I’m stuck deciding between the two majors; I am interested in both. Which one is more practical and has more job opportunities?
Thanks
Either can have lots of job opportunities - most jobs don’t ask for a specific major, and you can parlay a BA into a lot of things. Urban studies and urban planning are very different, though. Geography and urban studies can be quite similar - geography is an interdisciplinary area that incorporates the social sciences, the life sciences, and sometimes the physical sciences. You can take the more math/science route with mapping software and statistical analysis of spatial data; I have a friend who does environmental science-type research in geography that involves SCUBA diving and sample collection; there’s also a more social science orientation that’s about understanding how people interact with their geography (although that can be very statistical as well). Urban studies is kind of like a microcosm of that - still how people interact with their surroundings, but concentrating specifically on urban populations. You’ll study history, sociology, anthropology, and perhaps some psychology and political science of urban systems.
Urban planning is usually more about how to literally map out and plan the development of urban enclaves. You might take some urban studies and some geography type classes; some programs might be focused on design and architecture and others might be more social-science focused. I don’t often see this at the undergrad level.