Major in Planning [Arts]

General Information

See Bachelor of Arts for program regulations and requirements.

The School of Urban and Regional Planning educates students in the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of communities. Planners work for all levels of government and in professional planning consultancies.

The School of Urban and Regional Planning in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Faculty of Science) offers a BA major in Planning and a BSc Specialization in Planning.

Students interested in focusing on natural science elements of planning, including environmental management and the use of geographic information sciences, should consider the BSc Program (see Science Chart 5) and those interested in the aesthetic, economic, and social issues of planning should consider the BA program.

Special Note

In previous Calendars, the Course Designation of HGP was used for HGEO and PLAN courses, HGP courses can be used in place of HGEO or PLAN courses provided they have the same course numbers. For example, HGP 399 can be used in place of either HGEO 399 or PLAN 399. Similarly, HGEO or PLAN courses of the same number can be used in place of HGP courses for those following earlier versions of the Calendar.

Requirements for the Major

Students taking the BA degree with a major in Planning have a very structured program with many required courses. All of the following are required.

Year 1

EAS 100 - Planet Earth
HGEO 100 - Introduction to Human Geography and Planning
6 units junior ENGL OR 3 units junior ENGL and 3 units junior WRS
ECON 101 - Introduction to Microeconomics
STAT 141 OR
STAT 151 - Introduction to Applied Statistics I
6 units in options or minor
6 units in One Language Other than English (LOE) unless waived, then may take options or courses for minor

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

PLAN 410 - Professional Planning Practice and Ethics
PLAN 412 - Finance for Planners
PLAN 495 - Planning Studio
6 units in PLAN 485 (Variable Topics Course, may be repeated)
9 units in options or minor

6 units selected from

Any HGEO or PLAN 3XX or 4XX courses

Notes

Students who are majoring in Planning cannot minor in Human Geography.

Cooperative Education (Work Experience) Route

The Cooperative Education (Work Experience) Route gives students who have completed a minimum of 48 units in the BA Planning Major and who present a Faculty Grade Point Average of at least 2.3, an opportunity for extended, paid work experience. The work experience lasts for four, eight or 12 months, and, after completing the reporting requirements, students who successfully complete at least 8 months of work experience can receive a Work Experience designation on their degree parchment. The graduation requirement for the Work Experience program designation includes successful completion of a least WKEXP 801 and WKEXP 802 .

During the placement, students are considered full-time students of the University. Work experience courses have no weight and are graded credit/no credit, and recorded on the student’s transcript. The Work Experience Program Advisor maintains contact at approximately three month intervals with the student and the person designated by the employer to be responsible for the student’s progress. This arrangement ensures satisfaction on all sides. If the review shows the situation is not satisfactory, the placement may be terminated and the student would then return to classes at the next available opportunity.