Courses
Below you will find descriptions for courses offered in this field of study. You will find a general overview of the topics covered and any prerequisite course(s) or grade requirements, credit value and exclusions.
Some courses are listed as exclusionary to one another. This means that students may not take both courses for academic credit. Graduate courses which have undergraduate exclusions may be co-located (delivered in parallel). Some courses are restricted to enrollment in specific graduate programs, or may require instructor/graduate coordinator permission to register.
Not all courses are offered each year, and offerings may be cancelled in the event of low registration. Please consult the current timetable for this year's offering. For further information, please contact the program.
Course Descriptions
Course Offerings
Some required subjects may be interchanged between academic terms or years, depending on the availability of instructors. Elective courses are not offered every year.
The School attempts to schedule electives to be available at least once within a two year period; when possible. Some courses have enrollment limits or pre-requisites.
Other Electives
Students should discuss their elective choices with their faculty advisor.
Up to half of the elective credits may be taken outside the School. All such choices need the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, and if the course is at another university, a Letter of Permission must be completed before the student enrols in the course.
Up to two senior level (3000, 4000) undergraduate courses may be included in the program if comparable graduate courses are not available. Students need the permission of the Graduate Coordinator to register for undergraduate courses.
No more than two Directed Studies courses may be included in the program. Students need the permission of the Graduate Coordinator to register for a Directed Studies course.
Course Numbers
Graduate courses are at the 5000 level and above. When courses are cross-listed with senior undergraduate courses, graduate students must enroll under the graduate number. In such courses, the assignments and expectations are modified appropriately for graduate work.
Planning Courses
Students in the MPlan program take 60 credit hours, or equivalent, and complete a work term. The distribution of courses throughout the two years of the planning program is outlined below.
Full-time students normally register for 12 to 18 credit hours per semester. Course credit hours are shown after the decimal place in the course number: e.g., “.03” means three credit hours; in a one-semester lecture course, the number of credit hours is roughly equal to the weekly contact hours; there is an expectation of about double that time of work outside course hours. Note that studio courses are six credit hours, though only one semester long.
Required courses: 45 credit hours (11 courses)
- PLAN 5000.06: Planning Studio 1
- PLAN 5035.03: Application of Planning Law
- PLAN 5101.03: History and Philosophy of Planning
- PLAN 5102.03: Planning Practice
- PLAN 5201.00: Work Term (non-credit)
- PLAN 5303.03: Planning Methods
- PLAN 5304.03: Planning Research Methods
- PLAN 5500.06: Planning Studio 2
- PLAN 6000.09: Planning Project and Seminar
- PLAN 6500.06: Integrative Team Project
- PLAN 6505.03: Seminar on Theories, Ideas, and Debates in Planning
- Elective credits: 15 credit hours (five half courses, or equivalent).
Students select 15 credit hours of electives over the course of their studies.
Program of Study for Master of Planning
Year 1 - Term 1 (Fall)
Year 1 - Term 2 (Winter)
Year 1 - Term 3 (Summer)
Year 2 - Term 4 (Fall)
- PLAN 6000.09: Planning Project and Seminar
- electives
Year 2 - Term 5 (Winter)
- PLAN 6500.06: Integrative Team Project
- PLAN 6505.03: Seminar: Theories, Ideas, and Debates in Planning
- electives
Planning Electives
Program of Study for Master of Planning Studies
The program consists of 15 credit hours of courses and a thesis.
Compulsory courses: 9 credit hours
- PLAN 6505.03: Seminar in Theories, Ideas and Debates in Planning
- PLAN 8000.06: MPS Thesis Proposal
Elective courses: 6 credit hours
- graduate-level research methodology course
- elective
Approved Research Methodology courses
- PLAN 5303.03: Planning Methods
- PLAN 5304.03: Planning Research Methods
- ENGM 6671.03: Applied Regression Analysis
- CIVL 6139.03: Transport Operations
- INTE 7100.03: Research Methods from management, policy and science
- OCCU 5030.03: Advanced Research Theory and Methods for Occupational Therapy
- ENVI 5001.03: Environmental Assessment
- PLAN 6106.03: Transportation Planning
Other methods courses may be considered depending on the student's research interests and the course offerings at Dalhousie in a given year (alternatives require approval).
Sample Program
Scenario A
Scenario B
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Summer |
| Year 1 |
Methodology course
PLAN 8000.06: Thesis
Elective |
PLAN 6505.03: Seminar
elective
[thesis research] |
PLAN 9000.00: Thesis |
| Year 2 |
PLAN 9010.03: Thesis continuation |
|
|
Scenario C
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Summer |
| Year 1 |
|
PLAN 6505.03: Seminar
Methodology course
elective |
PLAN 8000.06: Thesis proposal
[thesis research] |
| Year 2 |
PLAN 9000.00: Thesis |
PLAN 9010.03: Thesis continuation |
|
Actual sequencing may change on time of admission and length of time for preparation of a thesis. Students will determine the appropriate sequence for them in consultation with the Supervisor.
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