Education is vital for planners to succeed. Standards are necessary to provide consistency in planners' education. A planner's education is begun in planning school, but extends to work experience and AICP certification.
The field of city and regional planning sets standards for the education and certification of planners. The term "field" is used here to mean the broad practice of planning both by professionals and non-professionals. The term "profession" as used here means the defined practice, the standards of practice, and the issues related to the certification of planning practitioners. All professions maintain standards. For education and certification purposes, the standards are often called the Core Body of Knowledge. For the field and profession of planning, these standards are found in two areas — the standards for accreditation of planning schools and in the certification examination for qualified planners.
Lists of schools offering degrees in planning are maintained by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). ACSP is a member organization of the academic community in planning. ACSP conducts an annual national conference on research and education in planning. The organization also maintains current information on schools providing undergraduate and graduate planning education.
Planners routinely complete degrees — both undergraduate and master's level — through university programs accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). PAB regularly reviews programs and helps maintain the standards for planning education. PAB's mission is to ensure high quality education for future urban planners. PAB conducts the accreditation process for planning programs in North America. Visit PAB's website for current lists of accredited programs.
All people considering a career in planning are encouraged to attend a PAB-accredited program. PAB accreditation ensures that, at a minimum, graduates have demonstrated knowledge of:
To complete a degree in planning, students must be skilled in:
PAB Accreditation Standards and Criteria (pdf)
APA, AICP, ACSP, and PAB do not rank schools. Instead, APA encourages students to consider PAB accreditation in their decision of what school to attend. At least one outside vendor has published a ranking of graduate urban planning programs in the United States. Neither PAB nor any of its sponsors, however, formally recognizes this ranking or the criteria underlying it.
After completing their formal education, many planners go on to become certified planners. Certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners includes requirements for education and experience that are meant to ensure that certified planners meet rigorous standards, maintain their expertise though continuing education, and be committed to community interests.
©Copyright 2012 American Planning Association All Rights Reserved