Metro Urban
Studies Term

Now offered both Fall
and Spring semesters!

More on MUST

• Destination
• Faculty
• Logistics
• Cost
• Scholarship Information

Application deadlines:

• MUST (fall)
April 15

• MUST (spring) December 1

• City Arts (spring) December

Late applications accepted on a space- available basis.

To apply

Talk with your campus representative or contact
HECUA (see info and application form below)

College-Specific Information:
Who to contact and how credits can be used

Member Colleges:

Augsburg College
Augustana College
Carleton College
College of St. Benedict
College of St. Catherine
Concordia University
Gustavus Adolphus College
Hamline Unversity
Macalester College
St. John's University
Saint Mary's University
St. Olaf College
University of Minnesota
University of St. Thomas
Viterbo University

Telephone:
651/646-8831
Toll-free:
800/554-1089
Fax: 651/659-9421

Inquiry Form

PDF Version of
Application Form

Need Adobe Acrobat Reader?
(6mb download)   

Join a semester of experienced-based study for students who care about social issues and who want practical experience in applying their studies to real needs in the city. HECUA’s innovative programs in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, with their focus on social change in urban America, combine an internship and seminars into a full-time learning experience for academic credit. Both programs use an engaging interdisciplinary approach and are open to all majors.

Metro Urban Studies Term (Must)

Fall Semester (September - December)
Spring Semester (February - May)

The Metro Urban Studies Term (MUST) focuses on issues of poverty and inequality and ways to address these critical issues. You will explore key institutions that impact urban poverty and inequality, namely the economy, education and welfare. Students are empowered as they examine an array of strategies to address inequality and rebuild the city more equitably. You will develop practical skills in organizing and gain valuable tools for social change.

Seminar themes include analyzing the role that urban sprawl, segregation and racial, class and gender discrimination play in urban inequality. In field seminars, students engage in dialogue with many people, including educators, urban planners, corporate executives and community organizers.
MUST is for students concerned about poverty and inequality, eager for practical experiences and ready to learn how to make social change in our communities.

more about MUST

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City Arts

Spring Semester (February - May)

City Arts focuses on the arts, popular culture and social change. You will discover the many ways that art and culture can and do impact communities. Students explore the role of cultural work—performance, writing, visual art, community organizing - in addressing key urban social issues. You will gain valuable tools for social change and vital connections in the community.

Seminar themes focus on the social, cultural and ideological contexts of art-making and community building, and the politics of philanthropy and arts funding. In field seminars, students engage in dialogue with a wide variety of local artists, educators, community organizers and arts advocates. The group attends performances, films and installations as a dynamic part of the learning process.
City Arts is for students interested in the arts, cultural expression, and their link to social issues and methods for change. You don’t need to be an “artist” to participate in City Arts—all majors are welcome.

Program Format
You will learn through readings, class discussions and dialogue with people in the field. You will be studying with a small group of students from a variety of schools. You spend two days together as a group in seminars. The other three days are spent in an internship, which is a central part of the program. HECUA works with you to design an internship that meets your own learning goals and connects with program themes. You’ll contribute to the ongoing projects of the agency while learning from extraordinary mentors on site. Seminars augment the internship to help you connect concepts and theories with the hands-on experiences you have during the program. In addition, you will complete an independent or group study project as a way to focus on a topic of special interest to you.

HECUA's broad network of agency contacts provides countless options for meaningful work. This is a small sampling of opportunities available. Once enrolled in the program, you'll work with HECUA staff to develop an internship that is a fit for you.

more about City Arts

Internships that make a difference

Metro Urban Studies Term
Casa de Esperanza • Center for Cross Cultural Health • Center for Neighborhoods • Greater Frogtown Community Development Council • Jane Addams School for Democracy • H.E.R.E. Local 17 • Lutheran Social Services - Refugee Resettlement • Lyndale Neighborhood Association • Metropolitan Council • Minneapolis Mayor’s Office • Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights • Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless • Office of Senator Paul Wellstone • Public Achievement • South Side Family School • Urban Coalition• Youth Farm and Market Project

