Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning

The Program in Urban and Environmental Planning balances the development of professional planning skills with a liberal arts education emphasizing interdisciplinary study. Students are prepared for public, private, and non-profit sector professional work upon graduation.

CURRICULAR FOCUS

The curriculum integrates professional courses, both theoretical and technical, with a liberal arts education focused on understanding our cities and environments. In particular the Program introduces students to the theories of planning, methods of analysis, effective means of communication, planning processes, and creative strategies for implementation. Some key areas of study include:

Sustainable community development
Environmental impacts
Public and private costs of development

Curriculum

Students typically take courses in the social and natural sciences, the humanities, and in design fields that complement professional courses in planning practice and theory. Graduates either begin work in the public or private sectors or go on to graduate professional studies in a number of fields including Business, Law, and Public Administration.

The scope of the planner’s work encompasses present and future urban and environmental concerns, including such diverse issues as environmental impact, quality of life, and the public and private costs of development. Public sector planners work for all levels of government, formulating plans to redevelop or rehabilitate downtowns and neighborhoods, develop land aesthetically and profitably, and regulate private development to protect public interests. Although planners frame long-range designs, anticipating futures five to fifteen years away, they are also deeply involved in choosing among current projects. Private sector planners employed with land developers, utilities, banks, property management firms, industries, and other major corporations do similar work according to the particular concerns of each business. Many of these concerns are integrated with the department’s focus on sustainable community development.

Students must have a minimum of 122 credits, or 40 courses, with at least a 2.0 average in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning degree. Required planning courses make up 8 of these, with an additional 4 courses in professional electives and one planning application course elective. These core planning courses are supported by general skill and knowledge courses taken outside of the Department including statistics, economics, and other social sciences. The remainder of the courses are liberal arts courses, some of which are social or natural sciences and others of which are open electives. Electives provide frequent opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange with students in other programs and with graduate students in planning

Course Curriculum

DECLARING THE MAJOR

Students wishing to major in Urban and Environmental Planning must be admitted to the School of Architecture and then declare Planning as their major. Admission requirements to the School of Architecture, including students wishing to transfer from another School at the University, can be found through the following link:

Undergraduate Admissions

Students with an interest in declaring the major should take at least one course in Planning and meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to review curriculum requirements. Appointments can be arranged through the Department Secretary, Mrs. Adela Su in Campbell 226. The curriculum is organized so that students can transfer into the Planning Program in the second or beginning of their third year and still complete their degree in the usual four years. Students may apply for transfer for the spring or fall semesters. The first two years of the curriculum closely follow the College of Arts and Sciences general core requirements. If other prerequisites have been met, it is possible for transfer students to complete the required planning courses in two years.

FOURTH YEAR PROJECT

The Fourth Year Project is an optional three credit course taken in the Spring semester of the fourth year. You may choose to explore a project of your own definition. The objectives of a Fourth Year Project are to: provide the student the opportunity to explore in depth a subject or topic related to the planning major; demonstrate the ability to undertake a major academic and professionally focused work of substantial creative or scholarly quality; and receive close and thorough mentoring and evaluation from a full-time faculty member.

STUDY ABROAD

Planning students may choose from a variety of study abroad programs available to School of Architecture students. Please see the Study Abroad page for further details.

CONTINUING FOR A MASTER OF PLANNING

Some Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning students may consider pursuing the Master of Urban and Environmental Planning degree, which may be accomplished in fewer than four graduate semesters, the standard completion time for the Masters. The core curricula of the undergraduate and graduate programs are similar in focus and subjects. Interested students should discuss this option with their advisor or another Planning Faculty member. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 in planning classes to qualify for this program.

MINOR IN URBAN & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

The minor in Urban and Environmental Planning has been designed to provide some breadth for students who want an overview of Planning courses to complement their major in another field or who may have discovered the Planning Program too late to fulfill all major requirements. The minor is open to all students in the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The minor requires 15 credits including PLAN 103 and four other PLAN class, with no more than 6 credits taken at the 500 level. Interested students should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies Professor Nisha Botchwey or Professor David Phillips for advising. When students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences complete a Minor in Planning, the 15 credit hours do not count against the 18-hour total allowed outside the College. This waiver will only be applied if the Minor is completed.

