MSU Urban and Regional Planning: Practicum Opportunity for the Spring Semester
DOWNLOADOctober 7, 2022 - Dr. Zenia Kotval, Program Director, Urban and Regional Planning Program
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EmailThe MSU Urban and Regional Planning program requires graduating undergraduate and graduate students to complete a capstone course designed to address real world planning issues. Titled the "Urban and Regional Planning Practicum," this course integrates a student's educational training in planning with the real-world challenges of developing and preparing a professional planning project with selected community partners. Practicum is considered a student-led, faculty-guided learning experience and seeks to bridge the transition from classroom learning to professional practice for emerging planning professionals. As an accredited program, we must meet certain learning objectives set forth by the Planning Accreditation Board. Practicum projects must allow for the following learning objectives:
Planning Process and Engagement
- Planning process and community and stakeholder engagement
- Plan creation and implementation
- Methods of design and intervention to understand and influence the future
Analytical Skills and Tools
- Research and critical analysis skills for preparing and conducting research
- Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, analysis, and forecasting
- Methods of geo-spatial analysis, mapping and data visualization
Professional and Communication Skills
- Ability to work in teams and with professionals in allied fields
- Professional leadership in the planning context
- Written, oral, and graphic communication
We are currently soliciting planning studies from potential community partners for students to work on during their final semester beginning the first week of January. If you are interested in submitting a proposal for practicum, please complete the attached two-page request form and send it to kotval@msu.edu by November 22. Projects will be chosen based on quality, variety, and appropriateness for the class.
If your project is selected for Practicum, we require every project to have a community contact that is familiar with the project in detail and interested in the planning process and the outcomes of the course. Clients are expected to play an integral role in the development of the scope of work with the student team in January, make themselves available to the students on an as-needed basis, provide timely and constructive criticism and feedback on draft reports, and are required to attend the final presentation in April on campus.
As the number of projects we are able to accept depends on the number of students registered for the course, we are unable to guarantee project acceptance until the beginning of the semester in January. We will, however, make preliminary selections by December 15.
Your interest in participating in this program is appreciated. Should you have any questions regarding this solicitation or your possible participation, please do not hesitate to contact Zenia Kotval at kotval@msu.edu. For examples of previous Practicum projects, please visit our website at https://www.canr.msu.edu/urban-collaborators/Practical-Engagement.
