Gilmore D. Clarke ‘13 became dean in 1938. His tenure was marked by the development of the program in City and Regional Planning. The College also began offering courses in housing and industrial design. The regular undergraduate and graduate courses continued, but the College also instituted two new six-year courses leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Architecture/Master of Landscape Architecture, and Bachelor of Architecture/Master of Fine Arts. Additionally, the College gave an undergraduate Teacher Training degree and a graduate Regional Planning degree.

In 1940 the College enrolled 130 students and had a faculty of twenty. During World War II enrollment declined. Many students and faculty members joined the service; other faculty participated in war-related work, filled in for faculty in other colleges, or taught in the military programs on campus. The College planned accelerated instruction programs and a policy for returning veterans. In 1949 the College registered a total of 248 students, the largest enrollment in its history.