Civil Society & Community Studies
The Department of Civil Society and Community Studies collaborates with communities, civil society organizations, and social movements to co-create a just and sustainable future for all. Areas of specialization include food systems and sovereignty; indigenous communities; environment and land; community organizing and activism; civic engagement and nonprofit studies; and social, behavioral, and public health.
Consumer Science
The Consumer Science Department is committed to fostering a fair and healthy marketplace that promotes the well-being of families and individuals across the U.S. and internationally. We apply social science theories and rigorous quantitative methods to the study of household and consumer interactions, offering keen insights and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges.
Design Studies
The Design Studies department focuses on the production, process, and impact of design. Through scholarship, analysis, curriculum, and outreach, we advocate design as an encompassing discipline central to every aspect of life. We emphasize and promote a multi-disciplinary, global approach to design, and we value connections, nationally and internationally, with other campus, community, and professional programs.
Human Development & Family Studies
The faculty, students, and staff of the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) department at UW–Madison conduct and apply rigorous research, program evaluation, and policy studies that aim to strengthen the well-being of children, adolescents, adults, and families, and the relationships they share. Ranked among the top programs of its kind, our department is proud to train this field’s next generation of researchers, leaders, and practitioners.