Academic Programs

Future animators and multimedia artists nurture their artistic vision in the PSOA dedicated animation program.Stop-motion, storyboarding, experimental animation and digital filmmaking are on the list of techniques/topics studied in our richly creative, industry-connected academic setting. Students can screen at film fests, attend guest lectures, meet famous alumni and more

Architectural studies is a four-year pre-professional degree program that prepares students for graduate studies in architecture and related design fields. Students accrue skills in architectural thinking, design, visualization, fabrication, prototyping and simulation. The program lays a foundation of unique problem-solving skills empowering students to change the world.

Developing creative thinkers, artist professionals and cultural leaders through a cross-disciplinary curriculum that balances innovation, traditional craftsmanship, critical thinking and scholarly civic engagement. Committed to Milwaukee’s diverse urban communities, our programs emphasize activism within the arts.

Through theoretical and practical examination of elementary and secondary schools and community-based learning settings, our program prepares students to be successful candidates for K-12 art teacher licensure in the state of Wisconsin. We proudly place 100% of our degree-seeking students into classrooms upon graduation.

Art History students explore Western and Non-Western art in all forms and across all time periods. Art’s impact and influence, past and present, are explored through courses covering architecture, religion, politics, economics, cinema and journalism. Graduates go on to various roles at museums, libraries, schools, galleries, design firms and non-profit agencies.

This certificate prepares students to become community leaders and engage with social challenges in a productive and sustainable way. The curriculum’s multidisciplinary approach creates a mechanism for students to work together across departments and schools, and prepares them for careers in community and civic leadership at non-profits or governmental agencies.

A multidisciplinary certificate with an emphasis on project based learning designed for students who wish to complement their major in any teacher certification program at UWM, but especially for Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence Education, as well as Art, Music, Dance, or Theatre Education.

Our interdisciplinary graduate program is committed to the intensive and rigorous production of creative time-based art. Non-commercial in spirit, we encourage works that demonstrate a personal commitment to the art of media making.

This 100% online collaborative degree builds your educational foundation and gives you a broad liberal arts background, whether you’re seeking a full degree, completing a prerequisite course, or taking individual courses to supplement your studies and complete your degree in less time. This Associate of Arts and Sciences degree program is a partnership of UW campuses.

Focused on art and community-engagement, community cultural development, and the pursuit of social and environmental justice, students learn through arts partnerships with a variety of community institutions and grassroots organizations, while preparing each to become agents of change through their art.

Committed to the development of dance artists and educators in their pursuit of a comprehensive education built upon diverse practices, research and community engagement. Our innovative curriculum integrates multiple disciplines and somatic practices, creating a learning environment that prioritizes a balance of body and mind knowledge with informed, creative expression.

Deeply rooted in community and focused on experimentation and collaboration, our dynamic DVC curriculum meets each student where they’re at to foster self-expression, empathy, visual literacy, strategy and a critical approach to the creation and production of wide array of design artifacts and touch points.

Technology is rapidly changing as is its impact on all types of industries and on our culture. The DAC program is at the forefront of the intersection of art and design, global communication theory, social media, marketing, journalism and social sciences. Coursework covers all of these areas, and students can customize electives around their particular interests.

Our program is devoted to a simple goal, to move the art and technology of Craft forward by building on the past. By blending traditional hand crafted artistry with cutting edge technology, our students become artists with the hands of a craftsman, the mind of an engineer, and the imagination of a dreamer.

Recognized as one of Hollywood Reporter’s “Top 20 Film Programs in the World,” Variety’s “Best Entertainment Programs,” and ICX Media’s “Top 50 American Film Schools.” Committed to transforming students into expressive filmmakers with a mastery of both creative and technical skills, our program provides students with the flexibility to explore all aspects of the industry.

Film Studies focuses on the history, theory and criticism of film and television. Students learn how to discuss and write about these areas critically; make connections between media, historical themes, and cultural change; analyze the impact of film and television on individuals and society; and compare different media formats.

The largest professional degree-granting music department in the UW System, we serve the greater scholarly and musical communities through academic research, lectures and seminars, performances and instruction. Our world-renowned faculty provide students opportunities to perform and intern with Milwaukee’s leading music organizations while earning their degrees.

Centered in child development and music cognition, our students are prepared to teach and supervise music in public schools. We offer three K-12 concentrations, each certified by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: Instrumental, Choral, and General Music Education. We proudly place 100% of our degree-seeking students into classrooms upon graduation.

This certificate is ideal for students who want to advance their own practice and teach beginning, intermediate, and advanced Pilates mat and equipment. Through the rigorous study of anatomy and kinesiology, the curriculum combines the science and art of the modality in order for students develop a substantial, scientific basis for movement analysis.

Focused on theatre as a way of exploring and positively affecting society, students join a diverse and welcoming community of artists committed to helping them learn and succeed in the broad world of creative practice, performance, production and education. Outside of the classroom, students are involved with all of Milwaukee’s professional theatre companies.

New in 2020, you can complete the MUD in 12 months. Develop the knowledge and skills to create sustainable, equitable, prosperous urban spaces for present and future generations by studying rapidly changing urban environments. This graduate program is taught by professors from UWM’s accredited architecture and urban planning departments and by Milwaukee-area practitioners.

The Master of Urban Planning is a two-year professional program that prepares students for careers in public planning agencies, nonprofits or private practice and is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board. Candidates enroll in the program from diverse professional/educational backgrounds: architecture, geography, political science, engineering, business.