The interdisciplinary programs of study in planning at Missouri State lead to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree with a comprehensive major in planning.  Two concentration options are available: Community and Regional Planning and Tourism Planning and Development.  A minor is not required.  The program is designed to meet the requirements of the professional planner with a strong emphasis on the actual practice of planning.  Multi-disciplinary instruction allows students to acquire skill in the following areas: land use planning, neighborhood planning, and site development; natural resources planning and management; real estate development, including the formulation of comprehensive feasibility reports; strategy and tactics in municipal zoning, grant writing, and social and economic needs assessment; and environmental assessment and impact statements.  Students are often placed in internships in planning offices or agencies where they can complete research tasks that are suitable as pre-professional experience in planning and resources allocation.  Students may also receive pre-professional practical training by working for the Missouri State University Center for Resource Planning and Management.  The Center engages in broadly based urban and regional planning and management in Missouri and surrounding states, including preparation of comprehensive development plans, mapping and cartographic services, and assistance with data gathering and analysis for various governmental agencies and community groups.

Required Core Courses

• PLN 100 (3 hrs) Understanding Cities or GRY 100 (3 hrs) Global Issues: Geographic Perspective or GRY 108 (3 hrs) Ecology and Society
• PLN 271 (3 hours) General City and Regional Planning
• PLN 367 (3 hours) Research Methods in Geography & Planning
• PLN 372 (3 hours) Community Development
• PLN 400 (3 hours) Communication Techniques in Planning
• PLN 470 (3 hours) Planning Law
• PLN 471 (3 hours) Land Use Planning
• PLN 576 (4 hours) Site Planning Studio
• PLN 599 (3 hours) Internship in Urban & Regional Planning
• GRY 142 (4 hrs) Introductory Physical Geography or GLG 110 (4 hrs) Principles of Geology
• GRY 321 (3 hours) Economic Geography
• GRY 322 (3 hours) Urban Geography
• GRY 363 (4 hours) Principles of Cartography
• ECO 155 (3 hours) Principles of Macroeconomics
• SOC 150 (3 hours) Introduction to Society
• one of the following 3-hour statistics courses: MTH 340, AGR 330, ECO 308, PSY 200, QBA 237, REC 331, SOC 302 

Select One of the Following Areas of Concentration:

Community and Regional Planning

• PLN 472 (4 hours) Community Planning Practicum
• PLS 351 (3 hours) Municipal Government and Administration
• SOC 505 (3 hours) Population Analysis
• select an additional 9 hours as specified in the Missouri State Undergraduate Catalog

Sample Four-Year Schedule (PDF*).  [NOTE: Students are provided with assistance in their selection of classes by academic advisors.  Each student schedule is prepared individually, and your schedule will be based on your ACT scores, high school preparation, and other factors.  This is just one example of a schedule for completing the Comprehensive B.S. in Planning with the Community and Regional Planning concentration area in four years.]  (*View and print PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Tourism Planning and Development

• GRY 310 (3 hours) Fundamentals of Tourism
• GRY 410 (3 hours) The Travel Industry
• GRY 510 (3 hours) Tourism and Sustainability
• PLN 325 (3 hours) Regional Tourism Planning
• PLN 574 (3 hours) Open Space and Recreation Planning
• select an additional 9 hours as specified in the Missouri State Undergraduate Catalog

Sample Four-Year Schedule (PDF*).  [NOTE: Students are provided with assistance in their selection of classes by academic advisors.  Each student schedule is prepared individually, and your schedule will be based on your ACT scores, high school preparation, and other factors.  This is just one example of a schedule for completing the Comprehensive B.S. in Planning with the Tourism Planning and Development concentration area in four years.]  (*View and print PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader.) 

Disclaimer:  We strive to keep this web page accurate and up-to-date.  However, the only official source for the requirements for this program is the current edition of the Missouri State Undergraduate Catalog.

For more information, contact Dr. Paul A. Rollinson, Coordinator, Missouri State Planning Program
(417) 836-5688; paulrollinson@Missouri State.edu