Master of Urban Planning

at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee USA

The Department of Geography offers both master’s and doctoral programs of study across a range of systematic, regional, and technical fields, with innovative energy in the doctoral program for studying urban environments. The department’s overall strengths are aligned along a theme of “Changing Environments,” with three major axes, each responsive to areas with strong demand for new professionals:

• Urban Environments: This area emphasizes the spatial interactions of economic systems as well as political, social, cultural, environmental, technological, and other forces that influence the people, identities, landscape, development, and dynamics of urban areas. With the world’s population becoming increasingly urbanized and globalized, courses examine the continuing challenges of urban growth and change, race, ethnicity, and gender in the city, immigration and identity politics, and spatial aspects of urban planning processes and political decision-making.
• Physical Geography and Environmental Studies: This area addresses the interactions among natural forms and processes on the earth’s surface, the impact and implications of global climate change, and human connections with those natural phenomena. Courses discuss and analyze the distribution and processes of earth surface landforms (geomorphology), soils (pedology), plants and animals (biogeography), water (hydrology), and long-term atmospheric conditions (climatology). Overlapping emphases include phenology, water resources, conservation, natural hazards, natural resource scarcity, and the mounting challenges of global environmental change.
• Geographic Information Science (GIS): This area emphasizes using geospatial technology to further understanding of spatial interactions among natural and social forces at multiple scales across the Earth’s surface, and exploring the impacts of using such technology on social and cultural interactions. Courses examine geographic information collection (including remote sensing), data analysis and geocomputation (spatial analysis), information presentation (cartography), and societal implications. Our program emphasizes applications of GIS in urban, regional, and environmental planning, policy making, and public health.

The Master of Science in Biostatistics program provides an innovative curriculum to meet a range of professional needs and interests. The program trains students in study design, appropriate use of statistical and computational techniques, and interpretation of data analysis results arising from public health and biomedical research. Students learn both classical and modern statistical methods and apply their statistical skills and knowledge to solve "big data” problems. They have the opportunity to work with faculty on cutting edge research projects, such as discovering genetic causes of common diseases, developing statistical algorithms to monitor treatment efficacy, and reducing medical costs through electronic health record.

The Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology offers a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy that prepares students to become occupational therapists. During the program, students engage in graduate-level instruction embedded in the theory, research, and clinical underpinnings required to become evidence-based occupational therapy practitioners. Students may select a thesis option or project option in pursuing this degree. Students who are interested can choose to combine elective courses from the OT program with other courses on campus to receive the transcript-designated concentration in assistive technology and accessible design and/or ergonomics.

Ergonomics
This concentration provides the skills and experience needed to practice ergonomics in work environments. Students learn theoretical concepts of occupational biomechanics, physiology, psychophysics, and human factors as well as numerous job analysis techniques. Students are taught how to synthesize and apply these theories and tools to reduce injuries, improve productivity and increase quality of service/goods in industry. Emphasis is placed on practical applications and solutions.

Supply Chain and Operations Management (SCOM) examines the key business processes that take place from "step one" through delivery to the customer. Supply chain management is the integration of all key business processes from original suppliers through end users and provides products, services, and information that add value for customers and other stakeholders. It includes the supply, storage, and movement of materials, information, personnel, equipment, and finished goods within the organization and between the organization and its environment.

The operations function, within the supply chain, relates to the creation of goods and services through efficient and effective use of personnel, material, and machines and includes acquisition of resources, planning of production and inventory levels, scheduling of work assignments, and the control of production and quality. Recent concepts in supply chain and operations management include lean operations, Six Sigma, ERP, and mass customization.

Technology is one of the most important facets in supply chain, and the Lubar program emphasizes information technology management, including enterprise resource planning. Other important components include product development, lean operations, Six Sigma, and mass customization.

Companies in all sectors of the economy - public and private, manufacturing service, health care, retail and others - recruit SCOM graduates to help them identify competitive issues in the supply chain and develop innovative solutions.

The MA in Language, Literature, and Translation (MALLT) is an interdisciplinary MA degree program focused on global languages, literatures and translation. With over 50 faculty from five different departments, MALLT offers a flexible program of study tailored to your professional goals. Three departments—French, Italian and Comparative Literature, Foreign Languages and Literature and Translation & Interpreting Studies cooperate in offering this interdepartmental, interdisciplinary master’s program designed for the student who wishes to focus on language, literature, and translation on a cross-cultural basis.

The Urban Studies major draws from classes in sociology, geography, history, political science, economics, urban studies, and urban planning to explore issues related to cities, suburban communities and metropolitan regions such as transportation, education, housing, population shifts, crime, discrimination, and more.

The Department of Urban Studies develops students analytical and critical thinking abilities through an examination of the history and growth of urban centers and the challenges they face today and into the future. Our faculty includes international specialists, but much of our curriculum focuses on American cities, and Milwaukee in particular. Our home city is unique, vibrant, and a wonderful place for hands-on study and research.

This 30-credit non-professional degree program is appropriate for students who want to develop a personalized and specialized program of architectural studies centered on scholarly studies and research. Graduates will bring specialized knowledge to diverse professional settings that involve collaboration, interaction and communication with other professionals. Students propose their own course of study, to be reviewed and approved by faculty in accordance with the program requirements. Students may use the degree to explore their chosen field of research prior to continuation with PhD studies or, if they are mid-career professionals, may shape or extend their expertise in a particular field relevant to their area of practice.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers a graduate program of studies with a choice of areas of specialization in analytical, organic, inorganic and physical chemistry or in biochemistry. The student is expected to develop breadth of study beyond the boundaries of traditional areas and disciplines. The student is afforded the opportunity of interdisciplinary study in the Surface Studies Laboratory and in the Center for Great Lakes Studies.

The Department of Anthropology offers programs of graduate study designed to provide a broad background in all significant facets of the discipline—biological as well as cultural, analytic as well as descriptive—while still encouraging specialization. It provides training both for students interested in an academic career in anthropology and for those concerned with practical issues approached from the integrative perspective of anthropology.

The department, in cooperation with the Milwaukee Public Museum, also offers a program leading to a Certificate in Museum Studies. The Milwaukee Public Museum, the fourth largest natural history museum in the country, is the site for methods courses that provide the student practical experience in museum work and for courses in the history and theory of museum exhibits. Each student’s program of studies includes training in anthropological theory and methods, issues and problems in cultural anthropology, archaeology, anthropological linguistics and physical anthropology, as well as topics that focus on the student’s area of particular interest.

Communication is a broad field, covering all of the different ways humans can exchange information - orally, through written word, and through nonverbal and visual cues. The study of communication involves the analysis of the communication patterns, settings, and tools that people use. Regardless of industry, in survey after survey, almost every employer ranks communication skills as one of their top three criteria when hiring.

Communication students at UWM not only graduate with top-notch communication skills, but they also have a thorough understanding of communication as a process and as a system. They are the individuals who can work with all types of people, bringing out their best. Communication majors go on to all types of work, but the common denominator is that their work most likely involves lots of interaction with others. Sales, marketing, media, public relations, human resources, mediation, law, journalism, merchandising, advertising, education, public office, and social welfare are just a few of the most popular post-college careers. At UWM, students can focus their Communication electives around four tracks: interpersonal communication; rhetoric and public communication; intercultural communication; or technology and communication. The Communication major can be completed entirely online if desired. Or, students can mix-and-match online and in-person classes in whatever combination they wish.