IUP Planning Program Stands Out Nationally: One of Only 17 Accredited
Our program emphasizes conceptual knowledge, experiential learning, innovative planning skills, and civic engagement. As a regional planning major, you can count on our accredited program to deliver the industry knowledge and best practices you will need
to know.
The Regional Planning program is one of only 17 accredited, undergraduate planning programs in the country. This gives you an advantage when it comes to employment and professional certification. Because of the accreditation, you will be able to take
the American Institute of Certified Planners certification exam three years after graduation (compared to a minimum of five years for graduates of non-accredited
programs).
Choose from Two Bachelor's Degree Options and an Honors Track
You can choose from two tracks, or areas of emphasis: the Community Planning and Development Track or the Environmental Planning Track. Academically qualified students may also pursue the Honors Track.
The Geography and Regional Planning Department labs and facilities offer you hands-on experience with the instrumentation used by professionals.
Work with Real-World Problems to Prepare for Your Career
You'll work with real-world problems and intern with professional planners who deal with these issues on a daily basis. You'll learn the principles and techniques planners use when working with communities to improve the quality of life for the people
who live there.
You'll take a comprehensive view and develop negotiating skills that will improve your ability to listen to and speak for all citizens. You'll learn strategies for reconciling controversies and proposing alternatives.
As a planner, you can guide community decision making in allocating scarce resources to create better places to live.
When you graduate from the Regional Planning program, you will be well prepared to guide change in a way that will make our communities better places to live for present and future generations.
- Prepare for employment as a land use analyst, geographic information system specialist, facilities manager, cartographer, remote sensing specialist, and county or city planner.
- Learn methods for identifying, modeling, and analyzing the spatial organization of human and environmental systems from both practical and theoretical perspectives.
- Gain the integral skills of data collection, spatial information management, and cartographic/graphic presentation.
- Develop a working knowledge of subdivision, land use, and zoning regulation.
- Intern with planning agencies or consulting firms working with professionals.
- Become familiar with strategies of economic development and both the theory and ethics of planning, which can then be used in coursework for the analysis of wildlife habitat, facilities management, land use planning and site design, transportation
system design, and maintenance.
- Prepare for a career in environmental fields or graduate study that leads to a variety of environmental positions.
- Learn about the physical and human processes that shape the environment, strategies for analyzing environmental issues, and the concepts and strategies behind solving environmental problems.
- Achieve a working knowledge of subdivision, land use, and zoning regulation.
- Become familiar with flood plain and wetland regulation, the management of waste and storm water, and environmental impact assessment.
- Gain an understanding of both the theory and ethics of planning.
- Develop the skills needed to assess the causes for, consequences of, and solutions to a wide variety of environmental issues (such as soil erosion, sedimentation, water contamination, flooding, deforestation, and habitat conservation/preservation).
- The honors program is open by departmental permission to regional
planning majors with at least a 3.25 GPA in total university coursework
and a 3.25 GPA in regional planning courses.
- After completing 57
credits, all qualified majors will be invited to join the Regional
Planning Honors Track.
- A minor in Regional Planning is appropriate for majors in all other
fields of the natural and social sciences.
- The minor works well with a Marketing major, an Information Systems major, or many other fields.
- You’ll gain you the knowledge, experience, and credentials you’ll need to enter
this fast-growing sector of the job market or pursue research
opportunities.
- You’ll also prepare to become certified as a Federal Aviation
Administration part 107 remote pilot, operator, or ancillary ground crew
member/observer.
- Prepare for geospatial careers in federal intelligence agencies.
- The
processes you will learn and apply throughout this program will meet
intelligence tradecraft standards and will meet the United States
Geospatial Intelligence Foundation requirements for accreditation.