A major declared after arrival
Columbia says students apply to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The pages read describe no separate admission to Urban Studies.
Undergraduate · Columbia College
Columbia College Urban Studies: a Barnard-housed major with a required thesis
Columbia admits students to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering, and Columbia College students can major in Urban Studies through a programme housed at Barnard College. The Bulletin describes the study of cities and urbanization and requires every major to complete a senior thesis. This guide sets out what the Bulletin says and makes no claim of a separate admission to Urban Studies.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Columbia says about Columbia Urban Studies
Taken from the Columbia Bulletin entry for Urban Studies in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Columbia's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Housed at Barnard
The Bulletin says the programme is housed at Barnard College, with a Columbia history professor advising Columbia College students.
A major but no minor
The Bulletin says the programme offers a major but no minor.
A required senior thesis
The Bulletin says all Urban Studies majors are required to complete a senior thesis.
The SAT or ACT is required from August 2027
Columbia says it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results; it accepts A levels and the IB.
Official sources
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Academicsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia Bulletin: Urban Studiesbulletin.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testingundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Columbia Bulletin entry for Urban Studies in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Columbia's department website, the full course lists and descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
What the Bulletin says the major is
The Bulletin describes the Barnard–Columbia Urban Studies programme as enabling students to explore and understand the dynamics of cities and urbanization, engaging the city as an amalgam of social, spatial, historical, cultural and environmental phenomena. Majors combine interdisciplinary coursework with an in-depth focus on a sub-field, and the methods and Junior Seminar requirements prepare them for an independent senior thesis. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right major?
Urban Studies beside other Columbia College majors
Columbia describes these separately, so the major is chosen after arrival. Avandy's comparison is general.
Urban Studies fits if
you want cities studied across the social sciences and humanities, ending in an independent thesis.
Sustainable Development fits if
your interest is environmental and development questions. Avandy's Columbia Sustainable Development guide covers it.
Architecture fits if
your interest is design and architectural history. Avandy's Columbia College Architecture guide covers it.
Admission and testing
Columbia College, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Columbia says students apply to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. It accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum. It says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Columbia's.
Do you want to study cities from several disciplines?
The Bulletin describes an interdisciplinary major.
Are you ready for a required senior thesis?
Every major completes one.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Columbia asks for one of them from August 2027.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Columbia's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Columbia's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Columbia has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Columbia for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Urban Studies entry in the Columbia Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Columbia College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Columbia College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Columbia Urban Studies?
The pages read describe applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Majors are declared after arrival.
Is there a minor?
The Bulletin says the programme offers a major but no minor.
Is a thesis required?
Yes. The Bulletin says all Urban Studies majors are required to complete a senior thesis.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results.
Does Columbia accept A levels and the IB?
Columbia says it accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Columbia's wording with no entry-year label. Check Columbia's pages again when Columbia publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Columbia Urban Studies
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their social-science and humanities subjects, their interest in cities and how they weigh a thesis-based major against professional routes, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.