Planning Programs

Click here for more information including tips on selecting a school, information about school rankings, and what a career in planning means.

APA and AICP support the accreditation of planning programs in colleges and universities through the Planning Accreditation Board. This board ensures the quality and appropriateness of education provided by these schools.

Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning
The planning accreditation program is a cooperative undertaking sponsored jointly by APA, AICP, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). The program emphasizes the belief that practitioners, educators, students, elected officials, and citizens all have a vital stake in the quality of the nation's planning education.

Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) and PAB Approved Schools
The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) conducts the accreditation program for master's and bachelor's level programs planning programs in North America. The PAB's principal assignments are to evaluate and reach decisions regarding applications for accreditation, and to discuss and propose appropriate policy changes to enhance the role of accreditation in furthering academic excellence. The program is a cooperative undertaking sponsored jointly by the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.

Click here for a current list of accredited programs.

Proposed Changes to Accreditation Criteria

Updated September 12, 2006

In March 2005, the PAB reviewed proposed changes to the Accreditation Document submitted by a joint AICP-ACSP task force created by the PAB in fall 2003. This task force incorporated and revised proposed changes originally drafted by the APA Divisions Council in September 2002. The changes seek to strengthen and improve the education of professional planners.

The PAB Board considered the educational merits and relevance of each proposed change, omitting and modifying provisions in a few cases. In April 2006 the first of two phases of the change process was finalized. Approval of Phase II changes, primarily involving extensive curriculum criteria revisions presented in Section IV, is ongoing and expected to be finalized in November 2006.

The Presidents of ACSP and AICP reviewed and approved the PAB-recommended Phase II changes without comment. Comments subsequently received during a 30-day period were reviewed by the PAB in September 2006. Minor modifications of an editorial nature were made, and the provision for credit based on work experience was removed. These changes are reflected in Accreditation Document dated September 2006, now available on the PAB website.

The next step in the process is an AICP Commission and ACSP Board review of the PAB-recommended changes. The following and final step is APA Board review in November 2006.

The link below will take you to the Accreditation Document, marked for PAB-recommended changes as of September 2006:
http://www.planningaccreditationboard.org/.

On behalf of the PAB, thank you for your support and contribution to this process.

Ph.D. Programs in Planning
Browse university planning programs at the doctoral level.

Distance Master's Degree Program
Iowa State University offers a distance learning Master of Community and Regional Planning degree.

Scholarship Information
APA offers financial assistance to planning students through a variety of programs. Other organizations also have scholarship and fellowship programs designed to aid students. Click a link for more information.

• APA Scholarships and Fellowships
• APA Chapter Scholarships
• APA Division Scholarships
• Other Organizations' Scholarships and Fellowships