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Graduate programs

With over half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, the challenge of creating and maintaining urban places as high quality, healthy, vital places for people has never been more important. Our expectation is that recipients of the graduate degrees and certificates offered by the Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning will be in the forefront of those efforts, contributing professional leadership and new knowledge in support of this first “urban century”.

Admission requirements

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.)

Master of Urban Studies (M.U.S.) (Not accepting new students)

Urban Studies Ph.D. (Not accepting new students)

Urban Studies—Regional Science Ph.D. (Not accepting new students)

Program Rules

Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.)

The Master of Urban and Regional Planning program prepares students for careers that help communities to become more equitable, prosperous, sustainable and resilient. Graduates of the program acquire skills suiting them for employment in public agencies, private firms and non-profit organizations involved in planning and urban development processes at a variety of scales. Beyond the core curriculum, the program offers students opportunities to customize their education by designing a pathway, with their 29 elective credits, to reflect their academic and professional interests within planning, in areas such as: transportation, land use, community development, food systems, environment, or economic development.  This degree is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board.

Course Requirements

Planning sequence

USP 540History and Theory of Planning

4
USP 541Dynamics of Planning Practice

3
USP 550Participatory Planning

3

Methods sequence

USP 536Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Urban Studies and Planning

4
USP 533Planning Methods I

4
USP 535Planning Methods II

4
USP 584Negotiation in the Public Sector

2

Analytical methods

USP 515Economics: Applications in Urban Studies

4
USP 525Design Analysis in Planning

3
USP 553Foundations of Planning Law

2

Workshops

USP 558Planning Workshop

9 (3+6)
USP 559Internship Seminar

1
Pathway and Electives

29

Total Credit Hours: 72

Planning Workshop

Planning Workshop is the culminating experience of the MURP program, and required for all students. Students work in teams with clients from around the region on projects that those clients have proposed, and complete all facets of the plan-making process: scoping, research and analysis, community and stakeholder engagement, and plan development. Workshop projects are often implemented by clients to the benefit of their communities.

Field Paper/Project

Students may choose to prepare an original research paper or project in their field of specialization. The research paper or project is meant to demonstrate a student’s ability to integrate and apply material from his or her coursework and is designed in consultation with faculty.

Internship Requirement

MURP students are required to complete 400 hours of planning-related internships during their time in the program. Students with significant professional experience in planning or planning-related fields may obtain a waiver from this requirement, but are nonetheless required to complete USP 559 Internship Seminar.