Why study Urban Planning?

Urban planning and management are key municipal functions in the United States and Western Europe. In the rapidly growing developing world, urban expansion has far outstripped the capacity of city governments to cope with the bewildering array of problems this mass movement and spatial reorganization of the population generates. Huge, difficult-to-manage, multi-centered megacities continue to emerge worldwide, along with the proliferation of thousands of other smaller cities. Nevertheless, the attraction of urban life has never been greater. With more than 50 percent of the world’s population living in cities at the turn of the century, the 21st century will be the world’s first truly urban era.

The challenge this urbanized world poses is the substance of the planning profession. Planners are dedicated to developing innovative approaches to managing cities and planning their development. The constructive management of change is at the heart of the profession. Planners often work in local governments and communities, but their concerns are issues that affect the world — land use, social policy, historic preservation, transportation, housing, economic development, policy planning, environmental protection, urban design and international development. Planners are visionaries working for a better future through improvements in the quality of life in one or more of these areas.

Career Possibilities

Urban planners develop solutions for many of society’s most pressing problems, providing a variety of services to cities, towns, states, regions and private clients interested in changing their physical, economic or social structures. A planner may generate plans to house the poor, create jobs, design public parks, preserve historic buildings or resolve traffic congestion and environmental problems.

The future is bright in the field of planning. Graduates go on to both private- and public-sector jobs. Opportunities continue to grow, and salaries remain competitive. Additionally, planning graduates are often given significant professional responsibility and challenges quite early in their careers.

Additional career options are listed on the Center for Exploratory Studies website.

Minoring in Urban Planning

While there is not a minor in urban planning, students may choose to earn a certificate in one of the following programs: urban planning, urban design, or historic preservation.

Students interested in applying to a certificate program must submit a completed application to the DAAP Student Affairs Office, 5470 Aronoff.

The certificate in planning gives students skills in the planning way of thinking, essential in business, industry, public service and the arts. Students are given specific skills that are grounded in specific theories. A proficiency in basic statistics is required at the time of admission or shortly thereafter.

The certificate of historic preservation is open to degree candidates in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning and the College of Arts and Sciences. This program is designed to develop an appreciation for and a working knowledge of the issues and techniques involved in historic preservation.

Major Maps

• Guide: Urban Planning (edit Effective Fall 2024)
• Guide: Urban Planning (Effective Fall 2021)
• Guide: Urban Planning Effective Fall 2019
• Guide: Urban Planning: BUP/MCP (Effective Fall 2021)
• Guide: Urban Planning: BUP/MCP (Effective Fall 2019)

Advising

Prospective students are encouraged to explore the information on our website and contact DAAP Student Affairs at 513-556-1376 or daap-admissions@uc.edu with questions. The Transfer and Transition Advising Center is available to assist prospective transfer and transition students. Current DAAP students are assigned an academic advisor based on their major/program. For more information on DAAP advising, please visit the DAAP Undergraduate Advising webpage.

UC Advantages and Special Opportunities

• The city of Cincinnati, once called the "Queen City of the West" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, provides an excellent array of cultural resources for students who intend to pursue a degree in the visual arts. It offers the energy and assets of a larger city, along with quiet neighborhoods steeped in rich traditions. Cincinnati offers live music venues that range from top-notch symphony and opera companies to a growing pop and rock community. Home to the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Taft Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center, the city also enjoys the presence of numerous art galleries and a strong support system among practicing artists.
• UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) is one of the most comprehensive colleges of its type in the country. A collection of nationally respected design and art programs is housed in a unique and educationally stimulating architectural setting. Students have opportunities to enroll in courses in a range of related disciplines and to participate in interdisciplinary studios or special projects.
• Students learn creative and technical skills in the studio environment, taught by a passionate faculty who interact with their students on a daily basis. The goal is to guide students as they grow both intellectually and professionally.
• Other educational opportunities include study abroad and minor and certificate programs within the college and the university. Students are encouraged to share their interests in these opportunities with their academic advisor.
• The Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning has an outstanding collection of books, periodicals and visual resources supporting architecture, planning, design, art history and related subjects. Access to library holdings is provided by an automated online catalogue, UCLID, which provides access to the University of Cincinnati Library information database, and through OhioLINK, the holdings of other academic libraries throughout Ohio.
• DAAP’s multiple labs, centers and initiatives support our programs and the creative work and research of our faculty, staff, and students.

