Community Planning, B.A.

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Description

In our Community Planning major, you’ll become a problem solver for communities. We teach you how to find and fix problems, like making cities better places to live and more eco-friendly. This program provides a strong foundation in urban geography, political systems, and social matters. You’ll study urban planning, statistics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), sustainability, and public management, preparing you for a wide range of career opportunities in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

What careers can this major prepare you for?

A major in Community Planning opens up a wide range of career opportunities. You could work in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or private companies. Some possible roles include becoming a city planner, an environmental planner, transportation planner, and economic development specialist, a real estate developer, a community development officer, or a GIS specialist.

What skills are developed within this major?

Skills developed within this major include: analytical skills; problem-solving; critical-thinking; communication; leadership; management; and passion for public service.

Additional Information

Internship opportunities are available to all students, and scholarships are available to qualified students.
The Columbus Seminar provides on-site involvement in government.
A formal mentoring program is available in which juniors and seniors are paired with public service practitioners working in the student’s area of interest.
Students with substantial prior learning/professional experience may apply for credit through the Assessment and Accreditation of Prior Learning Experience program.
Opportunities to participate in small seminar groups, research projects, and online courses are available.

Hours Required for Degree

Minimum hours for the degree: 120

Minimum Hours required for major: 34

School Requirements

Students must fulfill all School of Urban Affairs Requirements , including completion of UST 200 , UST 205 , UST 207 , and UST 404 .

Major Requirements

Community Planning majors are required to complete a minimum of 34 credit hours from the following courses.

Required Courses (9 courses)

Honors Program/University Scholars Requirements

Honors/Scholars students pursuing a major within the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs (Community Planning, B.A. , Environmental Studies, B.A. , Nonprofit Administration, B.A. , Organizational Leadership, B.A. , Public Policy and Management, B.A. , and Public Safety Management, B.A. ) are required to take a minimum of 12 credit hours of 300-400 level honors courses as described below.

Honors Thesis or Exit Requirements (choose one):

Honors/Scholars students may choose to pursue an Honors thesis, consisting of original research supervised by an Urban Affairs faculty member.
Honors/Scholars students may take UST 489 - Advanced Senior Seminar , UST 452 - Management of Urban and Nonprofit Organizations or another capstone requirement as a contract course.

The remaining 9 credit hours of Honors courses shall consist of any combination of contract courses and regular Honors offerings within the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs, with at least one course in the student’s major field.

Degree Completion Programs

For community college transfer students with A.A., A.A.S. and A.A.B. degrees the following degree completion programs may be completed with technical credits transferred into CSU.

Public Management (For transfer students from public administration programs)
Environmental Policy (For transfer students from environmental health and safety technology programs)
Community Health Management (For transfer students from nursing programs)
Paralegal Studies (For transfer students from paralegal studies programs)
Human Services (For transfer students from human services programs)

Accelerated Graduate Programs

Qualifying undergraduates in the School of Urban Affairs may pursue an accelerated graduate degree in Public Administration, Urban Planning and Development, or Nonprofit Management. See Public Administration, Accelerated Master’s BA/MPA , Urban Planning and Development, Accelerated BA/MUPD , and Nonprofit Management, Accelerated Master’s BA/MNM for program requirements.