Urban Planning Schools?

[TGSwimFly]

Being a junior in high school, I've started the college searching process that will continue for several months to come. I am very interested in architecture and urban planning and have been looking at some schools that feature those majors. In my searches so far, it seems that architecture is a more common major.

My question, then, is if anyone knows any good schools with strong urban planning programs? Any options are welcome!

Also, I'm visiting the Pratt Institute and Carnegie-Mellon and was wondering if anyone had personal information on these schools.

Thanks, guys

[vanshnookenraggen]

The problem I found was that most schools with urban planning only offer it as a Masters and schools with it as an Undergrad are insanely hard to get into (MIT).

I'd recommend either going Architecture or something else for Undergrad and then getting your Masters in UP. I am doing the latter.

I went to see Pratt in the summer of 2001. The school was fine but the neighborhood was ghetto. I haven't been back but I am told it has been gentrified and is now very expensive. The school itself is pretty good but more of an art school. If you don't mind pretentious hipsters, it's a good place.

You have to take into account that you will probably change your mind after a year or two. I would recommend a liberal arts type school that has architecture just so if you change your mind you could just switch majors instead of transferring (which is a bitch, I've done it twice). This is just from personal experience, your college carrier may be very different. Good luck.

[a630]

Hi,
Bryn Mawr College (all girls) has a Growth and Structure of Cities major. Students at Haverford and Swarthmore can major at Bryn Mawr. In MA, Worcester State has an Urban Studies major. Lots of schools have urban studies minor programs. The UC system has undergrad geography programs if you want to make a move cross country. Mind you any of the pragmatic tools involved in planning are not taught at the undergraduate level in any program I know of, thoroughly anyway, so don't stress about finding an undergrad planning program. MUP programs don't have any biases when it comes to applicants' undergrad majors, so long as you demonstrate an interest in planning through some experience, academic or professional.

[TGSwimFly]

Originally Posted by vanshnookenraggen

The problem I found was that most schools with urban planning only offer it as a Masters

Yeah, I've definitely noticed that too. I was worried that I was just not finding schools with UP as an undergraduate program, but I guess it's quite uncommon.

Originally Posted by vanshnookenraggen

The school was fine but the neighborhood was ghetto. I haven't been back but I am told it has been gentrified and is now very expensive.

I have a few friends at Pratt and they have stressed what a turn-around the neighborhood has taken. Supposedly Brooklyn is rapidly becoming the new Manhattan, and most of the undesirables are simply getting priced-out of the area. But I guess visiting is the only way of knowing...

Thanks for the info, guys.

[vanshnookenraggen]

You could always go the "Good Will Hunting" route and just read all the books:

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Urban-Stud...ning/index.htm

[bowesst]

What are the salary ranges for someone with a Masters in UP? Do they usually work for private firms or for city govt?

[Patrick]

vanshnookenraggen is right about the liberal arts school part, I switched majors a few times...

Bowesst...I would guess this depends on the variables of city size, degree of planning that needs to be done, and the school from which the degree comes. Someone with an MIT degree working in NYC would do very well for themselves. But in Portland, Maine the salaries are rather small. And, from what I can gather, UPs generally work as city employees.

I would suggest you pursue architecture. I toured the BAC back in High School and loved it....probably wouldnt be much of a traditional college experience, though.

[Patrick]

I just noticed the date of the original post...he has probably already been accepted somewhere.

[statler]

Originally Posted by Patrick

I just noticed the date of the original post...he has probably already been accepted somewhere.

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:56 pm

???

[Patrick]

Originally Posted by statler

Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:56 pm

???

haha...Im at work and I just briefly glanced at the date he joined AB, which is similar to the date most others (re)joined. My mistake.

[WindyCity]

Although colleges with UP as a bachelors degree can be hard to find, there are several. I'm not sure what area your looking to go to college in, but I can think of several in the Midwest. I graduated from U of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with an undergrad degree in Urban and Regional Planning. I would reccommend the program, and it has an excellent reputation in the midwest. I was able to find an internship which led into a full time job after I graduated.
I think its best to get a planning degree in the part of the country you want to end up working in. Although the basic pricipals in planning which you learn as an undergrad can be applied pretty much anywhere, each part of the country does planning a little different (different processes/forms of government/types of regulations, etc...) so if you want to stay on the Eastcoast I would say look for schools on the Eastcoast that offer planning undergrad degrees.
As for the midwest, U of Mich, U of I Chicago and Urbana-Champaign, and Washington University in St Louis all offer planning as an undergrad degree and are very well respected schools (edit: I'm not sure Wash U St Louis offers it as an undergrad).
Anyhow, just my two cents....

[kz1000ps]

If you haven't gone already, www.cyburbia.org is the internet forum for urban planning. I did a bit of digging around there and found this link, a Google MyMaps of every UP school in the US and Canada.. very, very handy for the visual learners:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en...2720e56174094a