What are good urban planning programs for people with bachelor's degrees in visual arts?

July 1, 2009 9:02 AM

My sister is entering last year of art school this fall but she wants to seek an urban planning graduate degree afterwards. What are good urban planning programs for people with bachelor's degrees in visual arts?

This previous question is very similar but is focused on where someone with a computer science BS should go. She's already looking at Rutgers, Pratt and UC Berkeley.

posted by Kattullus to education (2 comments total)

For super-broad information, Wikipedia has a short page on Master of Urban Planning programs, including a link to Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. From personal experience, I went through the undergrad program at Cal Poly, but took some grad-level courses in my free time. The courses are very hands-on, and the setting is quite nice.

Personal background is good to note, but what direction does she want to go? Environmental, community design, traffic planning, etc., or does she know?
posted by filthy light thief at 9:48 AM on July 1

Are you asking what programs are most likely to accept your sister given her visual arts degree... or are you asking which programs emphasize the design-oriented sub-disciplines within planning? Her degree isn't all that relevant; what matters, as filthy light thief says, is what type of planning she wants to do, if she knows.

This downloadable book describes all planning schools and what they emphasize, as well as providing insights into what planners do and how to choose a program. She might also find The Planning Accreditation Board and its list of accredited programs informative. There's a lot of good information on the American Planning Association's web site; if she's not a member, there are discounts available for students.

In general, planning programs that align with architecture (or landscape architecture) departments are more design-oriented than the freestanding ones. The state schools that offer programs at more than one campus can vary in orientation. For example, the program at the University of Wisconsin's Milwaukee campus emphasizes physical planning much more than does URPL, its counterpart at the Madison campus (which I attended).
posted by carmicha at 1:47 PM on July 1 [1 favorite has favorites]