Mission and Educational Objectives
Mission
Using Silicon Valley as our laboratory, the Master of Urban Planning (MUP) program at San José State University strives to be a leading center in professional urban and regional planning graduate education. The program achieves its mission by focusing on the following goals and objectives:
Goal 1. prepare a diverse student population to become leaders in rapidly-changing urban environments, with skills for working with wide-ranging constituencies and the commitment towards lifelong professional development.
Objective 1.a. attract and retain a student body that reflects the diversity of our Northern California region (we embrace a broad definition of diversity that encompasses age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, race, gender, marital status, medical condition, national origin, religion or lack of thereof, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran’s status, economic status and academic background)
Objective 1.b. accommodate the scheduling, advising and curricular requirements of part-time working professional students and full-time students
Objective 1.c. carefully balance the composition of the program’s faculty by recruiting and retaining a faculty that is of a size, caliber, diversity, professional orientation, public service and academic credentials that foster excellence
Objective 1.d. impart education that emphasizes the need and desire for life-long professional development
Goal 2. prepare planning professionals to perform effectively in the public, private and non-profit sectors with a strong education in general planning, as well as specialized training in planning sub-fields
Objective 2.a. provide a broad-based understanding of planning theory and practice through exposure to concepts, methodologies, field techniques and applications concerned with the functioning of urban areas and the planning process
Objective 2.b. ensure the program’s excellence in teaching, advising and student mentoring with a focus on real-world professional practice
Objective 2.c. adopt curricular innovations in response to the rapidly evolving nature of the profession, and familiarize students with state-of-the-art planning concepts, skills and applications
Objective 2.d. provide students opportunities to develop a depth of knowledge and confidence in a particular field of planning -- such as Applications of Technology in Planning, Community Design and Development, Environmental Planning, Land Use and Transportation Planning -- from which to grow and with which to enter the professional field with marketable skills
Goal 3. contribute to enhancing the knowledge and practice of planning through professional and scholarly activities, public service and research conducted by our faculty, students and alumni
Objective 3.a. partner with practicing professionals, communities, organizations and the leadership of our region towards shaping a strong and equitable community
Objective 3.b. provide students with opportunities for direct engagement with diverse planning constituencies through community-based research and learning experiences
Objective 3.c. influence the development of knowledge and innovative planning practices through research, public service and class-based activities
Objective 3.d. strengthen multi-disciplinary collaborations to enhance and complement resources, research, public service, professional and teaching opportunities
Goal 4. cultivate a supportive environment for teaching and learning, research, community service and shared governance in the MUP program that results in a strong sense of community among students, faculty, alumni and the professional community
Objective 4.a. foster an open and participatory departmental governance and policy-making process that incorporates not only faculty, but also students, alumni and members of the professional and academic community
Objective 4.b. maintain physical as well as virtual spaces to support the exchange of information among students, faculty, alumni and the professional community, and the formation of professional networks
Objective 4.c. conduct activities that support collaboration and a sense of community among students, faculty, alumni and the professional community
Objective 4.d. identify and secure external resources to support faculty and student participation in scholarly and applied research activities
Objective 4.e. provide adequate facilities, equipment and resources to support teaching, research and community service We strive to enhance our position as a leading center for urban and regional planning education in Northern California by:
Program Educational Objectives
The MUP curriculum is designed to teach students the skills that will allow them to:
- Apply the history and theory of planning in relation to social and economic structures, including, but not limited to, such characteristics as income, race, ethnicity, and gender.
- Understand the ethics of professional practice and behavior, including the relationship to clients and the public, and the role of citizens in a democratic society.
- Understand the role of government and citizen participation in a democratic society and the balancing of individual and collective rights and interests.
- Interpret case laws relevant to the field of urban and regional planning and application of these laws to realistic hypothetical situations.
- Understand the contexts in which planning takes place, focusing particularly on agencies conducting planning or employing planners, and the processes by which plans are made and implemented.
- Conceptualize problems from complex, real world situations so that the problems are
meaningful to clients, and are research-worthy.
- Design and conduct first-hand research.
- Frame research questions and hypotheses.
- Analyze and synthesize data from multiple sources.
- Apply statistical and other analytic techniques, as well as computer methods, to define planning problems, generate alternatives, and evaluate their consequences. Use census data to inform policy formulation
- Communicate effectively.
- Communicate effectively in writing.
- Communicate effectively by expressing concepts in visual terms.
- Communicate effectively through public speaking.
- Work effectively as members and leaders of planning teams, and to apply an understanding of interpersonal and group dynamics to assure effective group action.
- Synthesize planning knowledge and apply it to actual planning problems.
