Hey,
I've just started college, but I already hate my school and am wondering if anyone has a suggestion for a good school in planning and/or maybe landscape architechture? I'd really like to know if there are any in the Southeast. What's Virginia Tech like? Georgia Tech? UT-Knoxville? Let me know please.
I am currently a senior in urban and regional planning at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. I know you inquired about schools in the Southeast, but I really would check out the Illinois program. The courses include great hands on experience as you are required to complete community development projects through studio courses. If you are interested, the Illinois webpage is "www.uiuc.edu" I hope this helps.
Thanks for the suggestion for UIUC. I'll make sure to look at the web page, although I really need to find a school that's in the Southeast.
I graduated from Va Tech's Master's program in Urban and Regional Planning in 1995. The school has a good reputation among planners in Virginia. I feel that their program prepared me well for my current job as a local government planner. Since I didn't go there as an undergrad, I don't know a lot about their Bachelor's degree program, but I do know that Va Tech offers the flexibility to take a variety of courses related to your interests.
The Town of Blacksburg is a nice place to live, especially if you are into outdoor activities. The nearest sizeable city is Roanoke, about 45 minutes away. Send me an e-mail if you have more questions.
I've applied to graduate planning programs at UVA, UT, & Georgia Tech. I've found that UT is probably the weakest of the three, and Ga. Tech was ranked #2 by Gourman's report. UT has an undergrad urban studies program and (I think) UVA & GA Tech do too. Good luck!
You didn't say whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student; I'll assume that you are a graduate student. I received an MSP from Florida State in 1997. It was a challenging program, but too policy oriented for me. I would strongly advise you to choose a school that emphasizes your interests. You may be able to design your own course of study, but you might find that your advisor won't be keen on you going outside of the department. If you do go outside of the department, will other departments offer you the courses that you are looking for? I would also advise you to visit any potential schools that you are interested in and talk with students, sit in on classes, etc. Some schools look good on paper, but the reality might be very different. I was accepted to UT, but found there program a bit limiting when compared to other schools around the South. I also looked at UNC, but thought it was ridiculous to spend that kind of money on a planning degree; maybe for an MBA I could see it. Have you looked at Clemson? I think that they have a pretty impressive program, and they even offer you a chance to study abroad for a semester. Where do you want to work after graduation. If it's Florida, for example, you might want to try FSU, UF or FAU so that you can get Florida planning experience and begin to make contacts. Another thing you should consider is whether or not another school is willing to give you an assistantship or scholarship. Picking the right school is a tough decision. One thing you should remember though, is that you may loose credits if you transfer, not to mention time and money. Is it the school that you dislike, or is it your field of study? If would like to know more about FSU, please e-mail me. If not, good luck to you.
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