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The Undergraduate Major in Urban Studies is designed to provide students with the opportunity to explore scholarship on cities, suburban communities, and metropolitan regions with an interdisciplinary lens.

Coursework in the major is drawn from five schools and eleven departments in the affiliated areas of:

  • African & African Diaspora Studies
  • Architecture
  • Criminal Justice
  • Educational Policy And Community Studies
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Political Science
  • Nonprofit And Public Administration
  • Nursing
  • Public Health
  • Sociology
  • Urban Planning, in addition to Urban Studies

The major is designed to be flexible to allow the student to develop a strong foundation from the core courses and then build a set of elective courses that address particular urban issues from different disciplines, depending on student interest and future goals.

The Urban Studies major enables students to understand and communicate across an array of disciplines, and to see how different disciplines provide unique lenses and methods of inquiry that allow the student to develop more complex understandings of the city and region.

The curriculum of the Urban Studies major promotes a perspective that is holistic, historical, and global in its approach to urban development and change.


The Undergraduate Certificate in Urban Studies provides the undergraduate student with a broad array of courses from four schools and over 18 departments which focus on urban issues and policy alternatives examined from a variety of humanistic, social scientific and professional perspectives. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of gender, racial and ethnic diversity within the context of urban policy choices and delivery.

This certificate will be of particular interest to those students considering careers or graduate work in urban areas and as a supplement to majors in the arts and sciences or professions.

Urban Studies major Ben Schroeder spent a semester studying abroad in Frankfurt, Germany.
Contact Us

Prospective Undergraduate Students (not yet enrolled at UWM)

Prospective students, contact our admissions counselor at let-sci@uwm.edu or 414-229-7711.

Current Undergraduate Students

General questions such as how to declare, how to change a major, general education requirements, etc. should be directed to the college advising office at ls-advising@uwm.edu or 414-229-4654.

Specific questions about Urban Studies, such as research opportunities, internship opportunities, major requirements, etc., should be directed to Jamie Harris.

Undergraduate Programs

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Ready to Declare?

Select the declaration that’s right for you, and you will find more instructions on how to declare and what to expect.

Recommended Resources for Urban Studies Students

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Academic Advising
Understand who your advisors are and the ways they help you successfully navigate college life.
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Internships
Experience matters just as much as a degree. Learn more about internships.
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Scholarships & Awards
Understand how to create a scholarship application and sources of funding.
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Honors
Earn honors in the major or join the UWM Honors College.
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Career Resources and Job Outcomes
See what our alumni have done with their Urban Studies degree.
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Student Organizations
Find friends with similar interests through career-oriented organizations, social clubs, and community activities.
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Academic Help
Tutoring, accommodations, mentor programs, and more.
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Urban Studies Undergraduate Courses
See all the options for electives and sample syllabi.
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Campus Resources

Enhance your college experience and unlock even more opportunities on campus. Start career planning, participate in wellness activities, conduct cutting-edge research and more. 

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.