INTEGRATED B. PLANNING - M. PLANNING
Five Year Programme
Being one of the pioneering institutions of the country in the fields of planning and architecture, the School of Planning and Architecture Delhi took the lead in establishing the first ever Bachelor of Planning programme in the country in 1989. The programme today has wide recognition in academia as well as industry as one of the premier undergraduate courses in Planning.
Planning as an important local and state government function is highly dynamic. The process of globalisation and the associated economic, urban and governance reforms, technological advancements in ICT, AI, Big Data, among others have changed perspectives on concepts, methods, tools deployed in planning and management of cities and regions. Further, the current millennium has impressed upon us more than ever the significance of sustainable and equitable communities, societies and settlements.These challenges place increasing demands on planners to be more responsible towards the planet, making their task a very complex one indeed.
Over the last three decades since its inception,the programme has evolved significantly in consonance with these challenges of ever-dynamic global and local contexts that influence and shape human settlements. It has also focused significantly on equipping students with the latest technological trends and tools.
This four year course trains students in multifarious and cross-cutting aspects vital to understanding planning in a comprehensive, holistic and responsible manner. Students learn to analyse physical, social, economic and political aspects and their inter-relations while planning for societies and settlements.The programme is divided into eight semesters with a specific focus designed for each year. A balanced mix of eight studios and field-based exercises, around forty theory subjects from wide range of disciplines and two internships of six weeks duration each makes it a multidisciplinary and comprehensive programme in the field of human settlements planning. Focussing on spaces, people and activities, students undertake preparation of layout plans, zonal plans, master plans and regional plans as well as functional plans. In the eighth semester, students pursue independent research work.
The studios build the core foundation in the application of planning principles and tools along with skills in data collection, analysis and interpretation, mapping. The curriculum pedagogy endeavours to guide students on journey to become self-aware and responsive professional. In addition to technical skills, the programme also imparts other professional skills like team work, problem solving as well as visual and verbal communication skills.
Key objectives of the programme are:
- to create an awareness of the context in which planning operates;
- to impart knowledge towards creating safe and just society with specific focus on policies related to land, its allocation, implementation mechanisms and related aspects;
- to develop understanding of long term implications of planning decisions;
- to develop competence to apply knowledge at different levels in a wide range of situations with an objective to achieve planned development;
- to develop sensitivity towards diversity and conflicting interests in planning.
Upon graduation the students are accepted as full-fledged planning professionals in the discipline of town and country planning. The students can become Associate Members of the Institute of Town Planners after one year of professional experience. Students are also eligible for admission to postgraduate programmes in Indian and foreign universities for higher studies in various disciplines of planning and design. These include specializations such as urban and regional planning, housing, environmental planning, transport planning, urban design, architectural conservation, GIS and various related fields in the development sector.Students also have choice to diversify in the field of management, international development and public policy.
In addition to undergraduate planning program, the Department has started an Integrated B. Planning - M. Planning in 2019. In line with the National Education Policy, this is the first Integrated Programme in Planning in India. The additional one year of the programme focusses in the area of climate change, urban and regional finance, public policy and governance. Students already admitted to B. Planning Programme are offered an option of joining the programme after completion of seventh semester. Total intake is fifteen students. The students are admitted on the basis of specified admission criteria. Students opting for this route will graduate with a degree of Integrated B. Planning – M.Planning.
The department also offers Doctoral programme.
Our graduates work in diverse organizations in public, private and the third sector, providing services in the fields of urban and regional planning, housing, transportation, design, etc. Planning being a state function, students have an opportunity to work in the government sector. Many of the graduates are also working in international organizations, multi-lateral development banks and development aid agencies such as United Nations, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, DFID, GIZ, etc. Some of our students have also become entrepreneurs and they are now running successful consulting firms.