Program Overview

Urban Policy and Planning Degree

Overview

The Urban Policy and Planning degree program at the University of North Texas (UNT) is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to create sustainable and livable communities. The program focuses on the development of core competencies in areas such as building design, community mapping, demographic data, economic development, environmental issues, and transportation planning.

Program Details

• Degree Type: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
• Program Type: Major
• Format: On Campus
• Estimated Time to Complete: 4 years
• Credit Hours: 120

Why Earn an Urban Policy and Planning Degree?

Urban planners play a vital role in designing and creating communities that provide identity, sustainability, service, and leisure. The primary role of an urban planner is to assist with all facets of land use projects in a community, including adding green spaces, developing arts districts or housing communities, improving street safety, and revitalizing downtown areas.

Marketable Skills

• Formulation of urban plans through impact analysis, forecasting, and visualization techniques
• Program management skills, including grants, budgeting, and scheduling
• Communication skills for public engagement with government officials and citizens
• Research skills, including spatial analysis, historical precedent review, and best practice identification
• Administration of codes and regulations affecting urban living

Program Highlights

• Close affiliation with city governments and planning consulting firms in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
• Opportunities for students to network with local leaders in community development and gain tangible field and work experience
• Faculty with extensive publication and research experience in scholarly journals and national conferences
• Face-to-face, online, and blended course formats to support busy college students
• Courses addressing topics in urban development, the history of cities, and the impact of urban space on communities

Career Outlook

A career in urban planning is classified as a "bright outlook occupation" by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and is currently one of the fastest-growing fields in the world. Earning a degree in Urban Policy and Planning will help prepare students for competitive placement within in-demand areas, including:

• City, regional, state, and federal government
• Consulting
• Housing
• Nonprofits
• Private development
• Transit

Sample Courses

• Urban Planning Studio (6 hrs): Examines the interdependence of cities in metropolitan regions and the importance of urban form and functions.
• Population Demographics and Planning (3 hrs): Examines population trends and changes and the impact of growth on urban form and planning processes.
• Community Development and Collaborative Planning (3 hrs): Analyzes systems that measure community assets and resources and explores the means of identifying and approaching potential collaborative community partners.
• Discover the City/Placemaking in the World (3 hrs): Helps students understand how cities shape life today and into the future.
• Creating Innovative Cities (3 hrs): Explores planning for innovative cities through various theoretical and practical planning approaches.
• Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning (3 hrs): Introduction to planning theory and history as they inform urban development.