Methods and Core Courses

Methods Courses

Students are required to complete three methods courses, as recommended by their faculty advisors, from among the following six courses:

702 Social Science Research Methods Data, data collection, sampling, surveys, coding, organizing and analyzing data, levels of measurement, historical and content analysis, and qualitative methods. (4 credit hours)

704 Economic Analysis For Planners Shift-share analysis, input-output, basic econometric modeling, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, and more advanced evaluation techniques. (4 credit hours)

705 Methods Of Physical Analysis Planning graphics and mapping; physical data selection and recording; and physical analysis, including the mapping and analysis of political characteristics, environmental data, topography, land use, zoning, transportation, infrastructure and buildings; photography, report graphics and presentation methods used in planning. (4 credit hours)

712 Planning Methods And Techniques Simple and multiple linear regression, time series, population and employment projections, cohort survival, economic base and gravity models. (4 credit hours)

754 Computer Graphics for Planners Basic skills and presentation graphics, image manipulation and photography, desktop and Web design and publishing. ArcView, Photoshop, PowerPoint, Pagemaker, Excel and Netscape Composer. (4 credit hours)

780 Computer Graphics for Planners and Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for Planners Fundamental understanding of GIS, software availability, hardware configurations, database management, GIS project implementation and a wide variety of issues associated with the application of GIS; included is a hands-on laboratory. (4 credit hours)

Core Courses

All students must also complete these core courses:

701 Concepts and Issues in Planning Practice Overview of significant contemporary urban and regional planning and policy issues and their historic and intergovernmental contexts; broad introduction to the main ideas and approaches underlying the practice of urban and regional planning. (4 credit hours)

703 Planning Theory Systematic analysis and evaluation of theoretical foundations and specific theories of planning. (4 credit hours)

709 Comprehensive Planning Workshop Planning and policy implications of one significant urban or metropolitan issue, one section emphasizing primarily quantitative analysis modeling, the other qualitative social and aesthetic issues. (5 credit hours)

711 Planning Law and Administration Exploration of the legal foundation of planning practice and of organizational environments and administrative practices characterizing planning practice. (4 credit hours)

714 Finance and Budgeting for Planners Fiscal and budgetary issues and methods in local and state governments, especially as related to urban and regional planning issues and shapes by broader economic policies and intergovernmental transfers. (4 credit hours)

716 Structure and Dynamics of Human Settlements Historical comparative approaches to urban spatial structure. (4 credit hours)

731 Political and Ethical Issues in Planning Examination of political and ethical issues in planning practice linking current and projected large-scale national and urban problems and professional practice, knowledge and growth. (4 credit hours)

753 Statistics for Planners Enables planning students to utilize sample data to prepare, implement and evaluate policy and planning decisions; course covers research methods related to statistics, measurement principles, descriptive statistics, tests of significance for single and multiple samples and an introduction to regression analysis. (4 credit hours)