Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies
Planning, Geography, and Environmental Studies
Credential:
Bachelor's degree
Duration:
4 years
Intake: year 2 (after you meet prerequisites)
Format:
Full time
Start date:
January, May, September
Location:
Abbotsford campus
Cost:
Fees and costs
FEATURES:
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 is one of three undergraduate programs in British Columbia that can lead to a Registered Professional Planning designation. This designation is recognized nationally and internationally, opening doors to global career opportunities.
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.
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| One of (or equivalent) | |
| GDS 100 | A World of Development |
| GEOG 109 | A World of Development |
| GEOG 111 | Environmental Issues and Strategies |
| One of (or equivalent) | |
| GEOG 241 | Social Geography: The Urban Experience |
| GEOG 242 | Economic Geography |
| GEOG 260 | Global Goals Studio: Sustainable Communities by Design |
| One of (or equivalent) | |
| ENGL 105 | Academic Writing |
| CMNS 125 | Communicating Professionally to Academic and Workplace Audiences |
| One of (or equivalent) | |
| GEOG 253 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems |
| CMNS 235 | Public Speaking |
| CMNS 251 | Professional Report Writing |
| 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 |
| 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 |
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:
You may find employment as a:
You must meet the following requirements to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning program:
This program welcomes international students as planning is a globally recognized profession.
How to apply as an international student
Note: You must have a B.C. secondary school graduation equivalency, meet the prerequisite for ENGL 105 or CMNS 125, and have completed an equivalent average of B (equated to the UFV grading system) in two academic Grade 12 subjects.
Phone: 604-854-4568
Toll free: 1-888-507-7441, ext. 4568
Email: pg.es@ufv.ca
My most valuable experience was certainly the AIG to BC's Interior that I had the pleasure of completing with my peers under the guidance of Gary Fehr and Olav Lian. This experience was in-depth, interesting and relevant to my previous studies in a wide range of subject areas, including postglacial and paraglacial processes, First Nations affairs in BC and BC's evolving economy. I sincerely enjoyed this learning experience and it was the perfect way to cap off my undergraduate studies at UFV.