Major in Urban Planning and Development (BUPD)
The urban planning program prepares students for professional careers as urban planners in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. Graduates work for city, county, and regional planning agencies or the federal government; planning consultants; community development and other nonprofit organizations; and private firms dealing with urban growth and revitalization in large and small communities. Some may go on to earn PhDs and become researchers or professors.
Planning at Ball State combines physical and policy approaches. Students are taught to improve the design quality of constructed environments while protecting and managing our natural and built environments. Students learn the process of community and economic development as applied to small towns and rural areas as well as urban neighborhoods. Whether as private developers or public officials, graduates are expected to have a commitment to improving community life for citizens of all incomes and a broad competence to make both new and old communities better places in which to live.
The Bachelor of Urban Planning and Development degree, which is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board, prepares students for direct entry into and subsequent growth in professional planning careers. Graduates may also pursue advanced degrees in planning or other professional programs.
76-82 credits
CAP First Year Traditional Entry Plan
The traditional entry point into the planning program is through an admissions application to the Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning and a common first-year series of design classes, after which students select a major (planning, architecture, or landscape architecture).
| ARCH 100 | Introduction to Architecture | 2 |
| LA 100 | Introduction to Landscape Architecture | 2 |
| PLAN 100 | Introduction to Urban Planning and Development | 2 |
| CAP 101 | Environmental Design, Communications, and Planning 1 | 4 |
| CAP 102 | Environmental Design, Communications, and Planning 2 | 4 |
| CAP 161 | Design Communications Media 1 | 2 |
Alternative Entry into Urban Planning
Students may opt for the time-saving alternative entry program which does not require an application to the College of Architecture and Planning. The student must have 120 credit hours to graduate and should work closely with the planning advisor to schedule courses. After the completion of PLAN 100 and PLAN 105, students in this track join with their peers from the traditional track to continue common studies together.
| PLAN 100 | Introduction to Urban Planning and Development | 2 |
| PLAN 105 | Introduction to Physical Planning Processes | 6 |
Required Courses
Regardless of the entry courses taken, all planning students are required to take the following.
3 credits from
9 credits from PLAN electives
| CAP 498 | Special Projects in College of Architecture and Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 412 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for Urban Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 425 | Urban Agriculture as Community Development | 3 |
| PLAN 498 | Special Projects in Urban Planning and Development | 1-9 |
| PLAN 433 | Environmental Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 485 | Introduction to Community Development and Enterprise Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 486 | Methods of Public Interest Development | 3 |
| PLAN 490 | Independent Study in Planning | 1 TO 9 |
| PLAN 431 | Urban Transportation Planning | 3 |
| PLAN 430 | Housing and Community Development | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 76-82