Planners will play a role of increasing importance in managing the pressing problems and competing demands of change and growth in the remainder of this century and the next. The Master of Planning curriculum reflects this forward-looking and constantly evolving role.
The Master of Planning curriculum provides a core of knowledge underlying the key forms and applications of planning. This gives a 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. All persons pursuing the Master of Planning will complete core courses which present the basic theories, techniques and methods.
Specializations within the curriculum enable students to focus on one of three areas: urban and regional planning; international planning and development; and enterprise planning. Specialization in any of these areas qualifies graduates for a wide range of private and public sector careers with government agencies, consulting firms, corporations, utilities, technical assistance programs abroad, non-profit and special interest organizations, and joint private/public ventures.
| This comprises four lecture-seminar courses: | ||
| PLUS 501 | Planning Theory, Process, and Implementation | 4 |
| PLUS 502 | Statistics and Data Management | 4 |
| PLUS 507 | Planning Analysis and Evaluation | 4 |
| PLUS 508 | Planning and Political Economy | 4 |
| ____ | ||
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Each emphasis requires 20 units of course work, of which eight units must be selected from the curriculum of the School of Urban and Regional Planning. Courses taken outside the school are selected by the student with the approval of an academic advisor and must be directly concerned with the subject matter of the emphasis.
After successfully completing two academic semesters, students should select their emphasis, in consultation with and approved by an academic advisor.
The courses listed under each emphasis are illustrative; other approved graduate courses may be selected with the approval of an academic advisor.
Local agencies, corporations and firms often sponsor workshops 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, data bases, background information, base maps, or any one of many specific contributions.
Each summer, the school offers an internationally based laboratory/workshop. In the past, international labs have been held in Mexico, France, Taiwan, Venezuela and Spain. All students in the International Planning and Development emphasis are required to enroll in an international lab; this lab is also open to students in the other emphases.
Students will complete a total of 12 units of PLUS 676L (4, 8 or 12) to satisfy this requirement.
Students often may 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 it receives to students concerning internship and summer employment opportunities. However, it is the responsibility of the student to secure the internship and to fulfill this academic requirement.
With prior approval of the academic advisor and the dean, students may substitute a planned program of travel and observation of approximately the same duration or a special assignment of summer research or other investigation. As in the case of the regular internship, a report thoroughly describing and evaluating the experience must be submitted to the academic advisor and subsequently to the dean.
The comprehensive examination normally is given in the fall and spring semesters of each year. Students usually take the examination in the last semester of their second year.
The written examination is administered by faculty committees appointed by 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.
The end product of directed research will be approved or prescribed 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.
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 Urban and Regional Planning.
Students accepted into the program with academic deficiencies will require correspondingly longer time to complete their course work for the master's degree. Those who enroll on a part-time basis will require additional time to complete the program of graduate study, depending on the particular situation. Students seeking the master's degree on a part-time basis must take at least one course each semester and one semester must be in residence full time. This semester in residence must be taken within two academic years after admission to the program, and at least eight units of required course work must be taken.
Students who wish a leave of absence for a semester or longer must request it from the dean in writing; such leaves may be granted for up to one year.
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.
Students who are allowed to transfer credits must achieve a 3.0 grade point average, both for all graduate courses taken while admitted to the program, and for the combination of these courses with those accepted for transfer.
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.
The following courses, or their equivalents, cannot normally be transferred for unit credit from other institutions: PLUS 501, 502, 507, 508, 59 594, 675L and 676L. Undergraduate work will not be credited for advanced or graduate standing. Students may receive subject credit for these courses; unit requirements are to be met through the completion of additional emphasis courses.
Some applicants for admission to the school will have been engaged in work in planning or closely related activities. Although this experience should be of benefit to the students involved, it cannot be considered equivalent to academic education.
Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995