PDF version of this chapterMaster of Planning
The planning of cities is as old as urban civilization. However, the contemporary planning profession has expanded to include a broad range of applications that draws upon emphases of foresight, common good and interconnections of elements in human settlements. Planners are now engaged in evaluating and guiding community and urban development at all geographic scales, both in the U.S. and around the globe, through the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Planners will play a role of increasing importance in managing the pressing problems and competing demands of change and growth in the 21st century. The Master of Planning (M.Pl.) curriculum reflects this forward-looking and constantly evolving role.
The M.Pl. curriculum provides a core of knowledge underlying the key forms and applications of planning. This gives the basis for a wide choice of specific careers in the field and extends the relevance and value of graduate education over an extended period of time. A goal of the M.Pl. curriculum is to prepare planners to practice anywhere in the world.
The M.Pl. program is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.
All persons pursuing the M.Pl. will complete core courses which present basic theories, techniques and methods.
Concentrations within the curriculum enable students to focus on one of five broad areas. The concentrations are: preservation and design of the built environment; social and community development; transportation and land use; economic development; and land use, sustainability and regional growth. Specific topic areas of interest in planning, such as housing or urban growth, often span these concentrations and may be pursued accordingly.
A concentration in any of these areas qualifies graduates for a wide range of private, public and nonprofit sector careers with government agencies, consulting firms, corporations, utilities, international technical assistance programs, nonprofit and special interest organizations and joint public-private ventures.
Curriculum Requirements
The program of study for this professional graduate degree requires completion of 48 units, including 16 units of core curriculum, eight units of lab/workshops, 4 units of specialization methodology and 20 units of electives. A comprehensive examination and an approved non-credit internship are also required. The degree may be pursued on either a full-time or part-time basis.Core Curriculum
| The core curriculum comprises seven lecture-seminar courses: | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| PPD 500 | Cross-Sectoral Governance | 4 |
| PPD 524 | Planning Theory | 2 |
| PPD 525 | Statistics and Arguing from Data | 2 |
| PPD 526 | Comparative International Development | 2 |
| PPD 527 | The Social Context of Planning | 2 |
| PPD 528 | The Urban Economy | 2 |
| PPD 529 | Legal Environment of Planning | 2 |
| 16 | ||
Laboratory/Workshops
Laboratory/workshops are an integral part of the curriculum of the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, providing the essential educational link between academic education and the world in which graduates will function as professionals. The laboratory/workshops require that students learn to work together as a team by applying their respective capabilities and knowledge to a common problem; much of their work as professionals will involve this kind of collaborative effort.Local agencies, communities and firms often sponsor PPD 531L to obtain research and analysis. Community groups seek assistance from laboratory/workshops as a means of informing themselves more thoroughly on community problems and issues or for obtaining planning analysis otherwise unavailable to them. The products of laboratory/workshops are usually in the form of policy recommendations, a suggested plan or alternative plans, databases, background information, base maps, or any one of many specific contributions.
Each summer, the school offers one or more international laboratory/workshops (PPD 532L). Recent international labs have been held in Mexico, Venezuela, Vietnam, Italy and China. All students are encouraged to take at least one international laboratory course, especially students in the international planning and development concentration. Travel expenses are not included in tuition.
Students will complete a total of 8 units of PPD 531L (4) and/or PPD 532L (4) to satisfy this requirement.
Specialization Methodology
Students select one methodology course appropriate to their concentration area or professional interests in consultation with their academic advisor.| PPD 612 | Research and Analytical Techniques | 4 |
| PPD 617 | Urban Demography and Growth | 4 |
| PPD 627 | Design Skills for Urban Planners | 4 |
| PPD 631 | Urban Information Systems | 4 |
| PPD 632 | Planning Analysis and Evaluation | 4 |
| PPD 633 | Urban Transportation Planning and Management | 4 |
| PPD 637 | Forecasting and Urban Planning: A Survey of Theory and Methods | 4 |
| PPD 707 | Survey Research Methods | 4 |
| PPD 708 | Qualitative Methods 4 | |
| RED 509 | Market Analysis for Real Estate | 4 |
| RED 542 | Finance of Real Estate Development | 3 |
Planning Electives
Students may elect one or two concentrations, which represent the areas of most rapid professional and intellectual development within the field of planning. One concentration must contain 12 units of which at least eight units must be selected from the curriculum of the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. The remaining elective units may be chosen from any category. Non-school courses may be selected by the student with the approval of an academic advisor and must be directly concerned with the subject matter of the concentration.The courses listed under each concentration are illustrative; other approved graduate elective courses may be selected with the approval of an academic advisor. Concentrations are not mandatory, but strongly encouraged, as they represent the teaching and research strengths of the school. Courses may be listed in several concentrations.
