered

Undergraduate: B.A. in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Concentrations: Urban and Public Policy Studies

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0 overall.
Minimum grade of "C" in PSC 101 and SOC 101.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling
Number of accepted majors (2003-2004): 12
Total number of majors currently enrolled: 21

Degree Requirements

See the Undergraduate Catalog.

Transfer Policy

Transfer students must first apply to the university and meet the university’s transfer admission GPA requirements. Applications for students are then forwarded to the Office of Interdisciplinary Degree Programs for review and course equivalency evaluation. Newly admitted transfer students who have completed the prerequisite requirements or have completed 60 or more credit hours at their transfer school are accepted to the major on a provisional basis, with full admission dependent upon completion of prerequisite requirements and attaining a minimum UB GPA of 2.0 within a specified time frame.

Courses from two-year colleges cannot be used toward fulfillment of the advanced-level course requirements in any of the interdisciplinary programs. At least 50 percent of coursework toward the major must be completed at UB.

About Our Courses

Each of the interdisciplinary degree programs offers a curriculum that allows students to combine coursework from three or more departments in the College of Arts and Sciences. There are also options to incorporate courses from other areas of the university allowing students to obtain a broad range of skills and education.

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 50-200
Sophomore/intermediate courses is: 40-50
Upper level/advanced courses is: 35-40

In the Urban and Public Policy concentration, what do student teaching assistants (TA's) do?

There are no teaching assistants in the IDP. Many courses in the social sciences interdisciplinary program's curricula originate in other departments, where teaching assistants may be assigned instructional or grading duties.

Suggested Introductory Courses

  • ECO 181 Introduction to Macroeconomics or ECO 182 Introduction to Microeconomics
  • GEO 103 Geography of Economic Systems
  • PD 120 Introduction to Urban Studies
  • PSC 101 Introduction to American Politics
  • SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
  • SOC 206 Social Problems

About Our Faculty

The IDP faculty, though limited in number, not only teach courses applicable to the program's degree tracks, but are also involved in advising IDP majors, a function that is vitally important for students selecting courses from a number of different departments.

Special Academic Opportunities

The IDP offer an opportunity to focus studies on a particular topic whose brealih and diversity overlaps several departments.

Extracurricular Activities

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Program and Courses

Majors that Complement Urban and Public Policy Studies

  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Political Science


Minors that Complement Urban and Public Policy Studies

  • Economics
  • Geography
  • Sociology

Career Information

While the IDP degree tracks were not developed primarily to train students for specific careers, they are intended to provide an academic background relevant to a wide range of occupations and fields of graduate study.

Alumni in Urban & Public Policy Studies reported being employed in the following ways:

  • Legal assistant with Pratcher and Associates
  • Title searcher with Priority Abstract
  • Managerial staff with Erie County legislature
  • Purchasing agent for Buffalo diocese
  • Audit quality management with Mark IV Industries
  • Staff at East Buffalo Community Ownership Project
  • Administrative assistant at the University at Buffalo
  • Community organizer at the N.W. Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition


Alumni in Urban & Public Policy Studies reported being accepted into graduate programs in the following fields:

Urban Planning at University at Buffalo
Law school at University at Buffalo
Public Administration at Harvard University
Management at University at Buffalo

Links to Further Information About This Program