Undergraduate Major & Minor
City and Regional Planning
B.A. in City and Regional Planning
The City and Regional Planning major (170, 170D) provides students with a foundation of important knowledge, skills, and issues in city and regional planning. Key areas of focus include environmental planning and justice, community planning, housing issues, transportation, urban and community health, public policy, fiscal matters, land use planning as well as planning methods and geo-spatial analytics. Students are also prepared for planning and management positions focused on overseeing and improving public programs, such as transportation, housing, planning, the environment, finance, economic development, and urban redevelopment. These career paths can be found in government, consulting, research, and nonprofit settings. This program also prepares students for graduate education in public administration, public policy, urban planning, law and business.
170 curriculum sheet | 170Dcurriculum sheet
City and Regional Planning Suggested Course Sequence
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Declared Students
To request an advising appointment, please contact undergrad@ejb.rutgers.edu.
Undergraduate Student & Academic Services
Christina Torian
Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Education
Advisor for Prospective Students
Natashia James
Assistant Director of Undergraduate Student Services
Advises Direct Admit Students and all Student-Athletes
Email undergrad@ejb.rutgers.edu
Student Counselor, Undergraduate Student Services
Advises Declared Joint-Degree Students Last Names M-Z
Jessica Reyes
Student Counselor, Undergraduate Student Services
Advises Declared Joint-Degree Students Last Names A-L and all Military-Affiliated students
SAS and SEBS Students (170)
This program is designed to accommodate the needs of traditional students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
Students in the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) and students in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) must apply for admission prior to declaring the major.
SAS students may pursue City and Regional Planning as their first major and remain within SAS. SEBS students may pursue City and Regional Planning as a second major to remain within SEBS.
Students can apply for the City and Regional Planning major during one of our application cycles listed here. Applicants must have a minimum grade of “C” or better in each of the prerequisite courses and be in good academic standing. Contact ugadmissions@ejb.rutgers.edu for more information.
Students are advised to declare the City and Regional Planning major no later than their first semester of junior year to ensure completion of the major by their anticipated graduation date. A minor program is required for this major.
Only courses with a ‘C’ or better may be counted towards the major, and students must complete the core curriculum requirements of their primary school.
Transfer (Direct Admit) Students (170D)
This program is designed to accommodate the needs of transfer, adult, and nontraditional students.
Students seeking the City and Regional Planning major must have at least 30 credits before applying to the Bloustein School. Successful applicants will have completed the prerequisite courses with a grade of ‘C’ or better and have achieved an overall GPA of at least 2.5.
Current Rutgers students seeking a school-to-school transfer from another Rutgers unit, or students transferring to Rutgers from another college or university, must apply via the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. For a school-to-school transfer apply here. If you are transferring from outside of Rutgers, apply here.
Transfer students from New Jersey community colleges are encouraged to complete lower-division prerequisite courses and the associate’s degree in order to benefit from the NJ Statewide Transfer Agreement.
Only courses with a “C” or better may be counted towards program requirements. Also, a minor program is required for this major. Upon completing the major, a minor, all General Education requirements, and a minimum of 30 credits at Rutgers (12 within the Bloustein School) with at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA, the student will receive the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the Bloustein School.
Contact ugadmissions@ejb.rutgers.edu for more information.
City and Regional Planning (170, 170D) Major Requirements (39-41 cr)
Effective Fall 2025
Prerequisite Course (3 cr)
- 01:355:101 College Writing or equivalent (3)
Core (18-20 cr)
- 10:775:205 Basic Statistical Methods or pre-approved 200-level or higher equivalent (3-4)
- One of the following
- 10:170:200 or 10:762:200 or 10:971:200 Introduction to City & Regional Planning (3)
- 10:971:201 Introduction to Urban Planning and Design (3)
- 01:220:103 Introduction to Macroeconomics (3)
- 01:790:104 American Government (3)
- 10:833:210 Principles of Public Policy (3)
- One of the following:
- 10:170:250 or 10:762:250 or 10:971:250 Introduction to GIS (3)
- 10:833:220 Public Economic Policy (3)
- 01:220:102 Introduction to Microeconomics (3)
- 11:373:121 Principles & Applications of Microeconomics (3)
- One of the following:
- 10:170:393 or 10:971:393 Mapping and Analyzing Urban Data (3)
- 10:775:300 Writing for Professionals (3)
- 01:355:302 Science and Technology Writing (3)
- 01:355:303 Writing for Business & Professions (3)
- 01:355:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3)
- One of the following:
- 10:170:314 or 10:971:314 Graphic Communications for Planners (3)
- 10:170:302 or 10:971:302 Design Sustainability (3)10:775:395 Research Methods (4) – Open to declared majors only
- 10:170:400 or 10:762:400 Internship* (3) Open to majors only with at least 100 credits and no outstanding core requirements
* Students qualifying for departmental honors may replace with 10:170:497, 498 Bloustein Honors Research.
