How To Become an Urban and Regional Planner

What degree do you need

One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Urban and Regional Planners or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked Urban and Regional Planners what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Most urban and regional planners have a master’s degree from an accredited urban or regional planning program.

How hard is it

You will need an extensive amount of skill, knowledge and experience to be an Urban and Regional Planner. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, a surgeon must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Careers in this difficulty category may need some on-the-job-training, but most of these careers assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, and work-related experience and training. These careers usually involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Similar careers include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, neurologists, and veterinarians.

License and certifications

As of 2012, New Jersey was the only state that required Urban and Regional Planners to be licensed, although Michigan required registration to use the title “community planner.” 

Skills required

We asked other Urban and Regional Planners if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Urban and Regional Planners are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

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