About Us
The School of Planning, Design and Construction (SPDC) is jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Social Science at Michigan State University. It consists of four separately accredited programs: Construction Management, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture and Urban & Regional Planning, as well as the National Charrette Institute, a training, outreach and research unit. Under the leadership of interim school director Dr. Rene Hinojosa, faculty and staff strive for providing a quality educational experience for students in these fields related to the built environment, and encouraging the creativity and innovation that drive these industries.
School Vision
We collaborate to create sustainable and healthy built, natural, and virtual environments.
School Mission
We advance the knowledge, prepare innovative leaders, and support the practice of planning, design, and construction.
Core Values
- We pursue academic excellence.
- We nurture a culture of respect, trust, support, and empowerment.
- We value interdisciplinary collaboration.
- We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion.
Our Programs
- Construction Management Program (BS, MS and PhD)
- Interior Design Program (BA, MED and PhD)
- Landscape Architecture Program (BLA, MED, Dual BLA/MED and PhD)
- Urban & Regional Planning Program (BSURP, MURP and PhD)
- Planning, Design and Construction Doctorate Program
- National Charrette Institute at MSU
Spartans Built to Lead
- The Construction Management Program incorporates both the management and technological aspects of the construction industry. Students are provided real-world experiences through a well-established summer internship program and have access to a lab to gain hands-on experience using construction equipment and learn best practices. In 2013, 2019 and 2020, the MSU Construction Management Residential Competition team earned first-place honors at the National Association of Home Builders Competition.
- The Interior Design Program teaches students to combine knowledge, creativity, problem-solving skills and aesthetic vision to develop safe, functional, aesthetically-pleasing built interior environments that meet the needs of the client. Having been accredited since 1976, the program focuses on creativity, innovation, sustainability, historic integrity, ethics, critical thinking, human-centered approach and well-being, evidence-based problem solutions, and advanced skills in technology and presentation media.
- The Landscape Architecture Program merges ideology, design, technology and ecology toward creating a sustainable world. Graduates are required to master the design process across all scales in the integration of art, science and human interaction, applying these to diverse project types in practice and building new knowledge that advances the LA profession. The program has been ranked top ten in the US by DesignIntellligence since 2019.
- The Urban & Regional Planning Program teaches students about the design and regulation of the uses of space that focus on physical form, economic functions and social impacts of the urban environment, and on the location and flow of activities within it. The program outlines creative and systematic approaches to address and resolve the physical, economic and social problems of towns, cities and regions. The undergraduate program is designed to prepare students for the responsibilities encountered in entry-level professional planning practice. Highlights of the undergraduate and graduate experience include the Planning Practicum Capstone Course, where students have the opportunity to help tackle local planning-related issues, and a number of study abroad programs that reflect our commitment to planning as a global responsibility.
- Our signature graduate education offers four master’s degrees (Master of Environmental Design, Master of International Planning Studies, Master of Science in Construction Management, and Master of Urban and Regional Planning), a doctorate degree and two certificates (Real Estate Development and Construction, and Urban Resilient Redevelopment).
- The National Charrette Institute (NCI) is the leader of professional training in collaborative design and charrettes. NCI trainees include public and private planners, and designers and community activists. The NCI has worked directly with communities on projects across the country, helping them change the way they work together. The NCI program brings the power of charrettes and other tools to nontraditional audiences, such as agriculture, business and engineering.
Our MSU Partners
- Center for Community and Economic Development
- Center of Global Change & Earth Observations
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
- Department of Community Sustainability
- Department of Forestry
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences
- Environmental Science & Policy Program
- Global Urban Studies Program
- MSU Extension
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