BA Landscape and Urban Studies

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Wisconsin Madison

Program Overview

The BA in Landscape and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is an interdisciplinary program for students interested in creating more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient environments by combining biological, physical, and social sciences with humanities, arts, and technology. Students explore landscape, urban development, conservation, social equity, green infrastructure, and policy while developing pathways in Culture, Health and Community; Restoration and Ecological Design; or Urban Studies.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish the foundation of the major through LAND ARC 250: Survey of Landscape Architecture Design or LAND ARC 260: History of Landscape Architecture, followed by LAND ARC 211: Shaping the Built Environment and URB R PL 215: Welcome to Your Urban Future. These courses introduce landscape design, the built environment, and urban issues while students also complete core quantitative, communication, science, language, and ethnic-studies requirements.

Year 2: Students broaden their understanding through biological and physical environment courses and social and cultural studies, alongside major electives. Coursework can include GEOG 104: Introduction to Human Geography, LAND ARC 360: Earth Partnership Restoration Education: Indigenous Arts & Sciences, or URB R PL 420: Urban and Regional Economics, connecting environmental systems with communities, culture, economics, and urban development.

Year 3: The curriculum moves further into technological and analytical approaches, with students completing technology requirements and advanced major electives. Options include LAND ARC 311: Introduction to Design Frameworks and Spatial Technologies, LAND ARC 460: Advanced Visual Communication in Landscape Architecture, and LAND ARC 511: Geodesign Methods and Applications, developing spatial, visual, and geodesign capabilities.

Year 4: Students use their advanced electives to develop a focused area of study before completing a culminating capstone. The URB R PL 595: Landscape and Urban Studies Capstone, URB R PL 601: Site Planning, or URB R PL 611: Urban Design: Theory and Practice options allow students to synthesize their learning through inquiry, analysis, written work, presentations, and planning or design applications.

Focus Areas

Culture, Health and Community; Restoration and Ecological Design; Urban Studies.

Learning Outcomes

Technical and critical skills: Apply site- and landscape-scale conservation, planning, and management skills, including data collection and analysis, spatial and temporal analysis, landscape literacy, multidisciplinary problem-solving, and communication; Interdisciplinary collaboration: Synthesize information and work independently and with interdisciplinary teams; Specialized knowledge: Apply principles, theories, and research in Ecological Restoration and Design, Culture, Health and Community, or Urban Studies; Integrated problem-solving: Combine social, cultural, ecological, and technological dimensions to address sustainable landscape and planning challenges; Professional readiness: Contribute effectively within public, private, or nonprofit organizations.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Accreditation: The BA in Landscape and Urban Studies is identified by UW–Madison as a non-accredited undergraduate major; the university's professionally accredited landscape architecture program is the separate Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA).

Professional progression: The BA is designed to prepare students for entry-level roles in conservation, land management, cultural landscape conservation, and planning, as well as graduate study in professionally accredited Landscape Architecture, Planning, or Environmental Studies programs.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Official ranking: UW–Madison's official program information does not publish a specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking for the BA in Landscape and Urban Studies, so no program-specific ranking is stated here.

Career preparation: UW–Madison states that students are encouraged to build professional experience through research, study abroad, internships, student clubs, and community interactions, with SuccessWorks providing career, networking, and job-search support.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the BA Landscape and Urban Studies at UW–Madison gain practical experience by combining environmental science, social science, humanities, arts, technology, and community-based learning. The program specifically encourages students to extend classroom learning through research, internships, study abroad, student organizations, and community interactions, with specialization options in Culture, Health and Community; Restoration and Ecological Design; and Urban Studies.

Students can build this practical experience through:

