School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison does

The School of Human Ecology is a public academic unit within the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founded in 1903 as the School of Home Economics and now among only 8 dedicated schools of human ecology in the United States. It delivers 7 undergraduate majors (Community & Organizational Development; Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies; Design, Innovation & Society; Human Development & Family Studies; Interior Architecture; Personal Finance; Textiles & Fashion Design), 6 graduate programs (PhD with 4 specializations, MS in Human Ecology, MFA in Design Studies, MS in Design + Innovation, plus certificate and doctoral minor offerings), and operates 8 research centers and initiatives including the 4W Initiative, Center for Community & Nonprofit Studies, Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture, Child Development Lab, PELICAN Center, Kohl's Center for Retailing, and the Office of Strategic Partnerships. Its intellectual platform rests on an interdisciplinary human ecology framework integrating consumer science, design studies, human development, and civil society research, anchored by unique physical assets including the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (13,000+ artifacts spanning 16 centuries and 108 countries), the Ruth Davis Design Gallery, and the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery.

Revenue derives primarily from tuition, state appropriations through the University of Wisconsin System, philanthropy (the All Ways Forward campaign raised over $72M against a $50M goal, with total fundraising exceeding $100M since 2012 under Dean Soyeon Shim), and federal and state research grants (including a $9M NIH award and a $1.5M USDA award). The school operates within UW-Madison's centralized admissions system, delivers community-based programming through the UW-Madison Division of Extension across Wisconsin, and since 2023 has run the Office of Strategic Partnerships to develop employer and industry relationships for internships, recruiting, and philanthropy. Students served include undergraduate cohorts that grew from 117 underclassmen in 2012 to 632 in 2022, graduate cohorts with guaranteed PhD/MFA funding of 50% for 3–5 years and approximately $200,000 in annual scholarships, and an alumni network of more than 17,000 graduates worldwide.

Name

School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Legal name

School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Website

https://humanecology.wisc.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The School of Human Ecology is a public academic unit within UW-Madison offering interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate programs across consumer science, design, human development, and community studies, serving students, Wisconsin communities, and an alumni network of 17,000+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and State Appropriation: As a school within a public land-grant university, primary revenue derives from student tuition (undergraduate and graduate programs) and state appropriations from the University of Wisconsin System.
2. Philanthropy and Endowments: Fundraising through the All Ways Forward campaign raised over $72 million (exceeding the $50M goal), with Dean Shim exceeding $100 million in total fundraising since 2012. Includes endowed chairs, professorships, and scholarships.
3. Graduate Scholarships and Assistantship Funding: Graduate assistantships funded through teaching, project, and research positions. PhD and MFA students guaranteed 50% funding for 3-5 years. Approximately $200,000 in scholarships awarded annually to graduate students.
4. Federal and Research Grants: Sponsored research funding from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (e.g., $9M NIH grant to Sigan Hartley) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (e.g., $1.5M USDA grant to Jennifer Gaddis).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The School of Human Ecology is an academic unit within the University of Wisconsin-Madison that delivers undergraduate majors, graduate degree programs (PhD, MS, MFA), and certificate programs across the interdisciplinary study of human well-being, families, communities, consumer behavior, and design. It operates research centers and labs (Child Development Lab, MatCHES Lab, Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture) and provides community extension programming across Wisconsin, serving prospective students, current students, alumni, employers, and Wisconsin residents.

Product overview

The School of Human Ecology offers a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and research centers focused on the interdisciplinary study of human well-being, families, communities, and consumer behavior. The portfolio includes 7 undergraduate majors (Community & Organizational Development, Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies, Design Innovation & Society, Human Development & Family Studies, Interior Architecture, Personal Finance, Textiles & Fashion Design) and 6 graduate programs (Human Ecology PhD with 4 specializations, Human Ecology MS, Design Studies MFA, Design + Innovation MS, plus certificate programs). The school operates multiple centers and initiatives including the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design & Material Culture, Child Development Lab, PELICAN Center, 4W Initiative, Kohl's Center for Retailing, and maintains significant collections such as the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. The Dorothy O'Brien Innovation Lab serves as the central hub for design thinking education. The school emphasizes a 'human ecology lens' approach, examining issues through interconnections among families, environments, and institutions, aligning with the Wisconsin Idea.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community & Organizational Development (BS) Undergraduate major examining civil society issues and community-based change through an equitable lens for students pursuing careers in nonprofit, community, and organizational leadership.
• Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies (BS) Undergraduate major examining consumer behavior and marketplace dynamics through the lens of human well-being.
• Design, Innovation & Society (BS) Undergraduate BS launched in Fall 2024 focusing on social impacts as intrinsic to the problem-solving process and human-centered design thinking; the first new bachelor of science degree for Human Ecology in over 50 years.
• Human Development & Family Studies (BS, PhD)
• Interior Architecture (BS)
• Personal Finance (BS)
• Textiles & Fashion Design (BS)
• Human Ecology PhD
• Human Ecology MS
• Design Studies MFA
• Design + Innovation MS 12-month accelerated Master's Degree in Design + Innovation, a collaboration among five schools; focused on design thinking strategies, prototyping, and group ideation.
• Community and Nonprofit Leadership Capstone Certificate
• Community-Engaged Scholarship Graduate/Professional Certificate
• Human Ecology Doctoral Minor
• Badger$ense Financial Education Initiative
• Financial Life Skills Course

Quantifiable outcome

• 701 graduates in one semester (May 2025), exceeding entire school enrollment of 699 in 2012
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• University of Minnesota – College of Design: Public R1 design college with overlapping apparel/textiles, interior architecture, and design-studies programs. Direct peer for the SoHE Design Studies portfolio and Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection use cases.
• Kansas State University – College of Health and Human Sciences: Public land-grant college with human development, consumer science, and design programs. Direct comparable in institutional type, mission, and program architecture.
• Cornell University – College of Human Ecology: One of the only other dedicated Colleges of Human Ecology at a major U.S. research university, with overlapping programs in human development, design, and consumer/economics. Direct peer given the shared 'human ecology' framing and academic portfolio.
• University of Georgia – College of Family and Consumer Sciences: Public university college combining human development, consumer science, and design-focused programs under a 'family and consumer sciences' framing. Comparable in mission, program mix, and public land-grant context.
• Colorado State University – College of Health and Human Sciences: Public land-grant college integrating human development & family studies, consumer science, and design/applied programs. Closely comparable in scope and Colorado/Wisconsin-style public-university operating model.
• Ohio State University – College of Education and Human Ecology: Large public R1 college combining human development & family studies, consumer sciences, and design programs. Directly comparable to UW-Madison SoHE in scope, public-university setting, and land-grant research intensity.
• University of Arizona – Norton School of Human Ecology: A public-school-of-human-ecology peer where current UW-Madison Dean Shim previously served as director. Overlap in human-development, family, and consumer-science programming makes it a closely comparable reference point.
• Iowa State University – College of Health and Human Sciences: Land-grant college blending human development & family studies, consumer science, and design programs. Mirrors SoHE's land-grant mission and interdisciplinary portfolio with strong extension ties.

Broad incumbents

• University of Illinois – College of ACES: Large land-grant college encompassing consumer/economics, human development, and agricultural programs. Comparable in scope and land-grant research intensity, but a broader portfolio than SoHE's human-ecology framing.

Emerging players

• Oregon State University – College of Health: Public land-grant college integrating human development & family sciences with health-oriented programs. Partial overlap with SoHE's human development and extension/community focus, but a narrower portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UWMadSoHE
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwmadsohe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwsohe
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwsohe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison