Community Planning Graduate Certificate

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8/5/2025
Application Deadline
9/9/2025
Classes Begin

Overview

The Community Planning Graduate Certificate is a fully-online program designed to equip you with core competencies in sustainable community planning. This program provides a strong foundation in the principles and practices of community planning and development, with a focus on land use, environmental planning, and urban design.

With increasing demand for sustainable and strategic development, this certificate provides the skills you need to advance in the dynamic field of community planning across a variety of roles in:

Governmental planning agencies
Private sector consulting
Real estate development
Nonprofit organizations

Additionally, this certificate can be stacked with another in order to earn the Master of Public Administration, Master of Environmental Management, and additional URI Online programs.

Courses

Required:
CPL 510: Fundamentals of Community Planning Practice (3 credits)
CPL 585: Environmental Design (3 credits)
CPL 538: Site Planning (3 credits)

Elective:
CPL 550: Urban Design (3 credits)
PSC 505: Public Program Evaluation (3 credits)
PSC 508: Policy and Grant Writing (3 credits)
PSC 524: Seminar in Public Policy Planning (3 credits)
PSC 583: Policy Analysis (3 credits)
AFS/EVS 505: Environmental Leadership in Practice (3 credits)
DSP 552: Computer Based Data Exploration

Total Credits Required: 12

Tuition per credit based on 2025/2026 academic year rates (subject to change): $918

Full Course Descriptions

Admissions

College transcripts certifying successful completion of a bachelor’s degree.
Two letters of recommendation
Resume/CV
Statement of purpose
- Interest in Community Planning
- Reasons for applying

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Department of Landscape Architecture

The Community Planning Graduate Certificate is offered through the URI College of Environment and Life Science’s Department of Landscape Architecture.

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Career Opportunities

Advance your career with URI Online.

Earning a Community Planning Graduate Certificate with URI Online opens doors to careers in urban and regional planning, land use development, and environmental sustainability. Upon completion, you can expect to advance in roles in government agencies, private consulting firms, real estate development, and non profit organizations, with focuses on areas such as transportation planning, housing policy, and community engagement.

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Urban Planner

Develops land use plans and zoning regulations to guide community growth, analyzes environmental and economic factors to propose sustainable development strategies, and works with government agencies, developers, and the public to implement urban planning projects.

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Transportation Planner

Designs and improves public transportation systems and road networks, conducts traffic studies and recommends solutions for congestion and safety, and collaborates with local and state agencies to develop long-term mobility plans.

The image depicts a serene scene of Providence, Rhode Island featuring a river winding through the city with a combination of modern and historic architecture. On the left, a paved walkway bordered by lush greenery and red brick path runs alongside the river, shaded by trees with dense foliage. The river is calm, with evenly spaced stone structures partially submerged in the water. In the background, a small arched bridge crosses the river, leading to a series of buildings. Several skyscrapers dominate the skyline, including a tall, distinct building with an art-deco design featuring intricate patterns. The sky is bright blue, scattered with wispy clouds, suggesting a clear, sunny day.

Environmental Planner

Assesses environmental impacts of development projects and proposes sustainable solutions, ensures compliance with environmental laws and regulations, and develops policies for land conservation, water management, and climate resilience.

Interested in earning your Master of Public Administration?

The Community Planning Graduate Certificate can be combined with our fully-online Master of Public Administration program, allowing you to choose from the following specialization tracks:

Public Management and Community Planning: Master of Public Administration with the Public Management Certificate and Community Planning Graduate Certificate.

Policy Analysis and Community Planning: Master of Public Administration with the Policy Analysis Certificate and Community Planning Graduate Certificate.

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Master of Public Administration

Learn the management, budgeting, financial, and analytical skills necessary to govern effectively and advance in public management, policy analysis, and governance-related positions.

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