Urban and Suburban Studies

Why choose urban and suburban studies at North Central College?

You’ll work closely with faculty who are published authors and experts on Chicago history, media, sports, jazz, architecture and art history. Through the Chicago Term, these professors will extend the boundaries of your classroom as you travel through the city’s vibrant neighborhoods for faculty-led lectures, field trips and research. You'll examine principles of social justice while you explore the history, culture and social fabric of the inner city and suburban communities.

You can also:

Hear presentations by visiting lecturers and attend on-campus film screenings that support and supplement the urban and suburban studies curriculum.
Travel abroad to study the issues faced by cities around the world.

Steve Macek, associate professor of speech communication

Macek presents paper on politics of film censorship in mid-1900s Chicago

Steve Macek, North Central College associate professor of speech communication, presents paper at Society for Cinema and Media Studies annual conference.

North Central College earns White House recognition for community service

North Central College has earned a spot on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.

North Central College alumnus Dr. Karl Brooks speaks at MLK prayer breakfast

Alumnus Karl Brooks ’90, a Joliet Junior College administrator, was keynote speaker at the College’s MLK prayer breakfast.

more news

Internships

City of Naperville Plan Commission
Streetwise Newspaper, Chicago
The RedEye (Chicago's free daily newspaper)
The Field Museum, Chicago

Careers

Recent graduates in urban and suburban studies include:

Urban planning
Architecture
Social work
Youth work
Public administration

Ben Altensey

Sociology major, Urban and Suburban Studies minor

“Students can read about urban problems anywhere, but North Central puts you into the city to witness those issues first-hand,” says Ben. The sociology major participated in the Chicago Term, which involves commuting into the city for 10 weeks of study, research and touring. North Central’s faculty teach the Chicago Term courses and lead urban outings. “The experience furthered my interest in city planning and led me to obtain an internship with the City of Naperville Plan Commission,” Ben says. “I plan to go on to graduate school for urban planning. Whatever you study, North Central offers a variety of unique opportunities that many other schools do not.”

Brian Failing

Urban and Suburban Studies minor, History major

Brian found plenty of opportunities to pursue his passion for urban and suburban studies (USS) and history. Like other students with USS minors, Brian participated in Chicago Term. “Chicago Term is one of the unique programs North Central offers. It brings together students with a wide array of majors and provides an interdisciplinary classroom experience. Chicago Term gets students out of the traditional classroom and into the city.”

He took courses in Chicago history, art and architecture and obtained an internship with a company that conducts tours of historic sites. “By participating in both my classes and the internship, I learned more about the development of Chicago.”

Brian also studied...

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