Waterloo planning questions

[Kimmyx]

Hey guys,

I will be entering Grade 12 in the Fall, and I'd like to know how good Waterloo Planning really is, and if it's as good as it seems. I'd prefer it if some current students/recent grads answered this, though I'd be happy with any answers at all. (This is for undergrad)

- Do other students at Waterloo (i.e. engineering, science) give you flac for being in the program? I've heard some students tell me it was dumb or something...

- Do you enjoy it? What do you like/dislike about it?

- I read in a forum (though the post was dated a few years back) that Waterloo was heavily design based, and most people specialized/expected to be urban designers. But I'm not interested in becoming an urban designer (as fun as I find designing), and I either want to be an urban/regional planner, or work in transportation. Do you think the undergrad Planning program would prep me for this?

- How difficult will it be for me to find a job as a Planner after undergrad? Is the job in demand? Like, what if we compared it to architects or urban designers?

- Is the program more design-based or more theory?

- Did you have a hard time finding a co-op placement during Year 2? How about onwards? What were these placements?

- What are some higher-end (salary) jobs that you can get with a Planning degree, and what salary?

Finally, I'm not sure if anyone can answer this for me...but would I be better off specializing in Marketing for BCom (in terms of prestige, salary, etc.)?


Thanks so much!

 

[jn_12]

While I didn't go to Waterloo (I did my Masters in planning at York), I can answer a few of your questions.

First, no matter what program you're in, don't let what other people in other faculties think of it influence you. You should do what makes you happy and fulfilled. This isn't high school and no one should care what others are studying.

re: jobs after grad: I think this is on a case by case basis. Right now (and I'd imagine for the forseeable future) planning will be a good industry to be in. Just think of how fast our cities are growing and the retirement of the baby boomer generation which will open up positions. If you're willing to move, you can find a job quite easily (friends of mine from my program have found positions in places like Perth). If you're like me and somewhat confined to the GTA, it might take a little bit longer. It also has a lot to do with who you know and what kind of contacts you can make (which is essentially what your co-op is for).

As for salary, if you're working in a municipal government then Directors tend to be as high as you can go. At the province you can be a Deputy Minister, which brings in $200k+. I wouldn't be concerned about high-end salaries though when you're only in grade 12. You have a long way to go to get to that point. But from what I've seen from job postings, $50k/yr is roughly the starting salary for most planning jobs.

Finally, and this kinda goes back to my first point. Do what you want to do. Who cares about prestige and salary if it isn't what you want to be doing? If that's your guide, then you're going to be miserable and will struggle to get through 4 years of undergrad. Do what you want to do, whether it is marketing or planning or whatever. Don't let dollar signs have an impact.

 

[duffman2003]

I'm heading into Ryerson for my planning first year as well. Don't worry about what other people in other programs think about you or have their views change what you want to do. The only reason I didn't choose Waterloo was because I can't afford to spend over 15K a year to go to school, but that's just my reasoning.

I believe the program at Waterloo is a mix of both since it is one of the few that offer co-op with their planning program. You don't necessarily have to be a urban designer if you don't choose to. There's lots of paths in urban planning. To be quite frank, I'm not sure what I want to do in the program either, but I'm sure that as time progresses on, you'll find the answers to all your problems.

 

[299 bloor call control.]

Hope this helps:


- Do other students at Waterloo (i.e. engineering, science) give you flac for being in the program? I've heard some students tell me it was dumb or something...
I don't recall anything of that sort while in Planning at Waterloo. In fact, once most people know what the program is about, they actually think it's a neat major


- Do you enjoy it? What do you like/dislike about it?
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Planning at Waterloo. It's a very tight-knit school, and you really get to know your peers well, especially with all-nighters in the design studio. Not much to dislike about it, I never regretted my decision to go there


- I read in a forum (though the post was dated a few years back) that Waterloo was heavily design based, and most people specialized/expected to be urban designers. But I'm not interested in becoming an urban designer (as fun as I find designing), and I either want to be an urban/regional planner, or work in transportation. Do you think the undergrad Planning program would prep me for this?

There has been a greater focus on Urban Design in the last few years, mainly because there was a demand for it. But after first and second year design, which are mandatory, there's nothing forcing you to continue in the design stream. There are other specializations, including Land Development, Economic, Business, etc. etc. that you can hone your studies toward if you want to move in that direction. The vast majority of my peers that graduated have continued in careers as urban planners, not designers. As for transportation, the school is building its transportation planning repetoire more, especially with Professors like Casello, who is heavily focused on transportation planning.

