Description
Applied work experience is increasingly required for graduates of professional programs. This internship provides students in the Department of City and Regional Planning with the opportunity to conduct applied fieldwork and acquire valuable practical experience in their area of specialization. A final report evaluating the usefulness of the fieldwork experience is expected by the end of the term. This internship has a ten hours per week work requirement. The course can be taken for one credit every semester and can be repeated up to three times. International students require Curricular Practical Training approval, which is granted by the International Students and Scholars Services only after enrolling in this course for credit.
Objectives
This seminar introduces students to practical aspects of city planning. From working with the government at the local, regional, and federal levels, to working with the private sector, the course attempts to provide hands-on planning experience for students. The instructor and the student will mutually agree on the topic for the fieldwork, which by necessity should correspond with the student’s area of study at DCRP. Appropriate areas of study for this seminar include:
- Land use planning and land development
- Design and preservation of the built environment
- Environmental planning
- Transportation planning
- Economic development planning
- Housing and community development
- Applied GIS analysis
Students are expected to find an institution (on or off-campus) or a firm that is willing to provide the opportunity to gain hands-on knowledge. Please note that signing up for this course is not a guarantee that you will be able to conduct the fieldwork. Other conditions, such as getting temporary work permits for international students if needed, should also be met.
Meeting Times
There are no formal meeting times for this course. Students can meet with the faculty member on an as-needed basis.
Assignments
There are two assignments for this internship.Failure to meet the deadlines will result in grade penalties or withdrawal of credit for the internship
- For the first assignment, students should submit a short report identifying a work supervisor and describing the objectives for the fieldwork and how they will be met. The supervisor should review the first report before final submission. Also include the name, address, and other contact information (email, telephone) of your supervisor for our records. This assignment is due at the beginning of the semester and should be submitted to the instructor of record for the internship course.
- The second assignment is an evaluation of the fieldwork experience. It should answer questions such as: Were the work objectives met? Why or why not? What would you do differently next year? As with the first report, this final report should be submitted to the employer and to the instructor. This assignment is due at the end of the semester and should be submitted to the instructor of record for the internship course.