The Department of Physical Planning of the school of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi offers a professional programme in physical planning leading to the degree of Bachelor of Planning. This programme was introduced in September 1989 in response to the growing need for qualified planners in consonance with the accelerating pace of urbanization within the country and related urban and regional problems that required urgent attention.

The students admitted to the programme are imparted such basic skills that would help them later in their careers to serve in various professional capacities in planning and development agencies in the public sector as well as private consultancy organisations. During the programme, the students are also equipped with the knowledge of basic theories, techniques, and design concepts so that they can assume their assigned professional roles as members of multi- disciplinary teams for survey, analysis and plan preparation; be it in the area of urban planning, regional planning, housing, transport planning, environmental planning, design, conservation or in other related disciplines. For this they are imparted education in a wide spectrum of subjects from the disciplines of architecture, engineering, environmental sciences, planning and applied social sciences. The teaching methodology is essentially based on project work and case studies. Students are encouraged to learn through doing. Thus a major part of the study time is spent in surveying, analysing and then proposing solutions to real life problems in the field of planning and development.

The course curriculum of this programme is spread over eight semesters during which students attain proficiency in designing and managing projects of all magnitudes from micro level unit design to the macro level regional development planning supplemented with 12 weeks of off campus professional work in a planning office. The programme culminates in the eighth semester in a thesis presentation whereby a student is trained-in research methodology. The topics of research are chosen by the students themselves. Therefore, the research topics generally reflect students' particular interest areas. Teaching in the department emphasizes extensive use of audio-visual and computer based aids for conducting lectures as well as studio programmes.

This syllabus has been prepared after a series of discussions with professionals from within the School as well as outside. It was approved by the Academic Council on 19 December 1995. The department has a highly qualified core faculty with backgrounds in architecture, engineering and social sciences. The core faculty is supported by the visiting faculty who are chosen with care to provide academic inputs in specialized subjects of study. Each year about 20 professional planners graduate with a degree in Bachelor of Planning.