Introduction to Urban Planning is a five-week intensive summer program offering university credit to familiarize students with the skills, knowledge, and professional opportunities related to the field. The 2024 course will be held in-person. This pre-professional program is for those who are interested in urban planning, may be considering it as a career, or may wish to get a head start for application to graduate school. 

This is a city-focused program combining lectures, small discussion groups, field trips, and collaboration. Students are introduced to a number of interconnected urban planning topics—including housing, community development, food access, adaptation for climate change, and transportation, among others—through readings, discussions, and site visits. We build students’ knowledge of what urban planners do and how their work affects residents, businesses, and communities and shapes the built environment. Group work and discussion topics are designed to show the depth of the urban planning field, diverse roles of urban planners, a wide range of careers and career opportunities, and planning’s unique role in shaping outcomes around sustainability, equity, and justice. 

Students attend classes four afternoons a week for five weeks, attending a combination of lecture, small group discussion, site visit, team project, and workshop. While lectures cover a spectrum of requisite knowledge for planning, students also work in small groups directly under the guidance of one instructor on projects and in focused discussions. Students also are connected with professionals in a variety of roles related to urban planning, and learn about their career paths. 

Students must apply online. An official transcript of the applicant’s most recent work and a resumé are required. Applicants should indicate on their application their preference for the Urban Planning focus within Introduction to Architecture. When the application is complete, the Office of Admissions will notify the applicant of the admission decision.

In addition to Intro to Urban Planning, the Summer 2024 program options also include Intro to Architecture, Intro to Historic Preservation, and Intro to Real Estate.