ALHOSN University Catalogue Global Knowledge with Local Vision ...

Department of Urban Planning
Overview
The Bachelor of Urban Planning (BUP) degree program is the first program of its kind accredited in the
United Arab Emirates. It responds to the growing needs for adequate planning in view of the rapid local
urban growth along with the associated housing, transportation, social and environmental challenges.
The BUP program stresses planning as a problem-solving activity oriented towards the future—with
special emphasis on the built and natural environments and on improving the quality of life.
Bachelor of Urban Planning (BUP)
The four-year curriculum consists of general and specialized professional planning lectures, seminar
courses, a sequence of “studio” courses, and a professional practice (internship) course. Studios are
planning exercises based on real-world projects. They provide the students with an opportunity to gain
hands-on experience in urban planning techniques while working in groups as team members.
Substantive program materials are not limited to courses in city and regional planning, but additional
disciplines such as geography, ecology, sociology, economics and politics are also integrated into the
core learning material in order to provide students with a multi-disciplinary approach towards effective
urban and regional planning.
Goals
The primary goal of the BUP program is to introduce students to the general knowledge required by
the profession, as well as to ground students in physical, computer, graphic design, and communication
skills. All BUP students participate in a summer internship opportunity which permits students to have a
semester of meaningful professionally-related experience integrated with their academic study on
campus.
Objectives
The objectives of the BUP program are to:
1. Produce graduates who have the knowledge and skills to act as effective urban planners,
to analyze and interpret data, to develop alternative solutions to problems, and to design
strategies and processes to satisfy defined needs and criteria that are suitable for the UAE
and the Gulf region urban context at large,
2. Produce professionals with specialization in community planning, environmental
management, housing, transportation, and urban design that can function within municipalities,
infrastructure agencies, real estate developers, and consulting firms to solve existing and
emerging urban problems of the region.
3. Have students acquire a sound understanding of both the theory and practice of city and
regional planning including physical, social, economic and environmental factors, through
formal lectures, seminars, project based studios and field experience,
4. Provide its graduates with good communication skills, a thorough understanding of
professional and ethical responsibilities, and the ability to be effective and efficient in multidisciplinary
teams, and
5. Train students to self-learn and instill in them a life-long learning commitment to
accommodate novel technologies, new ideas and emerging problems, and to enforce creativity,
resourcefulness and active involvement in the learning process.
Career Prospects
With a solid professional planning education, graduates from the Urban Planning Program at ALHOSN
will understand the complexities of how cities and regions function and evolve. They will be able to
identify problems, develop appropriate analyses, formulate meaningful responses, and implement
decisions within dynamic and constantly changing environments.
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