University of Iowa School of Urban and Regional Planning

Planning at Iowa is a two-year master's degree program oriented toward educating professional planners. Our focus is on preparing planners who can influence decisions, policies, and actions that affect the quality of life in cities, towns, and regions. By its curriculum design and faculty activities, the Planning Program falls within the sustainability focus of the University of Iowa.

The Planning Program's mission has five elements:

• Maximizing the long-run career potential of graduates who will seek professional positions primarily in the U.S., providing them with entry-level skills as well as the depth and flexibility needed to progress in planning over a lifelong career;

• Providing graduates with basic competence in an area of emphasis within the field of planning so that they are prepared for specialized planning jobs;

• Challenging students to think about the roles they will play as planners, their ethical and moral responsibilities, and their commitment to improving the quality of life in our nation's cities and regions;

• Disseminating knowledge in the planning field through both graduate and undergraduate teaching, as well as through the professional and public service activities of the faculty. The latter includes active participation in applied research supporting the development and improvement of public policies at the local, state, and national levels;

• Advancing the state of knowledge through research on the nature of urban and regional economic, political, social, and environmental systems and on the effects of alternative public policies.