GIS and Spatial Analysis: Students can take Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Planning, which combines lectures with computer-lab work, weekly discussions, a small research project, and multiple lab assignments focused on spatial data and planning applications.
GIS Tools: UW–Madison courses connected to landscape and environmental analysis provide hands-on experience with ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and R for spatial analysis, mapping, landscape patterns, and environmental assessment.
Design Studios: The major allows students to select courses such as LAND ARC 210 Introduction to Landscape Architecture Design, LAND ARC 321 Environment and Behavior Studio – Designing Health Promoting Environments, and URB R PL 611 Urban Design: Theory and Practice, giving students opportunities to connect landscape, people, and urban environments through design-focused coursework.
Urban Planning Projects: Courses including URB R PL 601 Site Planning, URB R PL 617 Community Development, URB R PL 550 Transportation and the Built Environment, and URB R PL 551 Climate Action Planning: Sustainable Transportation allow students to explore real planning challenges through the program’s urban studies pathway.
Community-Based Learning: The program explicitly incorporates community-based learning inside and outside the classroom, with students encouraged to engage with communities and apply their knowledge to local, state, national, and global environmental and planning issues.
Research Experience: Students can participate in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, working with UW–Madison faculty and staff on research or creative projects while receiving research experience, mentoring, and practice presenting their work.
Community Projects: Wisconsin Idea Fellowships support semester- or year-long undergraduate projects developed with community organizations and UW–Madison faculty or academic staff, including projects undertaken by individual students or groups.
Internships: Students are encouraged to gain professional experience through internships, with SuccessWorks providing career advising, internship resources, funding information, networking opportunities, and connections with employers and alumni.
Field-Based Learning: Students in the major have documented opportunities for field experiences; for example, current LUS students have participated in field trips to places such as the Urban Ecology Center, connecting environmental and community concepts with real landscapes.
Environmental Research: The department and Nelson Institute provide access to research environments such as the Landscape Conservation Lab, where faculty research uses geospatial analysis, scenario modeling, conservation strategies, and design to investigate landscape and environmental issues.
Study Abroad: Students can choose from UW–Madison’s extensive study-abroad network, with 300+ programs across 80+ countries, allowing them to explore landscape, environmental, cultural, and urban issues in international settings.
Campus as a Living Environment: UW–Madison provides opportunities to study real campus landscapes and sustainability initiatives, including its sustainability map, stormwater-management features, ecological landscapes, and other environmental projects.
Department Computing Facilities: The Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture provides access to instructional computing facilities, including department lab computers that students can also access remotely with their personal Mac or Windows computers.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA in Landscape and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison prepares graduates for roles across planning, conservation, land management, landscape-related design, and public or private agencies. The program also provides a strong foundation for graduate study in professionally accredited Landscape Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Studies programs.

Typical career paths include Planner, Landscape Designer, Project Manager, and Conservation/Land Management Professional; UW–Madison’s LUS alumni materials also identify roles such as Landscape Architect, Owner/Principal, President/CEO, and Associate.

Career development and longer-term opportunities include:

Career Services: SuccessWorks provides one-on-one career advising, career events, internship resources, research opportunities, and connections with alumni and employers; students also have access to Handshake, UW–Madison’s recruiting platform.
Alumni Employers: Recent LUS alumni have worked with organizations including the City of Madison, Dane County, Milwaukee County, Ayres Associates, Flad Architects, Graef, Kimley-Horn, MSA Professional Services, SmithGroup, SWA Group, and University of Wisconsin.
Employment Outcomes: UW–Madison’s LUS-specific outcomes data for 2016–2021 shows 50% of graduates employed and 50% continuing education or graduate school; the university’s broader 2024–25 undergraduate First Destination Survey reports 62.1% employed after graduation and 93% of job-, service-, or military-seeking graduates accepting a position within six months.
Salary Information: UW–Madison’s LUS-specific outcomes material does not publish a graduate salary figure; however, the department’s current job board provides examples of professional opportunities, including a 2026 Assistant Director of Administrative Services position at UW–Madison listed at a $110,000 annual minimum. This is a job-posting salary, not a reported LUS graduate salary.
University–Community Partnerships: Through the UniverCity Alliance Scholars Program, LUS students have worked directly with Wisconsin local governments. Recent partners include the Town of Irving, City of Beaver Dam, Village of DeForest, Sheboygan County, and UW South Madison Partnership, with projects involving trail design, facilities studies, emergency management, budgeting, and civic resources.
Professional Exposure: The Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture held a 2025 career fair connecting students with more than 30 employers across planning, landscape architecture, and design fields.
Accreditation Pathway: The BA itself is not identified by UW–Madison as a professionally accredited landscape architecture degree. However, the department offers the LAAB-accredited Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and the PAB-accredited MS in Urban and Regional Planning, giving LUS graduates established graduate pathways within the same department.
Graduation Outcomes: The university specifically states that LUS graduates are prepared for starting positions in public or private agencies involved in conservation, land management, cultural landscape conservation, and planning, as well as graduate study.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA, students can continue into graduate study in Landscape Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Studies, or related fields. At UW–Madison, the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture offers the MS in Landscape Architecture, MS in Urban and Regional Planning, and PhD in Urban and Regional Planning; the MS in Urban and Regional Planning is currently accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board through December 31, 2029.