Students interested in completing an internship as part of their certificate or major should download the internship form and review the internship requirements. Complete the top portion of the internship agreement, have the intern supervisor complete their part of the internship agreement (along with their offer letter, if applicable), and schedule a time to meet with the Associate Director to go over the internship.
The Urban Studies Program does not have a regular set of internships for students; instead, internship opportunities from different organizations are often sent out to program lists. In addition, students may approach community organizations or governmental agencies on their own. A number of students have returned to service learning sites they had as a student in Urban Studies 150 for longer internships. Students may also register with Handshake to search for current internship opportunities in the Milwaukee area.
The Center for Community-Based Learning, Leadership, and Research may be a good source for finding an internship. You may also be interested in Service Learning opportunities.
Internships help Urban Studies majors explore some of the ways they can apply their knowledge and training before they graduate.
Many internship students discover that they love a particular industry or type of job, helping them better define what they want to do after graduation. Just as important, some students find that the job they thought they wanted is not a good fit for them after interning in that setting. That experience helps them adjust their post-graduation plans.
The Greater Milwaukee area is big and diverse and provides an array of potential internship opportunities for students. As part of their professional development, we encourage our students to draw upon both UWM and personal resources to develop professionally or locate suitable internships, including:
Depending on the internship, the role can be paid or unpaid. However, whether paid or not, internships are a valuable way to build a resume before graduation.
- Enrolling in URB STD 289 Internship in Urban Studies, Lower Division or URB STD 489 Internship in Urban Studies, Upper Division in the Urban Studies course list of the catalog.
- Networking through friends and family and their connections
- Networking through student organizations or professional organizations
- Using job boards and other online sites where internships are posted
- Connecting with the UWM’s Office of Student Experience and Talent for resume assistance, interviewing tips, internship and job postings and more
- Networking with alums of your program via Panthers Connect and asking questions about their internship experiences.
Former Interns
Liam Farin
Over the past nine months I have had the incredible opportunity to work as a Transportation Operations Assistant (fancy-speak for intern) with the Multimodal Unit within the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works. During that time, I have had the chance to work on many different projects within our unit, which has meant that what I work on during any given day can change drastically.
Most of my time I spent doing things like using ArcGIS to update the City of Milwaukee’s bike map tools and create a resource hub to allow residents to have more accurate and helpful routing tools at their fingertips. I also had the opportunity to work closely with the Senior Transportation Planner who manages the dockless scooter program, meaning I was able to collect data out in the field on scooter parking and use, prepare invoices for the scooter operator companies, and create monthly reports to inform alders about scooter usage within their district and the city.
Truthfully, the most impactful part of my internship was making connections with incredible movers and shakers within the Milwaukee community, whether they are City employees or community residents. Getting to attend events like the Mayor’s Bike Ride, meetings like those of the Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee, or discussions about the City’s 2040 Mobility Plan have opened my eyes to just how much is happening in Milwaukee to make our streets safer for people of all ages and abilities. Working alongside the passionate and creative people who make this work happen has changed the way I think about city government and how change happens within our societal structures. I am eternally grateful to Mike, Marissa, Zac, Danya, Isabel, and Kyle for making the experience I have had with the City as impactful as it has been and am excited to continue working to improve micromobility options within our community.
Leean Le
This summer I had the opportunity to work with the Milwaukee County Transit System’s Planning department as an intern (taking urb std 497). The experience has been nothing short of educational and has allowed me to fully immerse myself (quite literally) into the streets of Milwaukee!
Through this opportunity, I’ve been able to gain critical GIS map-making skills that I hadn’t had previously, granting me hard skills that will benefit me in my future career. I learned the do’s and don’ts of transit planning when finding remedies to routes with the framework of putting riders and operators first, who are on the front lines of service, when making decisions. Furthermore, I engaged in panels in public facing meetings to inform the public on upcoming changes to routes and answered any questions that came up.
One other extremely exciting project was having a hand in planning Mobile Meetups, MCTS’ newest outreach effort to connect elected officials with their constituents onboard buses to have their voices heard! This project leverages the voices of those who wouldn’t otherwise have had a chance, which makes it all the more fulfilling! I also became a member of the Racial Equity Work Group in seeing how to engage and improve the nature of the agency for its diverse workforce.
Certainly, there are endless other projects that afforded me to be in spaces I never imagined to be in. The world of transit planning always has something new that will keep you on your feet! In all of this, my experience here has turned me into a fiercer advocate for promoting public transit as a tool to transcending the barriers of segregation to transform Milwaukee County into the healthiest county in Wisconsin! The MCTS Planning team has certainly stretched, challenged, and poured into me as an intern and I’m beyond grateful to have the opportunity to serve the community with the agency!
Sedgwick (Sed) Smith
Urban Studies major Sedgwick (Sed) Smith was showcased on the Talking Fitchburg program about his community development work as part of his summer internship in the City of Fitchburg.
Nateya Taylor
Master’s Student
Master’s student Nateya Taylor completed a summer internship at the Smithsonian’s Black history museum.
Locations of Completed Internships
- America’s Black Holocaust Museum
- City of Elgin Planning Office
- City of Fitchburg Planning Office
- City of Milwaukee Assessor’s Office
- City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO)
- City of Milwaukee Mayor’s Office
- City of Milwaukee Public Health Department
- City of Sheboygan Planning and Development Department
- City of Milwaukee Dept. of Business Administration
- Center for Urban Initiatives and Research
- Community First
- Greater Milwaukee Foundation
- Rep. Jonathan Brostof’s Office
- Layton Blvd West Neighbors
- Le Luz De Mundo Family Services
- Milwaukee County Human Rights Commission
- Milwaukee County Transit System
- Milwaukee County Urban Affairs Department
- Milwaukee Urban Gardens
- NAI MLG Commercial
- Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Riverwest Investment Cooperative (RIC)
- Running Rebels
- Sierra Club
- Sweet Water Organic
- Turnbridge
- Water Council
- Wisconsin Bike Federation
Past Service Learning Organizations
- 30th St Industrial Corridor
- 5 Points Neighborhood Association
- ACTS Housing
- Alice’s Garden
- Bublr Bikes
- Burleigh Street Community Development Corporation
- City of Milwaukee Dept. of City Development
- City of Milwaukee Housing Authority
- Escuela Verde
- Ex Fabula
- Growing Power
- Havenwoods Economic Development Corp.
- Hmong American Friendship Association
- International Institute of Wisconsin
- Johnson Park Neighborhood Association
- La Casa de Esperanza
- Latino Community Center
- Layton Boulevard Neighbors West
- Legal Action-Eviction Defense Project
- Milwaukee Urban Gardens
- Riverwest Food Pantry
- Silver Spring Neighborhood Center
- Southside Organizing Committee
- The Gathering
- Urban Ecology Center
- Victory Garden Initiative
- Voces De La Frontera
- Walnut Way Conservation Corp
- WasteCAP
- Wisconsin Bike Fed