City Arts
Center for Arts Criticism • Central High School Theater Department • Coffee House Press • Community Programs in the Arts (COMPAS) • In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theater • Intermedia Arts • Minnesota Alliance for Arts in Education • Mixed Blood Theatre • Neighborhood Safe Art • Pangea World Theater • Patrick’s Cabaret • SASE: The Write Place • Sheridan Global Arts & Communications School • Stepping Stone Theatre • Teatro del Pueblo • Two Rivers Gallery/Native Arts Circle • Wing Young Huie Studios

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Destination

The Twin Cities: A great place to learn

Successes and Challenges in the Urban Center
Minneapolis and St. Paul share a history as a hub of economic activity and progressive social values. The region’s vibrancy and emerging diversity make it an ideal context for the study of issues facing the nation’s urban centers. The area is home to major multinational corporations and one of the liveliest non-profit communities in the nation. Yet it faces increasing problems stemming from the growing gap between rich and poor. Forty-five percent of its children in the “core” live at or below the poverty line, with an education learning gap that troubles policy makers.

Vibrant Arts Community
A vibrant arts community flourishes in the Twin Cities, including internationally acclaimed institutions. Nationally recognized experimental theaters and cutting edge galleries create a compelling counterpoint to the mainstream arts scene. Community-based cultural programs and public art projects add to the sense of the arts as vital to the community.

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Program Faculty and Staff

Dr. Philip Sandro, MUST program director and primary faculty, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the New School for Social Research. He has taught experiential urban studies programs for over ten years. Dr. Sandro has an impressive record of involvement in urban public policy and social issues.

Dr. William Reichard, City Arts program director and primary faculty, holds a Ph.D. in Contemporary American Literature and a M.A. in Creative Writing, both from the University of Minnesota. He has taught at several area universities and colleges. Dr. Reichard is an author and an editor, and frequently serves as a consultant for arts foundations and organizations.

Dr. Katy Gray Brown, MUST associate program director, holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Minnesota and is a fellow in the MacArthur Program for Peace and International Development. She also holds a M.A. in peace studies from the University of Notre Dame and founded the Aliiance of First Nations Graduate Students.

Martha Malinski, program assistant and primary internship coordinator, holds a B.A. in Peace and Social Justice Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College. She has experience as a student instructor in peace studies and women’s studies courses and has worked in the areas of human rights education and community service learning.

Students also learn from a wide variety of guest resource persons throughout the semester.

Program Logistics

Program Dates (2000 - 2001)

MUST Fall: September 6 - December 13, 2001
MUST Spring: January 31 - May 13, 2002
City Arts Spring: January 31 - May 16, 2002

Program dates are subject to change and will vary slightly each year.

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Housing and meals

HECUA can assist students in making housing arrangements, or you can make them on your own. Options include individual apartment, living on a local campus, an arranged family homestay, or rooming with family, friends or another HECUA student. Meals
are on your own.

Schedule

The programs are full-time and students are required to attend all class sessions. Seminars are held all day Tuesday and Thursday, with occasional special activities on Thursday evenings. Internship placements are 20-24 hours per week, usually Monday-Wednesday-Friday.

Class locations

Students convene at a central classroom location for reading and field seminars and on location around the metro community for field seminars. Internship sites are located across the Minneapolis/St. Paul urban area and can be arranged on bus lines if necessary.

Transportation

Transportation to and from class sessions is by mass transit, personal automobile or carpooling with other students.
Prerequisites
• Completion of freshman year
• Open to all majors

Credits

The program provides 4 course credits (equivalent to 16 semester hours or 27 trimester credits). All students take the same set of courses. Credits can count toward the major, core requirements and/or electives. For the purpose of credit distribution, the courses for each program are as follows:
• Reading seminar: 1 course credit
• Field seminar: 1 course credit
• Internship placement and seminar:
2 course credits

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Cost

Students from member schools pay the equivalent of their regular semester tuition; separate rate for University of Minnesota and non-member students (inquire about these rates at HECUA). The program fee includes tuition, internship placement and supervision and all course-related field visits. Excluded are room and board, books and personal expenses. Financial aid may be used for the programs.

To Apply

Request an application form from HECUA or download one directly from this. Your campus representative also has applications.

Application deadlines:

MUST (fall) – April 15
MUST (spring) – December 1
City Arts (spring) – December 1

Contents copyright (c) 2001, Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs, Inc.
Last updated 01/08/01.