Professional development

Professional development is defined as any coursework that covers technical and personal growth and development activities related to the practice of planning.

Photo of a man's hands taking a test for professional development.

American Institute of Certified Planners certification

To become a certified planner and use the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) designation, you must be a current member of the American Planning Association, submit an online application, meet specified education and experience requirements, and pass an examination. For information, contact the AICP Director for APA California Northern.

The National APA website details what you need to prepare for the examination.

 

Photo of people gathering at a workshop for professional developement.

Certificate maintenance

Continued AICP education is required to maintain professional development certification. The principal requirement for maintaining AICP certification is a minimum of 32 hours of Certificate Maintenance (CM) credit obtained over a two-year period (or less).

Logo for professional development by the APA California Northern Section Mentorship Program.

Mentorship program

This career development initiative involves one-on-one mentorship matching between planners in various stages of their careers (“Mentees”) and experienced professionals (“Mentors”). The program aims to improve the professional planning practice by benefiting individual practitioners at all experience levels.

Interested in participating in the next mentorship class? Sign up for our email list and we will be in touch.

Two young planners document people for a public realm study in San Francisco's Japantown as part of their professional development.

Young and Emerging Planners

The Young and Emerging Planners group (YEP) works to provide emerging professionals and students in planning-related fields the opportunity to engage socially and professionally with other professionals in the Northern California region. We seek to cultivate young professionals through career-building programs, social networking
events, and mentoring opportunities.

Members benefit from exposure to different facets of planning and related industries; education on current and emerging issues, professional tools, services, and support; and preparation to become future leaders in the planning profession.

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