Areas of Specialization
Each student, in consultation with their advisor, must identify an area of planning where they develop in-depth skills and knowledge. The area of specialization is commonly used by graduates of the UW-Madison program to communicate areas of special expertise to potential employers and allows the student to concentrate on planning issues of most importance to them. The area of specialization often draws on courses taught by the Department, but often also draws on courses taught in other leading departments available to students at the UW-Madison.
Areas of specialization, while developed individually by each student and their advisor, tend to follow predictable patterns. Recent examples include:| * Regional Design * Housing for the Elderly * Historic Preservation * Food Systems Planning * Natural Resource Development and Planning * Dispute Resolution and Public Participation * Smart Growth and Rural Communities * Watershed Management and Planning * Social Justice and Environmental Equity * Ecological Planning for Sustainable Development Planning |
* Economic Development Planning * Transportation and Land Use * Downtown Revitalization * Environmental Planning * Environmental Aesthetics * Sustainable Development * Planning for Indigenous Peoples * GIS Applications and Utilization * Community Development Planning * Mass Transit and Development |
Each student consults with their advisor in identification of their chosen area of specialization and in selecting the courses that will be used to fulfill the Area of Specialization requirement. This process normally starts during the first semester of study and must be completed by the last semester of study.