The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows students the option to take electives from a variety of different departments and schools. The core courses are offered in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Department of Geosciences. All students in the Bachelor of Urban Design program must complete a minimum of 120 credits, including the following:
| 1. Satisfaction of all University requirements for baccalaureate degrees. |
| 2. The last 30 upper division credits (3000/4000-level courses) must be earned in residence at FAU. |
| 3. At least 36 credits of Urban Design Core courses |
| 4. At least 12 credits of upper-division Approved Elective courses from specific departments (see list below). |
| 5. At least 12 credits of Free Elective courses. |
| 6. A minimum grade of “C” is required for each core course. |
The course materials taught in the core courses build upon each other. Therefore, students are highly recommended to follow the term schedules identified below. Following the term schedule is also very important in order to ensure timely graduation.
The following curriculum applies to students who first enroll in the BUD program in the Fall 2018 semester or later. Students who first enrolled in the program prior to Fall 2018 should consult the transition rules shown at the bottom of this page. Fall 1 refers to the Fall semester in the first upper division year, etc. This suggested course sequence is for full-time students who first enroll in the BUD program during the Fall semester:
| Core Course Sequence for Students Starting in the Fall Semester (36 credits) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title | Semester and Year |
| URP 3000 | Introduction to Urban Planning and Design | Fall 1 |
| URP 4254 | Introduction to Visual Planning Technology | Fall 1 |
| URP 4870 | Site Planning | Fall 1 |
| URP 4883 | Urban Design: Theories and Methods | Fall 1 |
| GIS 3015C | Introduction to Mapping and GIS | Spring 1 |
| URP 4255 | Advanced Visual Planning Technologies | Spring 1 |
| URP 4920 | Urban Design Studio I | Spring 1 |
| URP 4055 | City Structure and Change | Fall 2 |
| URP 4343 | Plan Making and Zoning | Fall 2 |
| URP 4922 | Urban Design Studio II | Fall 2 |
| URP 4403 | Sustainable Cities | Spring 2 |
| URP 4923 | Urban Design Capstone | Spring 2 |
This suggested course sequence is for full-time students who first enroll in the BUD program during the Spring semester:
| Core Course Sequence for Students Starting in the Spring Semester (36 credits) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title | Semester and Year |
| GIS 3015C | Introduction to Mapping and GIS | Spring 1 |
| URP 3000 | Introduction to Urban Planning and Design | Spring 1 |
| URP 4254 | Introduction to Visual Planning Technology | Spring 1 |
| URP 4870 | Site Planning | Spring 1 |
| URP 4255 | Advanced Visual Planning Technologies | Fall 1 |
| URP 4883 | Urban Design: Theories and Methods | Fall 1 |
| URP 4920 | Urban Design Studio I | Fall 1 |
| URP 4343 | Plan Making and Zoning | Spring 2 |
| URP 4403 | Sustainable Cities | Spring 2 |
| URP 4922 | Urban Design Studio II | Spring 2 |
| URP 4055 | City Structure and Change | Fall 2 |
| URP 4923 | Urban Design Capstone | Fall 2 |
Note that the following core courses have prerequisites (shown in parentheses): URP 4255 (URP 4254); URP 4343 (URP 3000); URP 4920 (URP 3000); URP 4922 (URP 4920); and URP 4923 (URP 4922).
Note also that many core courses are offered in more than one term each year, giving students additional options for completing the program:
- URP 3000, URP 4343, URP 4920, URP 4922, and URP 4923 are offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
- URP 4403 is offered in both the Spring semester and Summer term.
- GIS 3015C, URP 4254, URP 4255, and URP 4870 are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and Summer term.
| Suggested Elective Courses (12 credits): | |
|---|---|
| Course Number | Course Title |
| URP 4011 | Planning Methods |
| URP 4120 | Planning Implementation Strategies |
| URP 4273 | RI: Web-Based Applications in Planning |
| URP 4420 | Environmental Planning Methods |
| URP 4430 | Planning for Hazards/Disasters |
| URP 4546 | Urban Development Planning Methods |
| URP 4710 | Introduction to Transportation Planning |
| URP 4712 | RI: Shared and Automated Transport: Current Trends |
| URP 4714 | Land Use and Transportation Planning |
| URP 4730 | Capital Facilities Planning |
| URP 4741 | Housing Policy and Planning |
| URP 4905 | Directed Independent Study |
| URP 4945 | Planning Internship |
| URP 4955 | Planning Abroad |
| ARC 4057 | Dynamic Design Methods |
| ARC 4202 | Ethics and Architecture |
| ARC 4220 | Contemporary Design Theories |
| ARC 4384 | Designing Safer Communities |
| ARC 4950 | Architecture and Urbanism Study Abroad |
| GEO 4422 | American Cultural Landscape |
| GEO 4542 | Tourism and Commercial Recreation |
| GEO 4602 | Urban Geography |
| GEO 4700 | Transportation and Spatial Organization |
| PHI 3640 | Environmental Ethics |
| SYD 4602 | The Urban Community |
| PAD 4144 | Introduction to Nonprofit Sector |
| REE 3043 | Principles of Real Estate |
| POS 3691 | Law and American Society |
| PUP 4623 | Politics of Community Development |
| Free Elective Courses (12 Credits): |
|---|
| Free electives may be taken in the College for Design and Social Inquiry and other FAU Colleges. Students are advised to consider additional courses listed under suggested electives above, although other choices are permitted. |
Transition Rules for Students Who Enrolled in the BUD Program Prior to Fall 2018
- Students still requiring ARC 3710 Pre-Modern Architectural History and Theory may take that course or substitute URP 4883 Urban Design: Theories and Methods (to be offered each Fall semester starting Fall 2018).
- Students still requiring ARC 3374 Site Planning and Engineering should take URP 4870 Site Planning instead (to be offered Fall, Spring, and Summer).
- Students still requiring ARC 4384 Designing Safer Communities may take that course or URP 4922 Urban Design Studio II (to be offered for the first time in Fall 2019); note that URP 4920 is a prerequisite for URP 4922.
- Students still requiring URP 4979 Planning Project (to be renamed Planning Capstone) may take that course or substitute URP 4923 Urban Design Capstone (to be offered for the first time in Spring 2020); note that URP 4922 is a prerequisite for URP 4923.
- Students who have not yet taken URP 4254 Introduction to Visual Planning Technologies should take URP 4255 Advanced Visual Planning Technologies instead (however, URP 4254 is recommended as an elective); note that URP 4255 is listed in the Fall 2018 course schedule as a Special Topics course (URP 4930) pending final approval of the permanent course number.
- Students who have taken URP 4254 but are interested in the revised version of that course (see the new course description below), can enroll for URP 4905 Directed Independent Study and complete the requirements for the new course.
Note that continuing students who are not too far along in the BUD program may have the option of transferring to the new curriculum; please contact the CDSI Advising Center for more information.
Revised course description for URP 4254 Introduction to Visual Planning Technology:
This course provides an examination of information technology related to planning, development and design. Students will be introduced to software packages that are commonly used in the field of Urban and Regional Planning. The course will focus on the practical application of software programs including Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign & Muse), Microsoft Office Suite (Excel & PowerPoint) and others. In addition, an overview of how to incorporate these technologies into visualization techniques, presentation techniques, and data analysis.
For any questions regarding the Bachelor of Urban Design degree program, please contact Dr. Diana Mitsova (Faculty Advisor) at dmitsova@fau.edu.
For questions about advising, please contact the College Advising Center at 561-297-3700. To make an appointment with your advisor, please log on to the Success Network/Starfish.