WWU’s Urban-Planning Program Granted National Accreditation

Western Washington University’s bachelor’s-degree program in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development has been granted national accreditation.

Western joins only 15 other accredited undergraduate planning programs in the United States, and is the second accredited undergraduate planning program in the state of Washington.

“Most of the accredited planning programs are at the master’s level. Western’s accreditation status places us as one of the few accredited undergraduate programs in North America,” said Steve Hollenhorst, dean of Western’s Huxley College of the Environment.

Western has a long tradition in training students in the professional field of urban planning. Huxley College’s bachelor’s degree program in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development, and its predecessor bachelor’s programs in environmental planning and urban and regional planning, have continuously operated at Western for over 45 years. Over the course of decades, the program has granted the bachelor’s degree in Planning to more than 600 Western students.

“Western has an impressive history of preparing undergraduate students for professional planning careers throughout the state of Washington as well as the nation. Accreditation of our program further strengthens our students’ competitiveness, bolsters their professional careers, and accelerates their path towards obtaining professional certification,” said Nicholas Zaferatos, Western Washington University professor of Environmental Studies.

This interdisciplinary program prepares students to enter professional fields concerned with the sustainability of the human and natural environment. As a professional degree major, graduates are prepared for careers in planning agencies, consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations at the local, state, and federal levels of government, as well as advanced graduate study.

The accreditation of undergraduate and graduate programs in the United States is granted by the Planning Accreditation Board in association with the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact Nicholas Zaferatos, professor of Environmental Studies at WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment, at (360) 650-3350.