Required Planning Specialization Courses (9 credits)
- Select three of the following, at least two of which must be at 300-level or above:
- 10:170:233 Urban World (3)
- 10:170:307 Community Development (3)
- 10:170:310 US Housing Policy (3)
- 10:170:311 Affordable Housing (3)
- 10:170:430 International Urbanization & Housing Issues (3)
- 10:170:448 Historic Preservation (3)
- 10:170:472 Transportation Planning (3)
- 10:170:235 Urban Health (3)
- 10:170:464 Planning and the Global Environment (3)
- 10:170:465 Environmental Activism, Justice and Change (3)
Required Electives (12 credits)
- Select four from the following, three of which must be at 300-level or above:
- 10:170:101 Introduction to Urban Studies (3)
- 10:170:202 Designing Healthy Cities (3)
- 10:170:200 Introduction to City and Regional Planning (3)
- 10:170:201 Introduction to Urban Planning and Design (3)
- 10:170:230 Global Poverty (3)
- 10:170:231 Poverty in the United States (3)
- 10:170:232 Economics of Poverty (3)
- 10:170:250 Introduction to GIS (3)
- 10:170:296,297 Special Topics in City and Regional Planning (3)
- 10:170:298,299 Independent Study (3)
- 10:170:302 Design Sustainability (3)
- 10:170:308 Placemaking (3)
- 10:170:312 Principles of Housing (3)
- 10:170:313 Public & Nonprofit Sector Finance (3)
- 10:170:314 Graphic Communication for Planning (3
- 10:170:315 Fundamentals of Urban Planning and Design (3)
- 10:170:316 Introduction to Site Planning & Urban Design (3)
- 10:170:317 Urban Municipal Management (3)
- 10:170:319 Bridging Public Health & Urban Planning (3)
- 10:170:320 Protecting Public Health & the Environment (3)
- 10:170:324 Social Movements (3)
- 10:170:326 Sustainable Food & Energy Policy (3)
- 10:170:329 Managing Crisis & Chaos (3)
- 10:170:331 U.S. Social Policy (3)
- 10:170:332 Public Transportation & Equitable Accessibility (3)
- 10:170:335 Women, Inequality, and Public Policy (3)
- 10:170:337 Population Health and Urbanization (3)
- 10:170:340 Aging and Public Policy (3)
- 10:170:346 Program Evaluation (3)
- 10:170:352 Technology in the City (3)
- 10:170:354 Immigration Policy (3)
- 10:170:360 Managing Public Sector Organizations (3)
- 10:170:362 Nonprofit Management (3)
- 10:170:371 Globalization, Sustainability & Justice (3)
- 10:170:394 Data Visualization & Storytelling (3)
- 10:170:440 Real Estate Development (3)
- 10:170:461 Voorhees Research Seminar (3)
- 10:170:463 Environmental Law and Policy (3)
- 10:170:483,484 Special Topics (3)
- 10:170:485,486 Independent Study (3)
- 10:170:497,498 Bloustein Honors Research (3)
- 10:832:212 Health Disparities (3)
170: City and Regional Planning Minor (18 cr)
Effective Fall 2025
The Bloustein School welcomes current and prospective Rutgers-New Brunswick students to consider the City and Regional Planning minor. Students should declare a minor with their matriculating school. They need not apply to the Bloustein School to declare the minor. Only courses with a grade of ‘C’ or better can be counted toward the minor program of study.
This minor is well-matched to majors in public policy; public health; business; Africana studies; Latino and Caribbean studies; economics; geography; psychology; sociology; and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies.
Students seeking the City and Regional Planning minor must complete Introduction to City and Regional Planning and five elective courses in course code 170.
- 10:170:200 Introduction to City and Regional Planning (3)
- Five (170) electives
City and Regional Planning Certificate Programs
The Bloustein School offers a variety of City and Regional Planning certificates. The certificates are open to students in any major and to post baccalaureate students with degrees in any discipline. Awarded certificates appear on the student’s final transcript.
Undergraduate students are restricted to courses at the 300 and 400 levels. Post baccalaureate students may select courses from any level. Students must declare their intention to pursue a certificate program with the Bloustein School prior to their last semester of study in order to qualify to receive a certificate.
Certificates are awarded only with, or subsequent to receiving a bachelor’s degree. Awarded certificates appear on the student’s final transcript.
Contact ugadmissions@ejb.rutgers.edu for more information.