The Program in Urban and Environmental Planning provides a balance between liberal education with an emphasis on interdisciplinary study and professional planning skills. Students typically take courses in the social and natural sciences, the humanities, and in design fields which complement professional courses in planning practice and theory. Graduates go to work in the public or private sectors, or go on 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.
Planners work in the public and private sectors in urban and rural areas.
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. Planners frame long-range plans anticipating futures 5 to 15 years away, but they are also deeply involved in choosing how to spend money on current projects. Private sector planners employed with land developers, utilities, banks, property management firms, industries, and other major corporations do these same kinds of work focused on the particular concerns of each business. Much of this is integrated with the department's focus on sustainable community development. Students may enter the program directly from high school, or they may transfer from other schools in the University or other accredited universities or colleges.