Graduates with a degree in Urban Studies have , by their selection of majors, declared a real and abiding interest in city life. Modern American cities reciprocate by demonstrating an ongoing need for the skills, knowledge and experience of graduates with a degree in urban studies. The United States has a variety of urban settings with an accompanying variety of urban problems that call out for the corrective, instructive and collaborative work of graduates who have achieved a degree in urban studies. Having decided to spend their working lives in a city environment, graduates with a degree in urban studies need only to determine the specifics of their dream career.
City Planners Urban sprawl has been a fact of life in America for many years. As the total American population expands, cities have scrambled to satisfy the increased demand for housing, schools, power, water, shopping, health care, police protection, transportation and recreation. Among the crucial members of many mayors’ staffs are skilled and experienced city planners , many of whom have been drawn from the ranks of men and women who are college graduates with a degree in urban studies.
The job of a city planner includes developing a vision for the way in which a city grows and a plan that hopefully succeeds in the way it offers residents a safe, productive and healthy environment in which to live. Graduates with a degree in urban studies have acquired the academic training and practical experience to work with a trained team of professionals to assess and respond to city needs in both the short run and the long haul.
Most graduates with a degree in urban studies are prepared to work with city development plans in any city big or small. Some graduates want to take their degree in urban studies and apply it to big multifaceted urban problems while others are more interested in staying local and working in or around the city in which they were born, grew up or attended college. Perhaps the biggest reward for working in any city as a planner is the feeling of working in , with and for a community of real people who you pass everyday coming and going to work and knowing that you make a difference in their lives for the better.
Elected Officials Some graduates with a degree in urban studies prefer a more direct approach to effecting the vision and eventual development in a growing city. For those students of urban life who have a political bent there is a real career waiting in city politics. Many political types pursue elective positions but generally those who are the moist effective as city leaders are those who bring more to the table than a warm handshake and an affable smile.
Candidates for city wide offices will be more successful in advancing their ideas and their candidacy if they can back both with credentials that include a degree in urban studies. Knowledge gained through academic and practical work done by graduates with a degree in urban studies allows them to approach city elections with more than promises. Graduates with a degree in urban studies have spent four years analyzing the problems of urban areas and debating the possible solutions. when they enter a city campaign in pursuit of an elective office they should definitely feel and act like they are in their ultimate comfort zone.
The problem for graduates with a degree in urban studies who want to follow a political career is that politics is marked by stark uncertainty. While graduates with a degree in urban studies may be very confident of their ability, they have to be far less confident of there chances to win and retain elective offices that will allow them a decent living. For some graduates with a degree in urban studies it is more reasonable to wade into the political arena only when they have a back up job to turn to.
Contractors and Consultants It’s not surprising that some graduates with a degree in urban studies choose to see city growth and development in very practical terms. While some graduates with a degree in urban studies make a career of developing a vision and laying out plans for city growth, others will take control of finding the craftsmen, equipment, laborers and material to make the vision a reality.
Contractors and consultants are needed in every growing, rebuilding and development project in our cities. Applicants for these positions will benefit from a degree in urban studies, which can help to prepare them for both the excitement and the complexities of city building. The work for contractors and consultants can tend to be sporadic and often dependent upon available city, state and federal money. But spread over a year the work of a contractor or consultant seems to be well remunerated
Government Positions Much of the development that takes place in our cities comes about as the result of governmental involvement. Improvements in cities are frequently paid for by and fall under the aegis of federal government agencies.This means that a good source of employment for graduates with a degree in urban studies may be the federal government. Depending on the graduates area of academic strength or personal preference he or she may want to chose from jobs with federal departments like, Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, or Transportation.
Different areas of specialization may lead graduates with a degree in urban studies to apply for a federal government position with the Drug Enforcement Agency or the Environmental protection Agency.
State government departments also have job openings for graduates with a degree in urban studies. These positions vary according to the urban needs of the state and the financial ability of the state to fund those needs.
Non-Profit Groups In studying and living the urban lifestyle some graduates with a degree in urban studies find themselves moved to respond to the individual needs of people living with daily problems of poverty, homelessness, lack of health insurance, substance abuse, poor education, and a low end standard of living. While these problems are not limited by geography or demographics, the plight of those living in low income sections of major cities is well documented . For some graduates with a degree in urban studies, this is in fact what its all about. These graduates will find jobs with non-profits who work more than eight hour days, for often below average pay, to address the needs of the people of major metropolitan areas. They may find jobs with community centers, church outreach groups, youth groups like Boys and Girls Club of America or YMCA, food banks, and counseling agencies.
Non-profits may not be involved in construction, infrastructure or business opportunities but non-profits are deeply invested in the lives of city residents. For some graduates with a degree in urban studies this is the most compelling part working and living in urban areas.
Graduates with a degree in urban studies will find an amazing variety of jobs open to them in the cities of the United States. Wit our population continuing to grow there will be a continuing need for graduates with a degree in urban studies to fill career positions meant to manage that growth while continuing to improve the life of city dwellers.