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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 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.

Program outline

Program admission requirements

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

 

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

 

CAREER EXPECTATIONS

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

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the following requirements to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Regional and Community Planning program:

  • A minimum of 45 university credits including:
    o One of: GDS 100/GEOG 109, GEOG 111 (or equivalent)
    o One of: GEOG 241, GEOG 242 or GEOG 260 (or equivalent) o ENGL 105 or CMNS 125 (or equivalent)
    o One of: GEOG 253, CMNS 235, or CMNS 251 (or equivalent)
  • A minimum CGPA of 2.85 on all attempted courses

OTHER ADMISSION CATEGORIES

Students who do not meet BCRP’s entrance requirements should start with a BA or BSc and take the above courses in preparation for entry in third year.

QUESTIONS?

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

Melissa Koyanagi2

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.

  • – Melissa Koyanagi
  •    BA with double extended minors in Geography and Psychology

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