Bachelor of Arts: Urban Planning and Design

University Requirements

General Education

UMKC Essentials is the university-wide curriculum that all undergraduate students will complete. The 30-credit hour program includes a First Year Experience course; three critical thinking courses in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Physical Sciences, and Social & Behavioral Sciences; a Culture and Diversity course; a Civic & Urban Engagement course; two courses in Written Composition and one course in Oral Communication; and a Math Pathway course. Transfer students entering UMKC will elect from the UMKC Essentials General Education Program or the Missouri Core 42 General Education Curriculum.  Academic advisors will meet with incoming transfer students to determine which option best serves the student’s educational needs. More information about General Education may be found here: https://catalog.umkc.edu/undergraduate-academic-regulations-information/general-education-requirements/

Constitution Course 

Every undergraduate student must take a course covering the United States Constitution and the Missouri State Constitution before graduation. Course options are included in the program requirements section below.

Exit Examinations

Information on exit examinations is available in the Undergraduate Academic Regulations and Information section of the catalog.

Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination

In accordance with Missouri Senate Bill 807 (section 170.013.1), 'any student entering a public institution of higher education for the first time after July 2019 who is pursuing an associate's or bachelor's degree from such institution shall successfully pass an examination on the provisions and principles of American civics with a score of seventy percent or greater as a condition of graduation from such institution'.  To satisfy this requirement at UMKC, students access the exam through the Canvas site. This requirement will be listed in the degree audit system as, 'Take State Mandated Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement Examination', and listed on the transcript as 'Missouri Civics Examination'.   

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating from this program will:

  • Students use planning knowledge to create planning solutions for a project.
  • Students demonstrate written, oral, and graphic communication skills and professional work capacity required in planning and design practice.
  • Students can articulate and exercise professional ethics and responsibility.

The Urban Planning and Design program provides an innovative curriculum that incorporates a combination of broad liberal arts courses, with a core of professional planning classes, coupled with a series of design studios. The design studio represents a forum where students employ a creative process, infused with knowledge gained from supporting courses, to generate holistic urban planning and design solutions. Urban design projects will engage professionals, civic officials, neighborhood leaders and government officials into an important dialogue.

Admission to the program is selective and reviewed by the UPD program.

UMKC Essentials

First Semester Experience Course (GEFSE)3
Written Communication:
ENGLISH 110Introduction to Academic Prose3
ENGLISH 225English II: Intermediate Academic Prose3
Oral Communication (choose one of the following):3
Fundamentals of Effective Speaking and Listening
Introduction to Communication
Argumentation And Debate (offered via dual credit only)
Interpersonal Communication
Math Pathway (satisfied in major requirements below)
Critical Thinking in Arts & Humanities (GECRT-AH)3
Critical Thinking in Natural & Physical Sciences (GECRT-SC)3
Critical Thinking in Social & Behavioral Sciences (GECRT-SS)3
Culture & Diversity Course (GECDV)3
Civic & Urban Engagement Course (GECUE)3
Total Credits27

Constitution Course Requirement

Section 170.011.1 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, 2015, states that all candidates for a degree issued by a college or university in the state of Missouri must have “satisfactorily passed an examination on the provisions and principles of the Constitution of the United States and of the state of Missouri, and in American history and American institutions.” 

Courses at UMKC that satisfy this state requirement are:

Choose one of the following:3
The Supreme Court And The Criminal Process
U.S. History to 1877
U.S. History Since 1877
Honors American Government
American Government
Total Credits3

There are a few other ways this requirement can be satisfied for students transferring to UMKC:

  • Take an equivalent course from the list above at a regionally accredited institution.
  • Earn credit for one of the above courses through AP, IB, or CLEP.
  • Take a course that directly satisfies the Missouri Constitution Requirement at another Missouri institution.
  • Have a previous bachelors degree (or higher) from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Have an Associate of Arts degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • Complete the 42 Hour Core at a Missouri institution and have it listed on the official transcript.

Major Requirements

Students must successfully complete the major requirements below with at least 12 hours of the noted upper division (300+) course requirements completed at UMKC.

