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Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies

Regional and Community Planning — bachelor's degree

QUICK FACTS

Credential:
Bachelor's degree

Duration:
4 years Intake: year 2 (after you meet prerequisites)

Format:
Full time

How to apply

Start date:
January, May, September 

Location:
Abbotsford campus

Cost:
Fees and costs

FEATURES:

  • Practicum provides work experience and industry contacts
  • Integration of Indigenous Ways of Knowing
  • Builds towards a registered planning status

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The University of the Fraser Valley’s Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning (BRCP) is an interdisciplinary program that builds connections between environmental studies, art, natural sciences, policy and law, urban design, history, and communications. The BRCP stands as a professional planning program, with the department actively seeking accreditation from the Planning Standards Board (PSB) and the Canadian Insitute of Planners. Upon accreditation, the UFV BRCP graduates will also have the opportunity to pursue professional designation as a Registered Professional Planner (RPP) after fulfilling the certification criteria established by the PSB or by a similar board in countries where there is a reciprocal relationship.

This program will provide you with the skills, experiential learning opportunities, and valuable work experience needed to work as a planning professional in Canada or abroad or pursue graduate studies or another professional designation.

The new planning degree prepares you for a career as a Registered Professional Planner working with international organizations, First Nations Governments, and governments at all levels. Your degree also qualifies you to work with nonprofits, policymakers, private firms, and developers locally and globally to tackle challenges such as transportation, public spaces and parks, housing affordability, and food security.

Planning opens opportunities to explore various career pathways depending on your interest.

Career outlook

As a Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning graduate, you will be well equipped to work as Professional Planners in a variety of fields.

For example, you may find work with:

  • Consulting firms
  • Development Firms
  • International Development Agencies
  • UN-Habitat or C-40
  • First Nation Governments
  • Local/Provincial/Federal Governments
  • Nonprofits and Nongovernmental Organizations

You may find employment as a:

  • Community Planner
  • Development Planner
  • Emergency Planner
  • Environmental Planner
  • Heritage Planner
  • Parks Planner
  • Planning Consultant
  • Social Planner
  • Transportation Planner
  • Rural Planner
  • Urban Designer

Program outline

Lower-level courses

Course Title Credits
GEOG 109 A World of Development 3
or GEOG 111 Environmental Issues and Strategies 3
CMNS 125 Communicating Professionally to Academic and Workplace Audiences 3
or ENGL 105 Academic Writing 3
IPK Any 100-level or higher 3
CMNS 235 Public Speaking 3
or CMNS 251  Professional Report Writing  3
or GD 260  Graphic and Digital Design I 3
GEOG 260 Global Goals Studio: Sustainable Communities by Design 3
GEOG 241 Social Geography: The Urban Experience 3
or GEOG 242 Economic Geography 3
GEOG 252 Explanation in Geography: Quantitative Methods 3
or GEOG 253 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3

 

Upper-level courses

Course Title Credits
PLAN 300 Panning Law and Ethics  4
PLAN 310 Planning for Housing: Affordability, Design and Policy 4
PLAN 366 Resiliency and Land-Use Planning 4
PLAN 400 Theories in Urban and Regional Planning 4
PLAN 410 Indigenizing Planning: Indigenous Land-Use and Community Plan 4
GEOG 360 Introduction to Regional and Community Planning and Policy  4
POSC 301 The Canadian State and Indigenous Governance 4
or IPK 322 Indigenous Governance and Leadership 4
GEOG 340 Geographies of Poverty and Development 4
or GEOG 344  Geography or Urban Development 4
GEOG 357 Conservation GIS 4
or GEOG 353  GIS Applications 4
GEOG 364 International Planning and Development Policy: Adapting to Climate Change 4
or GEOG 361 Environmental Economics 3
GEOG 362 Geography of Tourism, Recreation, and Sport 4
GEOG 307 Climate of Cities 4
or GEOG 308  Climate and Variability 4
or GEOG 311 Global Resources and the Environment 4
GEOG 313 Agriculture and Rural Life 4
or GEOG 314  Geography of Food 4
or GEOG 331  Environmental Assessment and Management 4
GEOG 460 Practicum in Planning 4
or GEOG 396 Canada Internship 6
or GEOG 398 International Internship 6
GEOG 464 Community Planning and Development: Local Applied Studio 4
or GEOF 466 Community Planning and Development: International Studio 5
Plus one of the following:
GD 361 Portfolio Development for Graphic and Digital Design 3
CMNS 360 Advocacy Writing 3
CMNS 380 Communicating in Cross-generational Workplace 3
VA 365 Documentary Video Storytelling 3

 

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

Option 1: Secondary school (for students with secondary school graduation only)

B.C. applicants

  1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent.
  2. A minimum grade of C+ in English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (see Note).

    Note: Students may also present English 12, English Literature 12, English 12 First Peoples, AP English, or IB English A (standard level or higher level), or out-of-province equivalent.

Out-of-province applicants

Students will be considered on the basis of courses equivalent to B.C. Grade 12 courses. See the Admissions section of the calendar for more information on equivalents to B.C. secondary school graduation.

Out-of-country applicants

Students must have B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency and meet the prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125.

Alternatives to secondary school graduation

Students who have completed the International Baccalaureate diploma program, the B.C. Graduation diploma (B.C. Adult Dogwood), or the General Educational Development (GED) certificate may be considered to have the equivalent of B.C. secondary school graduation for admission purposes.

Option 2: University entrance (for students who have attended some post-secondary school)

  1. Prerequisites for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125.
  2. One of the following:
    • Completion of a minimum of nine credits at the 100 level and above, transferable to a degree program, with a minimum CGPA of 2.00.
    • Completion of a post-secondary career or technical diploma (minimum of two years post-secondary credit) from a recognized Canadian or International post-secondary institution.
    • Completion of a three- or four-year Bachelor's degree from a recognized Canadian or International institution. Students who have completed a previous degree are governed by UFV's Subsequent and Concurrent Bachelor Degree policy (98).

QUESTIONS?

Phone: 604-854-4568
Toll free: 1-888-507-7441, ext. 4568
Email: pg.es@ufv.ca

Enrolling in a geography elective led me to discover an unexpected yet harmonious path in pursuing my BA in Geography with a concentration in Urban Planning. This academic journey immersed me in diverse subjects—land use management, natural sciences, geomorphology, policy and planning, allowing me to blend my appreciation for beauty and the built environment with a deep exploration of the role of place in society. An unforgettable aspect of my degree was having the opportunity to partake in research on Food Security as it relates to refugees in Kenya, examining its connections to COVID-19 and gender dynamics. This experience enhanced my research and analytical skills during a three-month stay in Nairobi. My advice for students would be to take classes that truly ignite your curiosity, and not to neglect the various opportunities to get involved while on campus, as they often lead to the most enriching experiences.

  • – Natasha Knebelow
  •    BA Geography, Urban Planning Concentration