Economic Development: PLUS 623 (4), PPD 614 (4), PPD 616 (4), PPD 617 (4), PPD 618 (4), PPD 622 (4), PPD 624 (4), PPD 625 (4), PPD 626 (4), PPD 629 (4), PPD 630 (4), RED 509 (4), RED 542 (3), RED 546 (3)
Land Use, Sustainability, and Regional Growth: CE 564 (4), GEOG 611 (4), PPD 417 (4), PPD 425 (4), PPD 461 (4), PPD 616 (4), PPD 617 (4), PPD 618 (4), PPD 619 (4), PPD 620 (4), PPD 623 (4), PPD 637 (4), PPD 692 (4)
Preservation and Design of the Built Environment: ARCH 450 (4), ARCH 550 (4), PLUS 615 (4), PLUS 631 (4), PLUS 633 (4), PPD 417 (4), PPD 425 (4), PPD 470 (4), PPD 617 (4), PPD 618 (4), PPD 619 (4), PPD 622 (4), PPD 623 (4), PPD 627 (4), RED 573 (2), RED 574 (2), RED 575L (4)
Social and Community Development: PLUS 600 (4), PLUS 623 (4), PLUS 626 (4), PLUS 633 (4), PPD 417 (4), PPD 616 (4), PPD 617 (4), PPD 618 (4), PPD 621 (4), PPD 623 (4), PPD 628 (4), PPD 629 (4), PPD 631 (4), PPD 689 (4), PPD 707 (4), PPD 708 (4)
Transportation and Land Use: PLUS 680 (4), PPD 417 (4), PPD 617 (4), PPD 619 (4), PPD 623 (4), PPD 630 (4), PPD 631 (4), PPD 632 (4), PPD 633 (4), PPD 634 (4), PPD 635 (4), PPD 692 (4)
Comprehensive Examination
Successful completion of a comprehensive written and oral project-oriented examination is required of all students seeking the Master of Planning degree (except for students pursuing the dual degree with either economics or gerontology). The examination integrates accumulated lessons of the core courses and laboratory/workshops, but it is expected that students will also utilize material covered in their specialization methodology and concentration(s) and/or electives.The comprehensive examination normally is given in the spring semester of each year. Students usually take the examination in the last semester of their second year.
The examination is administered by a faculty committee appointed by the M.Pl. program director and the dean. Examinations are graded on an honors/pass/fail basis. Students who fail the examination may take it again within one year. The examination may only be repeated once.
Internship
Students working toward the Master of Planning degree must complete an internship of at least 10 weeks' duration and a minimum of 400 hours in an organization engaged in planning or a closely related activity. Students must submit a report describing and evaluating the internship experience. Arrangements must also be made for an evaluative report of the internship by the student's supervisor submitted directly to the academic advisor. The internship is not for unit credit.Students often fulfill their internship while working part-time in a planning-related job during their course of study in the program or in the summer between the two academic years. If a student has had equivalent experience prior to admission to the program, the internship may be waived by the dean on the recommendation of the student's academic advisor.
The school provides information to students concerning internship and summer employment opportunities. While it is the ultimate responsibility of the student to secure the internship and fulfill the requirement, the school does have an Office of Career Services that actively works with school alumni and area planning organizations to place students in appropriate internships. There are numerous internship opportunities in the greater Los Angeles area.
Directed Research
With the advice of the faculty, a student may elect to enroll in directed research either as an elective or as a substitute for up to four units of the laboratory/workshops requirement. Working directly with a faculty member, the student pursues an interest or problem appropriate to the student's program of study.The final product of directed research will be approved by the faculty member supervising the student. This may be a written report, graphic formulation, physical model, mathematical-statistical analysis, computer output or film -- depending on the most appropriate expression of the research undertaken.
General Requirements
Residence and Course Load
The Master of Planning normally requires two academic years of full-time study. Courses are also scheduled to allow completion on a part-time basis.At least 36 units of graduate-level study must be done in residence at USC. The residency requirement may not be interrupted without prior permission from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. Students accepted into the program with academic deficiencies will require a correspondingly longer time to complete their course work. Students seeking the degree on a part-time basis must take at least one course each semester.
Students must be enrolled at USC for the fall and spring semesters each year until all degree requirements have been met. Students who find it necessary to be excused from a semester of registration must request a leave of absence from the Student Affairs Office by the last day to drop/add courses of the semester in question; such leaves may be granted for up to one year. For additional information refer to USC policies governing continuous enrollment, readmission, and leaves of absence in the Academic Policies section of this catalogue.
Time Limits
All requirements for the Master of Planning must be completed within five calendar years from the beginning of the semester in which the student was admitted to the program. University regulations prohibit the acceptance of credits for courses taken toward the Master of Planning degree more than seven years after the date they were successfully completed.Grade Point Average Requirement
While enrolled in the program a student must maintain a grade point average of at least a 3.0 for all courses taken toward the degree.Probation and Disqualification
Any student with a cumulative grade point average below 3.0 for all courses taken in the program will be placed on academic probation. A student whose semester grade point average is below 3.0, but whose cumulative grade point average is 3.0 or higher, will be placed on academic warning.A student may be disqualified to continue toward a graduate degree if the student has been on academic probation for two consecutive semesters. Whether or not on academic probation or warning, a student may be disqualified at any time from continuing in the program if the dean of the school, after consultation with the faculty, determines that the student is deficient in academic achievement or in another qualification required for the attainment of the Master of Planning degree.
Course Exemptions and Transfer of Credits
Graduate work by transfer may be accepted from approved graduate schools as determined by the USC Articulation Office upon recommendation of the dean of the school. Not more than 12 units of graduate work, with grades of B or better may be transferred for credit to the Master of Planning degree.The following courses, or their equivalents, cannot normally be transferred for unit credit from other institutions: PPD 524, PPD 525, PPD 526, PPD 527, PPD 528, PPD 529, PPD 530, PPD 531L, PPD 590, PPD 594ab. Undergraduate work will not be credited for advanced or graduate standing. Students may petition to receive subject credit for these courses; unit requirements must be met through the completion of additional electives.
Some applicants for admission to the school will have been engaged in work in planning, development or closely related activities. Although this experience may have been beneficial to the students involved and may satisfy the internship requirement, it may not be considered equivalent to academic education.