Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Community Design

The Bachelor of Community Design is a multidisciplinary field that aims to promote the health and well-being of communities. This involves thinking about how to better use land, resources, facilities, and services to secure physical, economic, and social prosperity. Planning helps make communities thrive.

Program Overview

Planners are problem solvers who are trained to analyze a range of urban, regional, environmental, and community challenges. They make recommendations on the direction of cities and regions, working with residents and elected officials to guide a better future for everyone. Within this diverse field, planners work to design inclusive public spaces, efficient transportation, and sustainable communities.

Why Choose the Planning Program at Dalhousie University?

The program offers students the opportunity to work in a collegial and cooperative atmosphere with small class sizes and place-based learning. Through a mixture of lecture, seminar, and studio courses, students learn the foundational theories of planning rooted in the natural and social sciences. The program will interest students who want to study the interconnections between the human and natural worlds and apply that knowledge to solve problems confronting communities, the environment, and cities.

Approach to Education

The approach to education involves experiential learning, with projects done in cooperation with community clients. The School of Planning has established relationships with local professional planning organizations, community advocacy non-profits, and development firms that enrich the program through professional networking, industry events, and employment opportunities.

Program Options

• The professional (accredited) degree is the Bachelor of Community Design (BCD), Honours (four-year) degree.
  • Students choose between a major in Environmental Planning and a major in Urban Design and Planning.
  • Students may combine either major with a major in Sustainability.
• Graduates from the BCD Honours degree are eligible to become Professional Planners recognized by the Professional Standards Board and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP).
• Two non-accredited degrees are also offered: a four-year BCD Double Major with Sustainability, and a three-year BCD.
• The honours year allows students who excelled in the first three years of the BCD program to deepen their knowledge, refine their skills, and gain a degree that will lead them to a career in planning.

Application Requirements

• Students wishing to enter the program must have completed grade 12 with a 70% or greater average in five grade 12 subjects, including English, Math, and one Science.
• Other recommended grade 12 courses include Biology and/or Geography.
• A background in art or design is an asset.
• Applications from students with university backgrounds are also welcome.
• Based on previous university course work, credit for some Community Design requirements may be eligible for transfer.
• Students with a full year of transfer credits may apply to take first and second year requirements concurrently.

Career Opportunities

Graduates holding the honours planning degree are employed as professional planners across Canada. The School of Planning has established relationships with local professional planning organizations, community advocacy non-profits, and development firms that enrich the program through professional networking, industry events, and employment opportunities.