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1. Exploring the city and the built landscape as artifacts of social organization, human agency, cultural creativity and design ambitions through time. This involves studying the ways in which power relations mediate the urban built environment across time and space - and developing a sensitivity to the ways in which these always-contested power relations drive changes in both the urban form and urban politics, economics, and society. 

2. Equipping students with the skills needed to make original contributions to scholarly and practical debates about urban experiences. Students will not only find their own critical voice, but learn to organize, sustain and publicly share arguments with supporting evidence and insightful analysis. From short observation papers in introductory courses to a 40-60 page senior thesis, coursework in Cities progressively builds the skills to write up and orally present complex, original research.

Writing skills; research skills; oral communication skills; critical thinking skills

3. Training students in the application of a variety of methods including for analyzing and exploring urban life, including but not limited to historical and archival research, visual studies and design, cartography, and both qualitative and quantitative social science research methods. Students also gain valuable social skills in collaboration, project management, and leadership through a diversity of assignments and roles, including teaching assistantships. 

Writing skills; research skills; quantitative ability; ability to view problems from multiple perspectives

4. Providing students with a depth of understanding about cities across time and space so that they are able to consider and pursue solutions for contemporary problems with a broad appreciation for the global diversity of urban experiences.

Ability to view problems from multiple perspectives; critical thinking skills; problem solving ability

5. In and beyond the classroom, supporting social action that aims to create more equitable, sustainable, and creative ways of urban life.