Special Programs

• The University of Cincinnati's School of Planning is the only urban planning program in the country which requires a cooperative education experience. Urban planning students work for both small and large businesses across the country. Students begin their co-op experiences during their sophomore year, and alternate semesters of full-time work and study on a year-round calendar until the final semester of the fifth year (there is no tuition for the semesters students work). They graduate with five semesters, or a year and a half, of work experience in their field.
• The School of Planning offers several alternative educational experiences available to its students. One is an exchange program wherein students may enroll for one semester in another academic institution either here or abroad. Formal programs exist in the Netherlands and in Turkey. 
• Computer Requirements: All undergraduate students in this program are required to purchase a personal laptop computer. Each discipline has its own specific recommendations for hardware and software. Please note that these recommendations may be slightly altered as equipment evolves. Therefore, students new to DAAP are encouraged to delay their computer purchase until the summer prior to entering to make the most informed computer purchase. Many of our programs have additional technology requirements for students in the later years of study.

Admission Requirements

The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning at the University of Cincinnati seeks to attract, enroll, and graduate academically talented students of varied and diverse backgrounds. Success in our programs is largely dependent upon sound academic preparation. In multidisciplinary programs like those in DAAP, students’ insight and perspective are greatly enhanced by exposure to students from different backgrounds, geographies, and co-curricular interests. DAAP has an admissions review process to support these goals. Please note that it’s impossible to predict – or guarantee – what credentials a student will need to gain admission into DAAP, because the size and quality of the applicant pool varies each year.

Please visit the Admissions Office's website for more information, including application materials, requirements, deadlines, and timelines.

Transferring to UC Requirements

Students seeking to transfer from another regionally accredited university or college must be in good standing to be considered for admission. Students wishing to transfer into a DAAP program should submit a Transfer Application. Transfer students are generally admitted to the first year of our studio-based, co-op programs due to the sequence of studios and co-op. For further information such as minimum grade point average and application deadlines, please refer to the DAAP Transfer and Transition webpage.

Changing Majors within UC Requirements

Students seeking to transfer from other colleges and programs at UC must be in good standing to be considered for admission. Students wishing to transition into a DAAP program should submit an Application for Change in College and Program. Transition students are generally admitted to the first year of our studio-based, co-op programs due to the sequence of studios and co-op. For further information such as minimum grade point average and application deadlines, please refer to the DAAP Transfer and Transition webpage.

International Student Requirements

Please visit the university’s Office of Admissions website for general admissions information and application requirements for international students.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a total of 120 credit hours for graduation. Students must also complete five semesters (or six quarters) of mandatory professional practice (co-op) and receive a satisfactory (S) for all required work semsters. Students must obtain a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 and, in addition, must have at least a 2.0 grade point average for the senior year to be eligible for graduation. In order to be eligible for graduation with honors, a student must have earned at least a 3.6 grade point average and 60 semester hours.

Application Deadlines

High school applicants who submit a complete application by the December 1 Early Action deadline will be pooled and reviewed for selection. Early Action applicants can expect to learn their admission decision on Cincinnati Decision Day. This date varies by year and is shared on the university’s Office of Admissions website. Students who apply by December 1 also receive maximum scholarship consideration. Applications received after December 1 may be considered on a space-available basis.

Students seeking to transfer from other colleges and programs at UC or another regionally accredited university or college should submit a complete application for admission by the priority deadline of March 1 for the following academic year.

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Urban Planning program at the University of Cincinnati is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB).