Community Planning - Certificate

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This program may be completed fully online.

The Certificate in Community Planning prepares students for careers as planning technicians in municipal, county, and regional planning agencies, as well as private consulting firms. The program builds expertise in land use planning, zoning administration, site plan review, and code enforcement, with emphasis on communicating technical regulations clearly to property owners, developers, and the public.

The curriculum integrates planning principles with practical training in the procedures and tools that planning technicians use daily. Graduates will be equipped to process development applications, evaluate site plans for regulatory compliance, and maintain documentation that meets legal and professional standards.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, a student will be able to:

  1. Understand fundamental planning principles and analyze how these principles inform the application of local ordinances to development scenarios
  2. Interpret site plans and apply zoning codes to determine whether proposed developments meet regulatory requirements
  3. Analyze site plans and evaluate for violations of planning regulations
  4. Analyze zoning ordinance requirements and evaluate permit applications for compliance with use, bulk, placement, and parking standards
  5. Remember the components of parcel legal descriptions and apply this knowledge to verify property boundaries for planning applications
  6. Apply research methods to gather information from multiple sources and analyze collected data to support planning decisions
  7. Apply established procedures to prepare public notices and create accurate administrative records that meet legal and professional standards

Certificate Requirements

CMPL 1010 Introduction to Community Planning 3
CMPL 2010 Site Planning 3
CMPL 2020 The Comprehensive Plan 3
LAWS 1200 Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (Rhode Island Focus) 3
LIBA 1010 Cooperative Work Experience I^ (Work-Based Learning Course) 3
POLS 1030 State and Local Government 3
Total Hours 18

Recommended Course Sequence

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Semester 1 Hours
CMPL 1010 Introduction to Community Planning 3
POLS 1030 State and Local Government 3
LAWS 1200 Land Use, Planning, and Zoning (Rhode Island Focus) 3
  Hours 9
Semester 2
CMPL 2010 Site Planning 3
CMPL 2020 The Comprehensive Plan 3
LIBA 1010 Cooperative Work Experience I^ (Work-Based Learning Course) 3
  Hours 9
  Total Hours 18

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