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Environmental Psychology is one of the three subprograms housed
at the Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue.
WHY CONSIDER ENVIRONMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY?
Environmental Psychology is an interdisciplinary
doctoral program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York,
can also be called Environmental Social Science. Our work, broadly
defined, addresses the social, cultural, psychological and political issues
involved in the production, use, design, and occupation of space, place,
and nature. Among our special faculty and student interests are public
space, children's environments, housing and homelessness, participatory
design and evaluation, and work environments.
This field draws on work in a number of disciplines
including anthropology, geography, sociology, psychology, history,
political science, planning, architecture, and urban design. Our research
concerns are largely urban and generally involve field
studies that take advantage of the many opportunities available in the New
York City area. Our work focuses on the serious problems associated with
the urban environment with a view towards affecting public policy. Recent
research, for instance, has addressed the experiences of recently housed
homeless people, the privatization of public space, socio-spatial
conflicts, children's safety in the public environment, relocation,
community based approaches to housing, the design of specialized
environments such as museums, zoos, gardens and hospitals, the changing
relationships between home, family and work, the environmental experiences
of gay men and lesbians, and access to parks and other urban 'green
spaces.'
Students learn a wide variety of research and
practical skills in field research, qualitative analysis, statistical
methods, mapping (GIS), policy analysis, visual analysis and presentation, program
and design evaluation.
Students and faculty collaborate in a wide range of
research projects, including those associated with our affiliated Center
for Human Environments. The Center is home to several research groups,
including those associated with housing environments, children's
environments, public space, and nature and society. We also encourage and
provide assistance to students to develop research projects based on their
own interests.
Topical areas covered by work in the Program include:
*diversity, exclusion, and the environment
*housing issues and housing policy
*the meanings and experiences of home and homelessness
*conflicts and contradictions in urban planning
*neighborhood and community participation
*open space planning and use
*transportation and mobility
*design, use and evaluation of public institutions
*participatory research and design
*sexuality and space
*political ecology and development
*environmental justice
*supportive environments for people with disabilities
*elderly people and the environment
Ph.D. study requires a major commitment of time and
resources and includes field research leading to a dissertation. Typically
it takes six to eight years to complete. Our graduates find positions in
university departments of psychology, design, planning, and the social
sciences; in policy institutes and government agencies concerned with such
issues as housing, special user groups, and land-use planning; and in
non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups concerned with the urban
environment, parks and open space, and environment and development, among
other things.
We invite you to write to us, visit our Program,
attend our Thursday Environmental Discussion Series, and talk with students
and faculty about your interests. For information about the Environmental
Psychology Program and our colloquium schedule
please call Judith Kubran, our Program Administrator, at 212-817-8751 or jkubran@gc.cuny.edu or David Chapin,
Chair of Environmental Psychology, at 212-817-8722 or dchapin@gc.cuny.edu.
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STUDENTS
Students are welcomed from a wide range of
undergraduate and graduate disciplinces and come from around the world.
Current students and graduates have prior degrees in the following fields:
architecture
environmental studies
art history
psychology
environmental design
geography
human resource management
interior design
social work
child development
education
urban planning
Current and recently graduated students have come
from:
Argentina
Brasil
Canada
China
Colombia
Costa Rica
India
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Nigeria
Romania
Senegal
Switzerland
Taiwan
Turkey
United States
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VISITING
ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Prospective students are always welcome to visit the
program, sit in on classes, and talk with professors and students. We have
weekly program meetings every Wednesdy at noon, where program members or
guests will speak about their current research work. This is a good time to
meet people--potential colleagues--and experience first hand how the
program works.
If you'd like to sit in on a class it's best to
contact the instructor and get advance permission. A schedule of courses is available as well as a
list of faculty with contact
information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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