What Can I do With a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning?

Career Center Library Resources
The Career Center Library has a variety of resources to help students explore potential career fields. These resources include information about typical responsibilities, qualifications, career paths, job outlook, salary, and related careers.

Career-Related Books for Master of Urban and Regional Planning Degrees

• Environmental Careers in the 21^st Century
• A Guide to Careers in Community Development
• Careers for Nature Lovers and Other Outdoor Types
• Careers in Government
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Green Careers
  

Vocational Biographies
Vocational Biographies describes the career success stories of 1001 real people. Search by career title, keyword, topic, and career cluster. Username: portland su and pass code: 3w9n

• Transportation Planner
• Environmental Planner
  
• City Planner
  
• Economic Development Director
• Economic Diversification Coordinator

Professional Associations

• American Planning Association — APA: Oregon Chapter
• American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)
• Urban Land Institute (ULI)
• Community Development Society (CDS)
• Community Transportation Association
• Urban and Regional Information Systems Association — URISA: Oregon Chapter
• National Association of Environmental Professionals (NACP)
• International Economic Development Council
• National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)
  
• Planners Network
• Smart Growth Network
• Association of Oregon Counties (AOC)
• National Association of Counties (NACo)
• National League of Cities (NLC)
• Northwest Environmental Business Council (NEBC) — NEBC is a "regional trade association representing environmental technology and service firms". Membership Directory.

Internet Sites with Career-Related Information for Master of Urban and Regional Planning Degrees

• Urban and Regional Planners — From the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
• Entering the Field of Planning — From the American Planning Association

Internet Sites with Job Search Information for Master of Urban and Regional Planning Degrees

• Jobs Online — From American Planning Association. Search database of jobs by job title, keyword, or location.
• Planetizen — Lists planning jobs by date.
• Government Planning Jobs — Lists government planning jobs.
• GIS Jobs Clearinghouse — Lists GIS jobs.
• GIS Jobs — Post your resume or search for jobs by job title.
• CascadeLink's Government Job Listings — Includes links to Local Cities, Local Counties, Regional, State, and Federal.
• Careers in Government — Careers In Government is a clearinghouse of information, resources and jobs available in public sector organizations in America and abroad.
• League of Oregon Cities — Intern Placement and Referral Service

Places of Employment

Students who earn a master's degree in urban and regional planning develop skills that are valued by employers. These skills include: research, analysis, writing, oral presentation, critical thinking, synthesis, and problem solving. Students and alumni may find employment in city, county, state and federal government; the private sector; and educational institutions depending on their skills and experience. Career-related internships may be a prerequisite to finding employment.

The following list of employers and job titles was derived from the Career Center's jobs database where the employer specifically requested urban and regional planning majors. This list does not reflect all potential places of employment or kinds of jobs for urban and regional planning majors. This list does not reflect current openings.

• Benton County — Assistant Planner; Assistant Director, Non-Profit Transportation Program
• Camas School District — Planner I
  
• CH2M Hill — Environmental/Transportation Planner
• C-Tran — Senior Transportation Planning Manager, Planner, High Capacity Transit Project Manager
• Central NE Neighbors — Neighborhood Planner
• City of Corvallis — Assistant Planner
  
• City of Beaverton — GIS Analyst, GIS Specialist, Senior Planner, Associate Planner, Plans Examiner II, Economic Development Project Coordinator, Economic Development Project Coordinator
• City of Florence — Associate/Assistant Planner
  
• City of Grants Pass — Associate Planner, Assistant Planner, Senior Planner
  
• City of Hillsboro — Development Project Coordinator, Urban Planner II, Plans Examiner III, Planning Director
  
• City of Junction City — City Planner
  
• City of Keizer — Senior Planner, Community Development Director
• City of Klamath Falls — Planner
• City of Medford — Planner I
  
• City of Milwaukie — Project Manager
• City of Newport — Senior Planner
  
• City of Portland — Transportation Planner, Senior City Planner, Development Services Technician, City Planner I (Land Use)
  
• City of Roseburg — Community Planner
• City of Salem — Transportation Planning, Project Coordinator, Development Services Planner, Assistant Planner, Housing Authority Project Manager, Parks Operations Manager
  
• City of Tigard — Associate Planner, Plans Examination Supervisor
  
• City of Vancouver — Planner B-Long Range Planning Manager, CDBG Project Planner - Community Services, Permit Specialist I/II
  
• Clackamas County — Project Coordinator (Homelessness), Program Aid for Energy Assistance Program
  
• Clackamas Housing Action Network — Community Oreganizer/Housing Network Staff
  
• Coalition for a Livable Future — Regional Livability Summit Internship
• Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians — Planner/GIS
  
• Corvallis Neighborhood Housing — Housing Developer
• Cowlitz County — Community & Land Use Planner, Environmental or Community/Land Use Planner, Long Range Planner
  
• Fehr & Peers — Transportation Engineer/Planner
  
• Fletcher Farr Ayotte — Urban Planner
• Human Services Council — Employment Transportation Coordinator I, Executive DirectorÂ
• IBI Group — Entry Level ITS Engineer
• Jackson County — Planner III
• Lane County — Land Management Technican (Planning)
  
• Lattice Semiconductor Corporation — Sales Analyst I
  
• Lewis County, Washington — Long Range Planner
• METRO — Assistant Regional Planner
• Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments — Associate Planner - Land Use and Community Development, Associate Planner - Transportation, Associate Planner - Willamette Partnership
• Moore Iacofano Goltsman, Inc. — Senior Planner
• Multnomah County — CDC Senior Evaluator
• Multnomah County GIS — GIS Intern, Mapping Intern, Senior Property Management SpecialistÂ
• Newlands & Company — Visualization Specialist
• Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) — Public Policy/Public Relations Internship
  
• Oregon Department of Transportation — Long Range Planner, Transportation Engineer 2, Agreement Specialist, Planner 2
  
• Oregon State University (OSU) — Program Coordinator for Community and Diversity
• Pacific Telecom Services, LLC — Land Use/Zoning Specialist
  
• Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. — Environmental Planner
  
• Port of Portland — Aviation Planning and Development Intern, Airside Operations Planner, Outreach and Tour Program Manager, Business Systems Analyst —œ GIS, Aviation Planner II - Aviation Facilities Department
• Portland Development Commission (PDC) — Senior Project/Program Coordinator, Development Manager, Public Participation Coordinator, Development Manager--South Park Blocks, Senior Project/Program Coordinator - Housing, Community Relations Coordinator
• Public Health Institute — Planner
  
• Region IV Development Association — Community Development Planner
• Seattle-Northwest Securities — Public Finance Associate
  
• Seattle Urban Nature Project —GIS Specialist/Project Manager
• Sustainable Conservation — Green Building Summer Intern
• Tillamook County — Land Use Planner 2, Land Use Planner3
• Tri-Met — Planning Intern, Planner I, Planner III, GIS Data Analyst, Transit Facilities Designer, Planning Technician, Project Design Coordinator, Service Planning Manager, Community Affairs Specialist, Planner III - Elderly & Disabled Planning Coordinator
• Wallowa County — Planning Department Director
  

Miscellaneous

• Cyburbia: Urban Planning Portal — Resource directory to thousands of planning related websites.
• State of Oregon Job Specifications for Planner 1, Planner 2, and Planner 3.

Department of Urban Studies and Planning — Portland State University