Urban Studies & Planning: Policy & Planning, BA
Program Overview
Urban Studies & Planning: Policy & Planning, BA
The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers a program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning. The aim of urban planning is to sustain and enhance the quality of life in cities and regions. Therefore, in addition to technical skills, students also acquire a broad liberal education that leads to an understanding of the natural and social environments, their problems, and their potential for enriching human life.
Overview
The urban planning degree emphasizes skills in analysis, problem solving, and communication within complex urban and social contexts. As a result, undergraduate planning education leads to diverse professional careers or graduate study in urban planning or related professions, such as law, business, public policy, or public administration. Continuation in the program requires the student to maintain a 2.00 grade point average. The degree is professionally accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.
Concentrations
Concentrations: Admitted students are not admitted directly to a concentration. Students declare their concentration in the first or second year of study. Electing one of the four concentrations is required for graduation. The concentrations are transcriptable. Students may choose two concentrations, if they complete both gateway courses and distinct concentration courses, with no overlap. No more than two concentrations are permitted.
Admission Requirements
A transfer student must have completed 30 or more semester hours of acceptable undergraduate college work (including introductory courses in microeconomics, statistics, and sociology; a sequence in English composition is desirable) with an earned grade point average of at least 2.0 (A = 4.0). Transfer applicants not meeting these requirements will be considered in special cases.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
- Composition I: 4-6 hours
- Advanced Composition: 3 hours (fulfilled by UP 312)
- Humanities & the Arts: 6 hours
- Natural Sciences & Technology: 6 hours
- Social & Behavioral Sciences: 6 hours (fulfilled by ECON 102 or ACE 100; and AAS 100 or AFRO 100 or GGIS 101 or GGIS 104 or LLS 100 or SOC 100)
- Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures: 3 hours
- Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures: 3 hours
- Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures: 3 hours
- Quantitative Reasoning: 6-10 hours (fulfilled by UP 116 or STAT 100; and UP 316)
- Language Requirement: Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required: 0-15 hours
Foundation Courses
- FAA 101: Arts at Illinois: 1 hour
- ECON 102: Microeconomic Principles: 3 hours (or ACE 100: Introduction to Applied Microeconomics)
- UP 116: Urban Informatics I: 3 hours (or STAT 100: Statistics)
- 3-4 hours selected from:
- AAS 100: Intro Asian American Studies
- AFRO 100: Intro to African American St
- GGIS 101: Global Development & Environment
- GGIS 104: Social and Cultural Geography
- LLS 100: Intro Latina/Latino Studies
- SOC 100: Introduction to Sociology
Urban Studies & Planning Core
- UP 101: Introduction to City Planning: 3 hours
- UP 201: Planning in Action: 3 hours
- UP 203: Cities: Planning & Urban Life: 3 hours (or UP 204: Chicago: Planning & Urban Life)
- UP 211: Local Planning, Gov't and Law: 3 hours
- UP 312: Communication for Planners: 4 hours
- UP 316: Urban Informatics II: 3 hours
- UP 347: Junior Planning Workshop: 4 hours
- Select one workshop from:
- UP 447: Land Use Planning Workshop
- UP 455: Economic Development Workshop
- UP 456: Sustainable Planning Workshop
- UP 457: Small Town/Rural Planning Workshop
- UP 478: Community Development Workshop
- UP 401: Professional Development Seminar: 1 hour
- Plus 15 hours of UP electives in addition to Foundation, Core, & Concentration: 15 hours
Policy & Planning Concentration
- Select 3 courses from:
- UP 230: Transportation Planning: Fundamentals and Innovations
- UP 317: Introduction to Urban Data Science
- UP 330: The Modern American City
- UP 340: Planning for Healthy Cities
- UP 345: Economic Development Planning
- UP 357: The Land Development Process
- UP 407: State and Local Public Finance
- UP 409: Economics for Planners
- UP 420: Plng for Historic Preservation
- UP 425: Equitable Land Use
- UP 430: Urban Transportation Planning
- UP 431: Urban Transportation Modeling
- UP 434: Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning
- UP 437: Public Transportation Planning
- UP 438: Disasters and Urban Planning
- UP 443: Scenarios, Plans & Future Cities
- UP 460: Transportation/Land Use Policy
- UP 473: Housing & Urban Policy
- UP 475: Real Estate Development Fundamentals
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
- First Year:
- First Semester:
- UP 101: Introduction to City Planning: 3 hours
- ECON 102: Microeconomic Principles: 3 hours (or ACE 100: Introduction to Applied Microeconomics)
- Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level): 4 hours
- FAA 101: Arts at Illinois: 1 hour
- Foundation course: 3 hours
- Free Elective course: 1 hour
- Second Semester:
- UP 116 or STAT 100: 3 hours
- UP 201: Planning in Action: 3 hours
- Language Other than English (3rd level) or Composition I: 4 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- First Semester:
- Second Year:
- First Semester:
- UP 203 or UP 204: 3 hours
- UP Elective: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- Free Elective course: 3 hours
- Second Semester:
- UP 211: Local Planning, Gov't and Law: 3 hours
- UP Elective: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- Policy & Planning Concentration Elective: 3 hours
- First Semester:
- Third Year:
- First Semester:
- Policy & Planning Concentration Elective: 3 hours
- UP 312: Communication for Planners: 4 hours
- UP Elective: 3 hours
- General Education course: 3 hours
- Free Elective course: 1 hour
- Second Semester:
- Policy & Planning Concentration Elective: 3 hours
- UP 316: Urban Informatics II: 3 hours
- UP 347: Junior Planning Workshop: 4 hours
- UP Elective: 3 hours
- Free Elective course: 2 hours
- First Semester:
- Fourth Year:
- First Semester:
- UP 400-level Workshop: 4 hours
- UP Elective: 3 hours
- Free Elective courses: 8 hours
- Second Semester:
- UP 401: Professional Development Seminar: 1 hour
- Free Elective courses: 14 hours
- First Semester:
Learning Outcomes
Students who complete a degree in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning will be able to:
- Identify and understand the planners’ role in:
- advocating for racial and economic equity
- planning for the needs of disadvantaged groups
- expanding choice and opportunity
- reducing inequities through critical evaluation of systems and institutions
- planning for sustainable communities
- reducing impacts of climate change
- creating equitable and climate-adapted futures
- Demonstrate planning proficiency in a global context in the areas of:
- history, theory, law, and institutions
- the evolution of the practice of planning
- urban and regional development
- Build and put into practice a set of skills that are central to the planning profession, including skills specific to:
- communication, community engagement, and the planning process
- research and critical thinking
- mapping and data visualization
- data collection and analysis, and data analytics
- Illustrate professional leadership values including collaborative skills and ethical behavior in research, client representation, and decision-making.