MISSION

Alabama A&M University (AAMU) is a land grant institution that combines education, research and service in professional, vocational and liberal arts fields. The Department of Community Planning & Urban Studies fulfils the mission of AAMU by providing a nationally accredited research and practice-oriented planning education for training of students from diverse backgrounds for careers in the planning profession so that they can address pressing problems and issues of physical, environmental, economic and social change in urban and rural communities in this age of advancing technology.

HISTORY

History of Community and Urban Planning at AAMU

DEGREE PROGRAMS

Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning (BSUP)
Master of Urban Planning (MURP)

THE B.S. DEGREE PROGRAM IN URBAN PLANNING

The Bachelor of Science Program in Urban Planning prepares students for diverse professional careers in governmental agencies, land development, consulting businesses, community service organizations, community development corporations (CDCs), and private industry, or graduate study in urban and regional planning. The curriculum is designed to train students to acquire a broad liberal education that leads to an understanding of natural and social environments and their problems; to combine an understanding of urban and rural development issues and problems to formulate programs for achieving public development objectives, and to provide the knowledge, skills and values required for professional planning practice. The knowledge base consists of courses addressing the structure and function of cities, the history and theory of urban planning, the process of plan-making and implementation, and the application of planning principles in a specialization area. The skills component consists of training in problem conceptualization, data collection and analysis, problem solving techniques, project design and management, and oral and graphic communication. The value component consists of activities which build professional behavior and provides an understanding of equity, social justice and cultural resources.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE/SCHOLARSHIPS

In addition to financial assistance provided by federal and state governments, and AAMU institutional aid programs, the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Community Planning and Urban Studies offers financial assistance and scholarship awards. These include the LL Crump Scholarship and work study grants for students who major in urban planning.

COOPERATIVE EDUCATION/INTERNSHIPS

Consistent with the Department’s mission of education directed at placement of its graduates into the planning profession, the urban planning program augments classroom teaching with internships, department field trips and seminars, and appropriate full-time employment assistance.

STUDENT PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION

The Urban Planning Association (UPA) is a student organization which promotes the professional growth and development of students majoring in urban planning. The UPA is affiliated with the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association and supports student participation in activities of the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).

SPECIAL ACCREDITATION/AFFILIATION

The Bachelor of Science degree program is one of ten undergraduate planning programs in the country accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The Urban Planning program is also directly affiliated with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).

ADMISSION CRITERIA

All applicants must meet the minimum university admission requirements. Generally, applicants must be high school graduates and must successfully complete the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the American Collegiate Test (ACT). The availability of scholarships and other financial assistance may be based on scores obtained on these national examinations.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In order to graduate with a B.S. degree in Urban and Regional Planning, a student must officially declare Urban and Regional Planning as a major select an area of concentration/specialization, complete 122 semester credit hours with a grade of “C” or better in all core courses in the major, and have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0. The courses and credit hours to be satisfied for graduation are shown below:

Complete the University General Education Requirements.
Complete the minimum number of semester credit hours required for graduation.
Complete a core of 54 credit hours of departmental required courses comprising.

42 credit hours of planning core courses (UPL 101, UPL 201, UPL 203, UPL 303, UPL 310, UPL 316, UPL 317, UPL 327, UPL 330, UPL 404, UPL 407, UPL 408, UPL 429, UPL 420), and 12 credit hours of non-planning or required support courses (ENG 304, PSC 306, SPS 365, GEO 401).

The planning specialization/concentration consists of 21 hours of departmental electives (UPL 103, UPL 405, UPL 406, UPL 442, UPL 435, UPL 438, UPL 443, UPL 444, UPL 445. UPL 453) and 6 credit hours of free electives.

TRANSFER OF CREDITS

Students wishing to transfer credit from two-year or four-year institutions should review material on “Transfer of Credits” in the General Information section of this Bulletin. Transfer students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in the School of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences must earn at least 50 percent of the credit hours required for the degree at Alabama A&M University.

