The Urban and Regional Planning Programs seek to develop highly skilled, innovative thought leaders and decision makers in the field of city planning. The programs provide students with learning opportunities that enable them to develop the intellectual qualities necessary for meeting the broad and varied range of problems and challenges associated with urban growth and development.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) offers a Master of Arts degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The Master of Arts (M.A.) program is accredited through the Planning Accreditation Board. Both programs have a special focus on increasing the number of under-represented groups and women in the profession. The rigorous programs concentrate on the challenging issues and problems confronting planning professionals and scholars in the rebuilding of cities across the nation. Courses and studios offer challenging scholarly and practical work that focuses attention on real world solutions while respecting the ethical, skill, and plan development practices of the profession. The programs are designed for both full-time and part-time students.

Objectives/Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the historical movements that impacted the field of planning and their contribution to the discipline.
• Students will apply quantitative and qualitative skills to design plans and create strategies for implementation.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to lead and productively participate in groups in diverse settings.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the role of Planning Ethics when solving problems and making decisions.

Ph.D. Students’ Objectives/Outcomes

• Urban & Regional Planning doctoral students will be able to critically apply knowledge of Planning movements and theories to generate new ideas to address fundamental Planning problems.
• Urban & Regional Planning doctoral students will be able to apply advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis to address current Planning problems and make decisions.
• Urban & Regional Planning doctoral students will be able to apply the Planning functions of communities and institutions and the impact on their research on society.

Overall Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree and a minimum GPA of 3.0 are the core requirements for entrance into the MA program. The PhD program requires a MA/MS and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Courses

The M.A. program consists of an interdisciplinary curriculum of 49 semester hours, including practical community-based learning experiences and planning studios, while the Doctor of Philosophy consists of 48 semester hours, beyond the master’s degree.

To learn more about the specific program Admission Requirements, select from the appropriate program below.