- How difficult will it be for me to find a job as a Planner after undergrad? Is the job in demand? Like, what if we compared it to architects or urban designers?
As with all professions, your job potential is based on your experience - take advantage of opportunities to do summer jobs or internships, and definitely do co-op. This raises your hiring potential dramatically when you graduate.

- Is the program more design-based or more theory?
Both, and the balance between the two is up to you through your elective choices in year 3 and 4. There are also a lot of practical courses as well, which are great to get 'real-world' type experience

- Did you have a hard time finding a co-op placement during Year 2? How about onwards? What were these placements?
I personally had no problems with co-op placements (though I did stick with the same employer for all my co-op terms). It did help that I found a summer student placement on my own in the summer of first year. Co-op placements are very dependent on the overall job market, so it's really on a term-by-term basis. Co-op was invaluable though, and it gives you a major advantage upon graduation as you've had approximately 2 years of work experience

- What are some higher-end (salary) jobs that you can get with a Planning degree, and what salary?
Public sector jobs range from technician jobs to senior management positions, so there's a big range in salary there. Private sector is the same situation. I've found, typically, you'll be better paid in the public sector to start, but you'll hit the ceiling quickly (unless you move into a higher level position), whereas private sector positions will lead to sustained salary increases commensurate with your performance and roles within the firm.

 

[that_girl_there]

I was in a different program in the Faculty of Environment at Waterloo. The whole faculty jokingly pokes fun at the different programs (Geographers are always GIS-ing, ERS kids are hippies, EB kids don't really care about the environment, etc) but overall ENV is an amazing place to be. I truly miss my afternoons in the ES Coffee Shop and my years as a Frosh Leader. Other faculties don't really know who we are, but once you tell them what it's like in ENV it won't matter how much they try to make fun of your faculty - you'll know that it's the best one on campus.

With that being said, I am not very pleased with where Waterloo is going. There was non-stop construction during the second half of my degree and it seems like any great ideas that ENV kids have (preserve green spaces! build energy-efficient buildings! build up, not out!) are completely ignored - except for the new EV3 building (keep in mind you will be dealing with its construction likely your entire university career). I for one am happy to be gone from that school but I have friends that are still around and still happy.

I can speak a bit to planning jobs - I actually had a couple of planning jobs for my co-op terms, despite not being in planning - and I'm now looking into Master's programs in planning as a result of those jobs. The point is - there are plenty of co-op jobs in the field, both in the private and public sector. And a lot of them are so good that they converted someone like me who used to make fun of the 'dirty planners' who no longer fit into the faculty once Architecture left for Cambridge and then Engineering (oh, the program rivalries in ENV...)

 

[TFC]

I start Planning at Waterloo next month. Pretty stoked about the program, but not the university itself. I'm also interested in the transportation side of planning. Kimmyx, I'll try to provide you with more info once I've spent a while at the school.

 

[Rowe]

Hey! I'm currently a student in Planning and a PSA rep. I'm pretty sure this is the first year they are going to offer a transportation planning specialization.
Kimmyx, 299 Bloor pretty much hit on everything. Design is where the friendships start! I am myself going into urban design (after my MArch or MLA).. if you have any questions I will try to answer to my best ability.

 

[marcus_a_j]

I'm pretty sure questions surrounding Waterloo's Planning program have been asked before in this forum (as are similar questions about Ryerson's, and even a comparison thread). If you dig deep into the various forums you can probably find them. A lot of people (myself included) have chimed in and given their own two cents.

I was also a non-planning ES kid at UW (geography, with as many planning electives as I was allowed to take). I then did the 2-year post-baccaulareate program at Ryerson for Urban and Regional Planning. ES at UW was great, don't worry about what people in other faculties say about it, you could say the same thing about their faculty.

As others have said, the best way to get a job when you're done school is to try to get a co-op placement/summer job. You will get the experience and connections for when you graduate whether or not you decide to go back to that place of employment. As for what direction to take while at school, most schools will allow you choose your electives based on what direction you want to take. Where I work (a private planning consulting firm), most went to Waterloo, a few who did their Masters in Planning at York, and some who did their undergrad at Ryerson. I have also met lots of planners who work for municipalities who went to Waterloo, Ryerson or York.