	Home > Academics > Undergraduate Study > Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning The Program in Urban and Environmental Planning balances the development of professional planning skills with a liberal arts education emphasizing interdisciplinary study. Students are prepared for public, private, and non-profit sector professional work upon graduation. CURRICULAR FOCUS The curriculum integrates professional courses, both theoretical and technical, with a liberal arts education focused on understanding our cities and environments. In particular the Program introduces students to the theories of planning, methods of analysis, effective means of communication, planning processes, and creative strategies for implementation. Some key areas of study include: Sustainable community development Environmental impacts Public and private costs of development Curriculum Students typically take courses in the social and natural sciences, the humanities, and in design fields that complement professional courses in planning practice and theory. Graduates either begin work in the public or private sectors or go on to graduate professional studies in a number of fields including Business, Law, and Public Administration. The scope of the planner’s work encompasses present and future urban and environmental concerns, including such diverse issues as environmental impact, quality of life, and the public and private costs of development. Public sector planners work for all levels of government, formulating plans to redevelop or rehabilitate downtowns and neighborhoods, develop land aesthetically and profitably, and regulate private development to protect public interests. Although planners frame long-range designs, anticipating futures five to fifteen years away, they are also deeply involved in choosing among current projects. Private sector planners employed with land developers, utilities, banks, property management firms, industries, and other major corporations do similar work according to the particular concerns of each business. Many of these concerns are integrated with the department’s focus on sustainable community development. Students must have a minimum of 122 credits, or 40 courses, with at least a 2.0 average in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning degree. Required planning courses make up 8 of these, with an additional 4 courses in professional electives and one planning application course elective. These core planning courses are supported by general skill and knowledge courses taken outside of the Department including statistics, economics, and other social sciences. The remainder of the courses are liberal arts courses, some of which are social or natural sciences and others of which are open electives. Electives provide frequent opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange with students in other programs and with graduate students in planning Course Curriculum DECLARING THE MAJOR Students wishing to major in Urban and Environmental Planning must be admitted to the School of Architecture and then declare Planning as their major. Admission requirements to the School of Architecture, including students wishing to transfer from another School at the University, can be found through the following link: Undergraduate Admissions Students with an interest in declaring the major should take at least one course in Planning and meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies to review curriculum requirements. Appointments can be arranged through the Department Secretary, Mrs. Adela Su in Campbell 226. The curriculum is organized so that students can transfer into the Planning Program in the second or beginning of their third year and still complete their degree in the usual four years. Students may apply for transfer for the spring or fall semesters. The first two years of the curriculum closely follow the College of Arts and Sciences general core requirements. If other prerequisites have been met, it is possible for transfer students to complete the required planning courses in two years. FOURTH YEAR PROJECT The Fourth Year Project is an optional three credit course taken in the Spring semester of the fourth year. You may choose to explore a project of your own definition. The objectives of a Fourth Year Project are to: provide the student the opportunity to explore in depth a subject or topic related to the planning major; demonstrate the ability to undertake a major academic and professionally focused work of substantial creative or scholarly quality; and receive close and thorough mentoring and evaluation from a full-time faculty member. STUDY ABROAD Planning students may choose from a variety of study abroad programs available to School of Architecture students. Please see the Study Abroad page for further details. CONTINUING FOR A MASTER OF PLANNING Some Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning students may consider pursuing the Master of Urban and Environmental Planning degree, which may be accomplished in fewer than four graduate semesters, the standard completion time for the Masters. The core curricula of the undergraduate and graduate programs are similar in focus and subjects. Interested students should discuss this option with their advisor or another Planning Faculty member. Students must have a GPA of 3.5 in planning classes to qualify for this program. MINOR IN URBAN & ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING The minor in Urban and Environmental Planning has been designed to provide some breadth for students who want an overview of Planning courses to complement their major in another field or who may have discovered the Planning Program too late to fulfill all major requirements. The minor is open to all students in the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The minor requires 15 credits including PLAN 103 and four other PLAN class, with no more than 6 credits taken at the 500 level. Interested students should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies Professor Nisha Botchwey or Professor David Phillips for advising. When students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences complete a Minor in Planning, the 15 credit hours do not count against the 18-hour total allowed outside the College. This waiver will only be applied if the Minor is completed.	Architectural History Architecture Landscape Architecture Urban & Environmental Planning Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning Master of Urban & Environmental Planning Planning Faculty Courses Student Work Masters Thesis Guidelines Institute for Environmental Negotiation Historic Preservation Certificate Program Admissions Dual Degrees Undergraduate Minors Study Abroad Continuing & Professional Education
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