Student Satisfaction and Achievement in the Undergraduate Urban and Regional Planning Program
View the EMU catalog and description of the Urban and Regional Planning Program.
Student Achievement
The mission of the Eastern Michigan University Urban and Regional Planning Program is to prepare students to engage in careers in urban planning and related areas. The program is structured to emphasize the practical application of planning knowledge and skills in addressing community planning concerns.
Effective communication is a fundamental applied skill that the program routinely assesses through three advanced courses that together constitute a focused, culminating experience. Students are evaluated across a range of written, oral and graphic assignments rated on a five-point scale:
Five-Point Scale | - Five: Able to appropriately present complex planning matters to a variety of audiences in a clear and concise manner, adept at integrating high-quality graphics with both oral and written presentations
- Four: May fall slightly short in one of the four areas assessed (complex information, variety of audiences, clear and concise, integration of graphics), but ability is more than adequate in all areas
- Three: Able to present necessary planning information clearly and concisely to variety of audiences, graphics may not always be well integrated
- Two: Able to present basic planning information to most audiences, may be lacking in clarity, graphics not well integrated and may be of uneven quality
- One: Basic skills are evident, but marginally so; work may be academically passable, but below program and professional standards
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Composite Scores
Academic Year
Average Score
Score Range
*Data are incomplete
The regulatory environment for developing and administering plans is another area that the program assesses through a variety of assignments. Students must show an understanding of land division processes, zoning requirements and environmental regulations as these relate to community planning efforts.
Students are evaluated across a number of written assignments, oral presentations and exams in three advanced courses using a five-point scale:
Five-Point Scale | - Five: Fully understands and is able to explain complex planning, subdivision, zoning and environmental requirements to a variety of audiences in a clear and concise manner
- Four: May fall slightly short in one of the four areas assessed (plan development, subdivision, zoning, environmental regulations), but ability is more than adequate in all areas
- Three: Understands and is able to present necessary information clearly and concisely to variety of audiences; various aspects may not always be well integrated
- Two: May lack understanding of some details, but able to present basic information to most audiences; information may be lacking in clarity, concepts may not be well integrated or presentation of information may be of uneven quality
- One: Basic skills are evident, but marginally so; work may be academically passable, but below program and professional standards
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Composite Scores
Academic Year
Average Score
Score Range
Professional Certification
Although not required for planning practice, many urban planners do become professionally certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Among the requirements for AICP certification are a minimum of three years of qualified professional work and passage of a rigorous exam. According to the most recent exam results released by the AICP (through January 2021), graduates of the EMU undergraduate Urban and Regional Planning Program have enjoyed a 100% passage rate on the exam from 1999 (the first year graduates of the program were eligible for the AICP exam) through 2015. The national average is a 75% pass rate.
Of those graduates who take the exam, 40% pass within five years of graduation, with the remainder taking one to four additional years to pass. Much of this additional time is spent gaining further planning experience or acquiring a master's degree.
AICP Exam Pass Rates | Percent of bachelor's graduates taking the AICP exam and passing within seven years of graduation:- Class of 2010: no exam takers
- Class of 2011: 100%
- Class of 2013: no exam takers
- Class of 2015: 100%
- Class of 2016: 50%
View more information about the AICP and the certification process. |
Student Retention and Graduation
The undergraduate Urban and Regional Planning Program is relatively small with about 30 majors working towards their baccalaureate degrees any given semester. Typically the program graduates seven to 10 students each year. Planning students that enter Eastern Michigan University as freshmen take an average of five years to graduate, while those who enter as transfer students generally take three years to complete all remaining degree requirements.
2010–11 | - Total students: 55
- Degrees awarded: 10
- Retention rate: 83%
- New students: 22
- Six-year graduation rate: 64%
| 2011–12 | - Total students: 47
- Degrees awarded: 6
- Retention rate: 80%
- New students: 13
- Six-year graduation rate: 31%
| 2012–13 | - Total students: 54
- Degrees awarded: 17
- Retention rate: 65%
- New students: 15
- Six-year graduation rate: 47%
| 2013–14 | - Total students: 37
- Degrees awarded: 7
- Retention rate: 80%
- New students: 12
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2014–15 | - Total students: 32
- Degrees awarded: 7
- Retention rate: 76%
- New students: 9
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2015–16 | - Total students: 29
- Degrees awarded: 11
- Retention rate: 44%
- New students: 12
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2016–17 | - Total students: 32
- Degrees awarded: 7
- Retention rate: 87.5%
- New students: 11
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2017–18 | - Total students: 33
- Degrees awarded: 5
- Retention rate: 89%
- New students: 8
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2018–19 | - Total students: N/A
- Degrees awarded: 9
- Retention rate: 100%
- New students: N/A
- Six-year graduation rate: N/A
| 2019–2020 | Total students: N/A Degrees awarded: 4 Retention rate: 100% New students: N/A Six-year graduation rate: 50% | 2020–2021 | Total students: DK Degrees awarded: 8 Retention rate: 75% New students: DK Six-year graduation rate: 80% |
Public Information
The Planning Accreditation Board requires this information be posted for the Undergraduate Urban and Regional Planning Program at Eastern Michigan University: download the current data [PDF].