About Regional and Community Planning
Graduates who possess the masters’ degree in regional and community planning are typically employed by cities, regions, or state planning agencies, in the various community planning and/or development departments. Since “planning” is a management degree, the opportunities for planning positions or planning related positions are limitless, both in the public/private realm and in geographical area of coverage and interests. Opportunities abound in the areas of city planning, regional planning, neighborhood planning, transportation planning, community economic development agencies, city management, health planning, social planning, housing departments, area agencies on aging, resource planning and a preservation of ecosystems and the environment, urban design and historic preservation agencies, geographic information system analysts, demographic analysts, research and market analysis agencies, policy analysts, private consulting organizations (architects, engineers, and land planners), land development, developers and real estate appraisers, non-profit information dispersion agencies, land use law firms, etc. Planning as a profession deals with not only current problems in the provision of our quality of life, to the future problems and growth management to insure that the future contains a “better” quality of life for future generations. Through “planning” is the promise and hope of a better tomorrow. To not only participate in the process, but to make things happen for future generations, the planning profession is poised to lead the way. Planning is a “change element” in evaluating alternative outcomes and in directing the course of future actions to insure the controlled progress of humanity, both in the social, political, economic and physical aspects of life. The masters degree in regional and community planning is but one of the keys to understanding the past and managing the future on Planet Earth.
Program Mission and Objectives
The primary mission of the MRCP program is to educate young professional planners to become directors or managers of community development / city planning departments, economic development agencies, housing or related departments and agencies in cities, small communities, counties and regions. Some graduates may use the same educational background to become directors of planning or related activities in private consulting firms and research organizations, while others may enter the field of real estate development and a host of related disciplines.
The major objective of the program is to integrate the concept of comprehensive community development planning in an environmental context with considerations for social, economic, cultural and political issues in the community while recognizing the importance of financial management, private enterprise-government relations, and citizen participation in community decision making. Core courses reflect the impact of these key concerns on traditional planning activities, while exploring related ethical issues in depth.
With a firm educational foundation in basic planning and analytical techniques, management, human relations, and ethics, today’s MRCP graduate will have the skills and judgment to become tomorrow’s successful practicing planner.
For further information, interested students should contact the program director at the following address:
Director, Graduate Program in Regional and Community Planning
Department of Landscape Architecture / Regional and Community Planning
302 Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-2909
phone: (785) 532-5961
FAX: (785) 532-6722
E-mail:
