In URGS, we examine the spatial differentiation and organization of political, social, cultural and economic activity....
Your neighborhood is not an isolated place. Rather, your neighborhood is shaped by a range of social, economic, political and cultural forces that are both immediate and distant: things such as the globalization of production and finance, technological change, migration, transnational social movement politics, social conflict and war - as well as other forms of political conflict around race, gender and class. Issues such as these are the foundation of Urban, Regional and Global Studies (URGS) in Geography at Ohio State.
Student training in URGS will emphasize the spatial differentiation and organization of political, social, cultural and economic activity. Students enrolled in the URGS specialization will become familiar with a wide array of geographical theories and theoretical controversies, engage with a wide range of up-to-date case studies, and develop the skills necessary to employ a variety of research methodologies.
Upon completion of the degree, students will be able to link urban and regional politics and development to larger, global scale forces and trends.
Issues and topics
The following is an example of the types of issues and topics students will study within the Urban, Regional and Global Studies specialization.
Political geography
- Urban development
- Colonization
- Voting districts
- Segregation
Area/location studies
- North America
- South Africa
- Europe
- Former U.S.S.R.
- Latin America
Transportation
- Routing patterns
- Planning
Globalization
- Economics
- Politics
Development
- Industrialized
- Developing "Third World"
- Urbanization
Spatial analysis
- Statistics
- Cartography and GIS
Acquired skill sets
Students can expect to acquire and perform the following skills sets within this specialization. Students also should have a solid background in mathematics and the physical sciences.
- Critical thinking
- Critical writing
- Research
- Strong organizational skills
Technical skills:
- Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
- Graphic communication (including map reading and development)
- Graphics and statistical software packages
Urban, Regional and Global Studies Curriculum
Undergraduate Curriculum
Graduate Curriculum
Career opportunities
Geographers can find career opportunities in many fields both within and outside the field of geography. Below is a partial listing of careers that students within the Urban, Regional and Global Studies specialization are well-suited and where previous graduates have found employment.
- Planner: transportation, urban, health services, land use, etc.
- Real estate appraiser/agent/researcher
- Shipper/route delivery manager
- Demographer
- Commodities broker
- Area/regional specialist
- Land development analyst
- Urban research analyst
- Archivist/librarian
- Shopping center developer
- Business planning manager
- Public policy analyst
- Market researcher/analyst
- Location/site selection expert
- Economic analyst