Growing up on an Ontario farm, Martin Straathof always knew he wanted to protect farmland and give back to the rural communities that shaped his life.
"It was the rural planning and development (RPD) program at the University of Guelph that offered a bridge between planning, community development and agriculture," he says. "This was exactly the intersection I wanted to explore."
Straathof has achieved that aspiration today. Now executive director of Ontario Farmland Trust, he leads province-wide initiatives that protect agricultural land and farming communities, crediting his current role to the network and skills gained in U of G's RPD program.
"If you're passionate about rural issues, agriculture or community planning," he says, "this program gives you the tools to make a real difference."
'You leave this program with something real'
Straathof graduated with a Master of Science in rural planning and development, the only Canadian program of its kind that emphasizes the unique needs of rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
That perspective and skillset are in high demand across Canada. Many rural communities continue to face challenges in aging infrastructure, labour shortages and the need for safe, adequate housing - problems exacerbated by the climate crises and that planning can help address.
Dr. Nicolas Brunet, program coordinator and professor in the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), says that tackling the country's pressing issues with a unique rural lens, such as the preservation of natural resources and sustainability, is what makes RPD so special.
"What's nice with our degree is you can become an urban planner if you choose - you'll get that skill set," he says. "But on top of that, you get this whole other dimension of land use planning, resource planning and regional economic development, which opens so many other doors."
Graduates have supported national parks, for instance, as well as food systems, recreational and leisure centres and Indigenous communities.
Offered through OAC, the program is delivered through two streams: an MSc with thesis and course-based options, as well as an MPlan, a flexible, course-based program designed for professionals and recent graduates looking for a career-focused master's degree.
Combining classroom learning with community partnerships and applied research projects, the MSc leads to professional accreditation recognized across Canada.
"You leave this program with something real: a professional title, a lasting network and connection to alumni across the country," Brunet says. "I've had students get jobs directly from guest speakers who came to class."
Strong networks, faculty support, real-world skills define RPD
Welcomed from all backgrounds, students might be mid-career professionals or recent graduates in international development, agriculture, finance - even engineering.
Straathof, who took the thesis-based option, says his research on farmland loss helped him secure his job and even led to the development of an award-winning, official elective in the program.
"My thesis work is exactly what I do in my role today," he says. "The mix of research and applied work in RPD taught me how to bridge academic knowledge with grassroots action."
Holly Stemberger, a 2022 MSc graduate, studied RPD while working full-time, wanting to strengthen her career in the environmental sector.
"At the time, I wasn't fully aware of planning as a profession," she says, "until I saw how conservation authorities implement projects like trails and parks. I realized that that's exactly what I wanted to be doing."
Guest speakers shared how community projects can invigorate economies and preserve rural heritage, inspiring her own interest in natural resource conservation.
"Everything I learned in this program is being applied directly," says Stemberger, who now works as an environmental planner in a private firm.
That practical perspective distinguishes RPD graduates from their peers, Brunet says. Faculty bring expertise across agriculture, food systems, community health, rural economics, Indigenous planning and natural resource management - topics rarely covered in urban planning programs.
Stemberger agrees.
"I can bring what's important to rural communities into projects that are more urban or peri-urban," she says. "Faculty went above and beyond to keep us engaged with these perspectives, and opened the doors to so many new relationships and networks."
Shaping Canada's leaders with lifelong networks
Straathof similarly says he valued the supportive culture that emanated from the students, faculty and staff. "That held true throughout the program."
Brunet says that sense of belonging is intentional.
"We're shaping leaders who will inevitably make important decisions about the world around us," he says. "That requires ethics, professionalism and the ability to understand the value of diversity in society.
"We want to shape people who have an open mind, who are open to innovation and change."
For more information on how to apply, visit the RPD program website.