Faculty

URBAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION (UPA)
The Urban Planning Association, which is affiliated with the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA), is the Alabama A&M University planning students organization. Students are encouraged to join the national organization of APA which provides an avenue for active participation through the State Chapter and through the national planning student network.
The UPA promotes the professional growth and development of all students majoring in Urban Planning. It supports student participation in activities of the American Planning Association and the Association of Collegiate School of Planning.

Officers 2006-2007
President - Thomas Coleman
Vice President  - Ericka Dawson
Secretary - Shontrill Baskin
Treasurer - Brittanie Carr
Historian  - Jonathan Jones
Parliamentarian - Marshaun Green
Faculty Advisor - Dr. Constance J. Wilson 
  
STUDENTS SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
The Urban Planning Association (UPA) in the Department of Community Planning and Urban Studies is one of the most active and visible students’ organizations in Alabama A&M University. The association, at times in conjunction with the Department, sponsors a number of activities to enhance students’ academic and professional interests as well as welfare. It also participates in community outreach activities.

UPA  ACTIVITIES
Examples of activities undertaken by UPA include the following: 
(i)        Research Presentations (Annual School of Agricultural & Environmental Science Week)
(ii)       Department's AAMU High School Seniors Day
(iii)       Department's Annual Benjamin Banneker Awards and Scholarship Banquet
(iv)      Easter dinner, valentine parties and end of year picnics for students
(v)       American Red Cross Madison and Marshall Counties blood drive
(vi)      American Planning Association (APA) national and state conferences
(vii)     Fundraising activities in support of conference
(viii)    Christmas Charities
(ix)      Martin Luther King Elementary School, Huntsville, Alabama Book Drive
(x)       BOWL FOR KIDS SAKE sponsored by Big Brothers and Sisters Huntsville, Alabama

CENTER FOR URBAN AND RURAL RESEARCH (CURR)

Director: Dr. Constance J. Wilson; Dept. of Community Planning & Urban Studies
Associate Director: Dr. Gerald Wheelock, Dept. of Agribusiness
Key Research Associates:
Dr. Earl Gooding
Mr. Teshome Gabre

Research & Services

The Center for Urban & Rural Research (CURR) is a University recognized research entity that is primarily anchored and supported by the Department of Community Planning and the Department of Agribusiness within the School of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences.

The mission of the Center is to produce quality informative research and data for the scholarly community and the citizens of Alabama.  The Center’s agenda compliments the three-fold mission of the University education, research and service.

The goals of the Center are:

• To improve the quality of education in the Department of Agribusiness and the Department of Community Planning through research, training, and information sharing;
• To expand the range of community service and outreach activities through both sponsored and non sponsored service activities;
• To develop and maintain current analytical decision support systems that facilitate research and analyses of agricultural, rural and urban policy issues;
• To examine agricultural commodity markets and analyze alternative policies and external factors for implications on Alabama’s agricultural and non-agricultural sectors;
• To examine the phenomena impacting the built environment;
• To explore and maintain effective connections among academic disciplines, lower or eliminate disciplinary boundaries and promote interdisciplinary research and education; and
• To serve as a repository for US Census data, general economic and agricultural statistics (as a State Data Center Affiliate) providing information on and for the local community and the State of Alabama.

The Center’s research agenda has a primary focus on exploration, discovery and description of the various socio-economic, community development and agribusiness issues particularly in the African American Community.
The Center advances the goals of the University, which are training, research, and community service using the skills of the University’s faculty and students and experts from the local community. 
In pursuit of its objectives, the Center endeavors to offer the following services:

• It provides opportunities for the training of graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Community Planning and the Department of Agribusiness in areas of urban, rural and agribusiness research;
• It works with public and private agencies on needs assessments, research requirements, and outreach training focus;
• It documents agricultural, rural and urban community trends through the analysis of social, economic and agricultural key indicators and disseminates research results, balanced opinion statements, and general information to policy makers and general public through printed reports, staff presentations, seminar series, occasional paper series, press releases, available databases, and on the Web; and
• It expands the boundaries of understanding of agricultural, urban and rural life through rigorous analysis of social, economic and agricultural data through descriptive analysis, hypothesis testing and validation, and theory building.

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