The Master's program is grounded in three principles. In a complex democratic society, policy and program formulation by governmental and other agencies benefit from a planning process which emphasizes the explicit identification of objectives, the design of possible courses of action to these ends and the systematic analysis and evaluation of the most likely possibilities. Students should be equipped with sufficient understanding of and training in the principal tools, methods, and techniques of planning to enable them to perform effectively as junior members of planning staffs from the start of their careers. Students should learn the concepts, perspectives and practices that promise to be useful to them as they mature into positions of major influence and responsibility. The curriculum provides students flexibility in the design of their programs so as to capitalize on the diverse resources of the University.
Interdisciplinary efforts are basic to the field of planning.
The Urban and Regional Planning program serves as a vehicle for tailoring an academic program to meet the needs and objectives of individual students. Its research and service goals reflect this combination of scholarly and applied work. The research activities of departmental faculty are diverse. It is open to a limited number of qualified students. In urban and regional planning, the Ph.D. is most appropriate for those who intend to teach, or to do research in a university, in an independent research agency or in certain large planning organizations.