Assessing the Preparation of Undergraduate Planners for the Demands of Entry-Level Planning Positions

• Published in: Journal of planning education and research Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 305 - 316
• Main Author: Miller, Edward V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.06.2023; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Baccalaureate degrees; Education; Entry Workers; Planners; Skills; Teachers; Urban planning; 工作技能; undergraduate planning education; planning practice; habilidades laborales; job skills; 本科规划教育; práctica de planificación; 规划实践; carrera de pregrado de planificación urbana
• ISSN: 0739-456X; 1552-6577
• DOI: 10.1177/0739456X19873129

More than thirty-five undergraduate urban planning programs exist in relative obscurity. This article uses survey data to explore skills their faculty, and planning managers hiring entry-level planners, deem the most important. Planning practitioners and educators agree that generic skills are important for entry-level positions; however, planning educators place greater importance on specialized skills for entry-level positions than practitioners do. Planning practitioners also report that entry-level job applicants with no more than a bachelor’s degree in planning do not meet their proficiency expectations for the generic skills. These findings suggest that planning educators need to review their pedagogical approach to planning education.