Community and Regional Planning
Overview
Community and regional planning programs prepare people to work developing cities and their surroundings.Community and regional planning programs include topics such as:
- Principles of planning, analysis, and architecture
- Land use planning and zoning laws
- Community development
- Economic issues
- Environmental planning
- Transportation control
Internships
Many students complete an internship with a local government agency while completing this program.
Schools
Several colleges and universities offer a interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in community and regional planning. Interdisciplinary programs combine courses from several departments. For community and regional planning it may be economics, architecture, and public policy. Students who want to work as planners need to earn a master's degree.
Many colleges and universities offer master's degree programs in community and regional planning. A master's degree typically takes two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. A few universities offer a doctoral (PhD) degree in planning which usually takes two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Architecture
- Environmental Design
- Landscape Architecture
- Public Administration
- Public Policy Studies
- Transportation and Highway Engineering
- Urban Studies
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
For this program, schools recommend that you know how to use a computer and the Internet.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Algebra
- CAD Design and Software
- Calculus
- Civil Engineering
- Drafting
- Economics
- General Computer Applications
- Geography
- Probability and Statistics
- Public Administration
- Sociology
Graduate Admissions
Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores.
If your bachelor's degree is not in architecture, civil engineering, planning, political science, or public administration, you may need to take additional courses. However, many schools only require a bachelor's degree.
Additional requirements at some schools include:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
- Undergraduate course work in statistics, economics, and sociology
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
Typical Course Work
Program Courses
This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:
- Basic Graphics
- Budgeting and Finance
- Consensus Building and Negotiation
- Economic Development
- Geographic Information Systems
- History of Cities and Planning
- Information Technology and Planning
- Land, Law, and the Environment
- Natural Systems and Sustainable Planning
- Neighborhood and Community Planning
- Planning Design
- Planning in Government
- Preservation Planning
- Transportation and Land Use
- Urban Renewal
Many programs require internships with government planning agencies or local private consulting companies.
Graduate Program Courses
Graduate programs that lead to a master's or doctoral degree typically include:
- Required courses
- Planning project or thesis (master's degree)
- Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
- Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)
Things to Know
Many schools call this program urban planning, urban and environmental planning, or urban and regional planning.
Schools
King-Snohomish Area
Cascadia College
- Sustainable Practices
Northeastern University - Seattle
- Urban Informatics
University of Washington - Seattle
- Built Environment--History, Theory, & Representation Studies
- Built Environment--Sustainable Systems & Prototypes
- Community, Environment, & Planning
- Infrastructure Planning & Management
- Urban Design
- Urban Design and Planning
- Urban Design--Infrastructure Planning & Management
- Urban Planning
Spokane Area
Eastern Washington University
- Executive Certificate in Tribal Planning
- Urban and Regional Planning
Eastern Washington University (Spokane Campus)
- Executive Certificate in Tribal Planning
- Public Administration/Urban and Regional Planning Dual Degree
- Urban and Regional Planning
Tacoma Area
University of Washington - Tacoma
- Community Planning
- Sustainable Urban Development
- Urban Studies--Community Development & Planning
- Urban Studies--GIS & Spatial Planning
West Side Area
Western Washington University
- Urban Planning and Sustainable Development