Minor in Urban China Studies
The interdisciplinary minor in Urban China studies helps students understand the diverse drivers and complex consequences of transformative urban development in China from historical, contemporary, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The topics for study include rapid industrialization, massive rural-urban migration, growing regional inequality, challenges to urban planning, accelerated technological innovation, shifting cultural currents, and environmental degradation and sustainability, and China’s growing impacts on global urbanization, especially in developing countries. By completing this minor, students can also understand the profound impact of rapid urbanization on China’s overall development and rising influence in the global economy and environment and draw comparative lessons for other urbanizing developing countries.
Course Requirements:
The minor consists of six courses (five in Hartford, from three disciplines, and a sixth field course, URST 313 generically titled “Urban China Field Study,” taken in a Chinese city during the summer or January, which serves as an integrating exercise). Students must earn a minimum of C- for all courses counted toward the minor. Courses for the minor cannot be take Pass/Fail, including the transfer credits from a study-away experience in China or elsewhere. All courses must be approved in advance by the coordinator.
- Five courses in three disciplines, at least one of which must be at 300-level, taken at Trinity’s Hartford campus. One Chinese language course can be included in the five.
- A field course (URST 313) taken in China during the summer or January (and complete an associated research paper). This course serves as an integrating exercise. By permission of the minor coordinator, this field course can be substituted with 1) a summer research project in a Chinese city or in a city with a large Chinese immigrant population such as New York, or 2) an urban course with a field component taken at Trinity’s study away program at Fudan University in Shanghai or another study away program elsewhere in China or an internship with an academic component in a Chinese city. The second option also requires a short research paper.
With the approval of the minor coordinator, up to two courses from Trinity’s study away program at Fudan University can be counted toward the minor. In addition, a one-credit class related to urban China taken at another university in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, or elsewhere can be accepted as one of the five courses on campus.
Interested students should contact Professor Xiangming Chen.