MATH 110Precalculus Algebra (satisfies Math Pathway)3
Lab Science
Choose an Introductory Science Class with a Lab4-5
Astronomy: Motions of the Cosmos
and Introductory Astronomy Laboratory
Biology and Living
and Biology and Living Laboratory
Elements Of Chemistry I
and Elements Of Chemistry, Laboratory I
General Chemistry I
and Experimental General Chemistry I
Understanding the Earth: Introduction to Environmental Science and Laboratory
and Understanding the Earth Laboratory
General Geology
and General Geology Laboratory
General Physics I
Physics For Scientists and Engineers I
Studio
UPD 210Visual Communication for Urban Design4
UPD 310Planning And Design Studio I4
UPD 312Planning And Design Studio II4
UPD 410Planning and Design Studio III4
UPD 412WIPlanning and Design Studio IV4
Urban Planning
UPD 203GIS For Urban Planning3
UPD 260History Of Planning And Urban Design3
UPD 280Land Use Planning3
UPD 300Quantitative Planning Methods And Techniques3
UPD 320Planning Theory And Practice3
UPD 411Professional Practice I1
UPD 413Professional Practice II1
UPD 432Urban Environment Planning And Design3
UPD 450Planning Law And Practice3
UPD 490Urban Planning Internship3
STAT 235Elementary Statistics3
ECON 201Principles of Macroeconomics3
or ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
Planning Electives
Select a minimum of 3 of the following:9
Neighborhood And Community Development
Advanced GIS For Urban Planning
Transportation Planning
Planning For Historic Preservation
Natural Hazards and Disaster Planning (by permission only)
Urban Redevelopment
American Housing
Climate Change Impact Assessment and Policy Response
Professional Electives
Choose any 2 of the following6
Foundation Digital Design
Foundation 2D Design
Race And Ethnic Relations
Urban Anthropology
Second Year Arabic I
General Ecology *
Second Year Chinese I *
Project Management of Integrated Design and Construction
Capital Project Delivery Methods
Environmental Compliance, Auditing and Permitting
Green Building and Sustainable Infrastructure
Race, Class and Justice
Problem Solving and Programming I *
Data Visualization
Political Economy of Race, Class And Gender: Theory, History, And Policy
The Kansas City Economy
Environment, Resources And Economic Growth
State And Local Government Finance *
Urban Economics *
Professional and Technical Writing
Technical Communication
Social Entrepreneurship
Environmental Sustainability
Understanding and Living with Volcanoes *
Global Water and Sustainability
Cultural Perspectives on the Environment
Global Tourism *
Second Year French I
Environmental Remote Sensing and Digital Image Analysis *
Second-Year German I
Rise of the City in the U.S.
Museums, Monuments, and American Life: An Introduction to Public History
American Environmental History
Environmental Ethics And Policy
Ethics and Government
Politics In The American States
Environmental Politics
Introduction to Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies
Introduction to Black Studies
Introduction to Latinx and Latin American Studies
Introduction To Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Introduction to Feminist Theory
Introduction to Queer Theory
Race and Ethnic Relations
Latinx Immigrants, Migrants, and Refugees in the U.S
Real Estate Principles
Real Estate Finance Fundamentals *
Social Movements
Globalization and Development
Second Year Spanish I
Machine Learning and Statistical Modeling *
Total Credits74-75

General Electives

Students must take elective credit hours to meet the minimum credit hour requirement for their degree, including at least 36 credit hours of coursework at the 300-level or above. The minimum required by the university is 120 credit hours, of which at least 30 credit hours must be taken at UMKC, but some degree programs require more.

General Electives16

Minimum GPA: 2.0 (2.5 in all major coursework)

Total Credit Hours 120

Tools for Planning and Fulfilling Academic Requirements

UMKC's Major Maps are detailed, semester by semester plans that lead a student to complete all degree requirements within four years.  Plans include benchmarks and critical courses by term that assist a student’s evaluation of progress and major “fit”.  In order to ensure that the appropriate courses are taken, students are encouraged to consult with the undergraduate advisor for this major. Please see the tab above to view the major map for this program.

UMKC’s Transfer Guides provide detailed guidance on recommended transfer coursework, plans of study, transfer timelines, and transfer contact information. To ensure a seamless transfer experience, students are encouraged to work with both their community college advisor and a UMKC advisor when planning their coursework.

UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Audit’ degree audit system provides an individual evaluation of all degree requirements (General Education, Degree Specific, Major Specific, etc.) for students' officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study.  This evaluation is used to certify all graduation requirements.

UMKC’s PlanMyDegree ‘Plans’ degree planning tool enables students to develop a personalized semester by semester plan of study towards completion of degree requirements for student’s officially recorded (Office of the Registrar) and “what if” exploratory plans of study. Update and edit your full plan to degree completion each term and confirm accuracy each semester with your Academic Advisor(s).