Course Description
An actual planning practice experience that includes the experience itself and the development of a planning document of professional and archival quality. The planning project involves applied research, client and stakeholder engagement, and full use of the planning process.
Athena Title
Environ Plan and Des Practicum
Non-Traditional Format
Independent research and work for practicum requirement completion.
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall, spring and summer
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
Learning outcome: Students will apply most, if not all, of his or her knowledge and skills developed in the program to a single comprehensive real-world planning project and produce a professional plan document. Knowledge: Understanding of the relationship of all professional skills that need to be brought to bear on a comprehensive planning project. Understanding of the roles of clients and stakeholders in planning. Skills: Applied research in developing an actual planning project. Development of and facilitating consensus with clients and stakeholders. Assembling multiple factors and determining a mutually reinforcing planning solution. Production of a professional planning document. Values: Being able to understand the roles of complex and competing elements in the production of a comprehensive plan. Time and resource management and the professional setting of a comprehensive project's priorities. Service work on a real planning project in the real world as a comprehensive capstone of the two-year professional masters degree.
Topical Outline
1. Student submits a proposal to the practicum faculty teaching in the MEPD program, including a description of the project, the clients(s), sponsor(s), project methodology, outcomes, and description of the planning document. 2. In cases of large, significant, and more complex projects, more than one student may be engaged in the project if the proposal is accepted by the practicum faculty. 3. The project should entail at least 12 weeks of immersion in the research and development of the plan document. This can be accomplished under MEPD faculty supervision or the supervision of a professional agency or firm accepted by the practicum committee. 4. The supervising faculty convene a review panel before which the practicum project is formally presented when it is completed by the student. The reviewing committee requires at least two College of Environment and Design faculty and at least one professional in a planning field related to the project. The reviewing committee may recommend passage, passage with amendments or additional work, or no pass to the supervising faculty member who is also a member of the reviewing committee and the Dean of the College. The committee may also recommend the passage of an Exemplary Planning Project to the Dean of the College. 5. As in the case of a thesis, the plan document and its digital equivalent will be archived in the library of the College of Environment and Design. Examples: 1. Work on a specific planning project with a public agency or nonprofit organization (local, state or federal) resulting in the development of a plan and plan document with the student (or student team) as project principal and primary author under the supervision of a professional in the agency or organization. 2. Work on a specific planning project for a planning and design firm or corporation resulting in a plan and plan document with the student (or student team) project principal and primary author under the supervision of a professional in the firm or corporation. 3. Work on a specific public service planning project assignment through the College of Environment and Design resulting in a plan and plan document with the student (or student team) as project principal and primary author under the supervision of the Planning and Landscape Architecture faculty. 4. Planning project work in another country under the supervision of individuals or agencies acceptable to the practicum committee resulting in a plan and plan document with the student (or student team) as project principal or significant participant and primary author of the plan document.