Urban and Environmental Planning

The Program in Urban and Environmental Planning balances professional planning skills with a liberal education emphasizing interdisciplinary study. 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  begin work in the public,  private, or nonprofit sectors in urban and rural areas; some continue  to graduate professional studies.

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 5 to 20 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. Planners in the nonprofit sector represent a variety of environmental and citizen advocacy organizations.  Many of these concerns are integrated with the department’s focus on sustainable community development.

Students may enter the program directly from high school, or as is most often the case, they may apply for transfer from another University school or other accredited universities or colleges. Students who start the program as first-years will follow the first-year curriculum for all architecture students (see the Architecture Program); students who transfer in after their first year will follow a modified version of the curriculum below.  Students who wish to transfer to the program should consult with the director of undergraduate studies before applying for transfer for the spring or fall semesters. If other prerequisites have been met, it is possible for transfer students to complete the required planning courses in two years. 

Accreditation The undergraduate program in Urban and Environmental Planning is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board, sponsored jointly by the American Institute of Certified Planners and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.