Urban Studies & Planning, BA
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Urban Studies & Planning
Students pursuing this major select one (no more than two) of four concentrations:
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. 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: 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.
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 2.75 (A = 4.0). Transfer applicants not meeting these requirements will be considered in special cases.
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Urban Studies & Planning
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.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
fulfilled by UP 312 | ||
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Foundation Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FAA 101 | Arts at Illinois | 1 |
| ECON 102 | Microeconomic Principles | 3 |
| or ACE 100 | Introduction to Applied Microeconomics | |
| UP 116 | Urban Informatics I (or equivalent) | 3 |
| or STAT 100 | Statistics | |
| 3-4 hours selected from: | 3-4 | |
| Intro Asian American Studies | ||
| Intro to African American St | ||
| Contemp Issues in Ind Country | ||
| Global Development & Environment | ||
| Social and Cultural Geography | ||
| Intro Latina/Latino Studies | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
Urban Studies & Planning Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| UP 101 | Introduction to City Planning | 3 |
| UP 201 | Planning in Action | 3 |
| UP 203 | Cities: Planning & Urban Life | 3 |
| or UP 204 | Chicago: Planning & Urban Life | |
| UP 211 | Local Planning, Gov't and Law | 3 |
| UP 312 | Communication for Planners | 4 |
| UP 316 | Urban Informatics II | 3 |
| UP 347 | Junior Planning Workshop | 4 |
| Select one workshop from: | 4 | |
| Land Use Planning Workshop | ||
| Economic Development Workshop | ||
| Sustainable Planning Workshop | ||
| Small Town/Rural Planning Workshop | ||
| Community Development Workshop | ||
| UP 401 | Professional Development Seminar (Individual portfolio development, networking opportunities, and a culmination event.) | 1 |
| Plus 15 hours of UP electives in addition to Foundation, Core, & Concentration | 15 | |
Required Concentration. Choose one below:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Summary of Credits for the Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Planning
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Foundation Courses | 10 | |
| Urban Studies & Planning Core | 43 | |
| Concentration | 9-11 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| A minimum of 40 credits at the 300 or 400 course level are required | ||
| Total Degree Hours | 120 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Urban Studies & Planning
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.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| UP 101 | 3 | UP 116 or STAT 100 | 3 |
| ECON 102 or ACE 100 | 3 | UP 201 | 3 |
| Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 | Language Other than English (3rd level) or Composition I | 4 |
| FAA 101 | 1 | General Education course | 3 |
| Foundation Course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| UP 203 or 204 | 3 | Concentration Gateway course | 3 |
| UP Elective | 3 | UP 211 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | UP Elective | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | Concentration Elective | 4 |
| UP 312 | 4 | UP 316 | 3 |
| UP Elective | 3 | UP 347 | 4 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | UP Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 1 | Free Elective course | 1 |
| 14 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| UP 400-level Workshop | 4 | UP 401 | 1 |
| UP Elective | 3 | Free Elective courses | 14 |
| Free Elective courses | 8 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Urban Studies & Planning
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; and
- 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; and
- 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; and
- data collection and analysis, and data analytics.
- Illustrate professional leadership values including collaborative skills and ethical behavior in research, client representation and decision-making.
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Urban Studies & Planning
Urban & Regional Planning
Department Head: Marc Doussard
Urban & Regional Planning Department website
Urban & Regional Planning Department faculty
111 Temple Buell Hall, 611 Taft Drive, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 333-3890
Urban & Regional Planning email
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