Program

Overview

Urban Studies develops individuals who want to make a difference in their community: a difference in what happens to older neighborhoods in transition, a difference in what happens as new suburban communities are planned and built, a difference in the lives and well-being of persons across metropolitan and rural regions. It offers undergraduates an opportunity to become familiar with concepts that will be useful whether they become community organizers, lawyers, city or regional planners, architects, teachers, economic development specialists, journalists, city managers, or enter careers in business and real estate.

Urban Studies offers students an opportunity to develop the insight, knowledge, and technical skills needed to deal effectively with the far-reaching challenges of contemporary urban society. It prepares students to become educated world citizens through a solid foundation of core courses emphasizing skills and tool subjects, broad introductory courses at the freshman and sophomore level, and more demanding courses at the junior and senior level which explores topics at a greater depth.

Faculty bring together urban and regional perspectives from a variety of disciplines, including economics, ethnic studies, physical and human geography, political science, and sociology. Urban Studies faculty have traveled widely and have lived and conducted research in many countries outside of the United States. In addition to teaching in the program, faculty are active in applied work in Northeast Wisconsin, working with community and grass-roots organizations, participating in city and county task forces and planning committees, and consulting for government and international agencies.