Urban planning education
Encyclopedia
University-level urban planning education is offered as an academic degree
in urban
, city
or regional
planning, awarded as either an Associate's degree
, Bachelor's degree
, Master's degree
, or Doctorate
.
Since planning programs are usually small, they tend not to be housed in distinct "planning schools" but rather, as part of an architecture
school, a design
school, a geography
department, or a public policy
school, since these are cognate fields. Generally speaking, planning programs in architecture schools focus primarily on physical planning and design, while those in policy schools tend to focus on policy and administration.
As urban planning is such a broad and interdisciplinary field, a typical planning degree program emphasizes breadth over depth, with core coursework that provides background for all areas of planning. Core courses typically include coursework in history/theory of urban planning, urban design, statistics, land use/planning law, urban economics, and planning practice. Many planning degree programs also allow a student to "concentrate" in a specific area of interest within planning, such as land use
, environmental planning
, housing, community development
, economic development
, historic preservation
, international development
, urban design
, transportation planning
, or geographic information system
s (GIS). Some programs permit a student to concentrate in real estate
, however, graduate real estate education
has changed giving rise to specialized real estate programs.
(PAB) accredits graduate and undergraduate planning programs in the United States and Canada. Currently, there are 15 PAB accredited undergraduate programs and 72 accredited graduate programs in North America.
(American Institute of Certified Planners) Certification Exam earlier in the career than a student with a degree from a non-accredited program or school.
Programs that desire accreditation through the PAB must apply for candidacy status. The program seeking candidacy must demonstrate that they meet the five preconditions of accreditation. The five preconditions are:
Once the preconditions have successfully been met by the program, the program must complete and submit a Self-Study Report. Through the Self-Study Report, the program assesses their performance and compliance with PAB's accreditation standards. This report serves as the basis of review for the Planning Accreditation Board, along with a formal meeting with the Program Administrator at the Board meeting. The application fee is $1,925.
If candidacy is awarded, the Planning Accreditation Board will send a three member team to visit and formally review the program during a semester. The three member team will meet with faculty, staff, students, and members of the local planning community. The team will then submit a Site Visit Report to the Planning Accreditation Board. During the meeting of the Planning Accreditation Board, the board will review the Self-Study Report , Site Visit Report and other documentation and meet with the Program Administrator. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board decides if the program is awarded accreditation and the length of accreditation.
Accreditation length is dependent on the extent the program complies with requirements of the Planning Accreditation Board, with the maximum length awarded is 7 years. Programs must re-apply for accreditation in the year their accreditation term expires.
(** candidate for accreditation)
For current information on PAB accredited programs, please visit the Planning Accreditation Board website.
that qualifies graduates to work as urban planners
. Some schools offer the degree as a Master of Urban Planning (MUP), Master of Community Planning, Master of Regional Planning (MRP), Master of Town Planning (MTP), Master of Planning (MPlan), Master of Environmental Planning (MEP) or in some combination of the aforementioned (e.g., Master of Urban and Regional Planning), depending on the program's specific focus. Some schools offer a Master of Arts or Master of Science in planning. Regardless of the name, the degree remains generally the same.
A thesis, final project or capstone project is usually required to graduate. Additionally, an internship component is almost always mandatory due to the high value placed on work experience by prospective employers in the field.
Like most professional Master's degree programs, the MUP is a terminal degree. However, some graduates choose to continue on to doctoral studies in urban planning or cognate fields. The PhD is a research degree, as opposed to the professional MUP, and thus focuses on training planners to engage in scholarly activity directed towards providing greater insight in to the discipline and underlying issues related to urban development.
publishes an annual list of the Top 10 planning graduate programs. First published in 2006, the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs has been widely praised by prospective planning students as being the single most important tool used in deciding which schools they would apply to and attend. This new edition of the Guide includes even more information previously unavailable to prospective planning students. In addition, Planetizen consulted with a special committee of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) during the production of the Guide to ensure that the 2009 edition met the needs and expectations of students, planning programs and faculty alike. The top schools in 2012 are as follows:
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in urban
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
or regional
Regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning...
planning, awarded as either an Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
, Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, or Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
.
Since planning programs are usually small, they tend not to be housed in distinct "planning schools" but rather, as part of an architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
school, a design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
school, a geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
department, or a public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
school, since these are cognate fields. Generally speaking, planning programs in architecture schools focus primarily on physical planning and design, while those in policy schools tend to focus on policy and administration.
As urban planning is such a broad and interdisciplinary field, a typical planning degree program emphasizes breadth over depth, with core coursework that provides background for all areas of planning. Core courses typically include coursework in history/theory of urban planning, urban design, statistics, land use/planning law, urban economics, and planning practice. Many planning degree programs also allow a student to "concentrate" in a specific area of interest within planning, such as land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
, environmental planning
Environmental planning
Environmental Planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out development with due consideration given to the natural environmental, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic frame work to achieve sustainable outcomes.-Elements of environmental...
, housing, community development
Community development
Community development is a broad term applied to the practices and academic disciplines of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of local communities....
, economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
, historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
, international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
, urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
, transportation planning
Transportation planning
Transportation planning is a field involved with the evaluation, assessment, design and siting of transportation facilities .-Models and Sustainability :...
, or geographic information system
Geographic Information System
A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
s (GIS). Some programs permit a student to concentrate in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
, however, graduate real estate education
Graduate real estate education
The study of real estate and real estate development at the graduate school level has taken many forms, giving rise to various educational models in the United States and abroad...
has changed giving rise to specialized real estate programs.
Accreditation in the United States of America
Accreditation is a system for recognizing educational institutions and professional programs affiliated with those institutions for a level of performance, integrity, and quality. The Planning Accreditation Board is the sole accreditor of planning programs in the United States. The Planning Accreditation BoardPlanning Accreditation Board
The Planning Accreditation Board is a non-profit professional accreditation agency jointly sponsored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning , the American Planning Association and the APA’s professional institute the American Institute of Certified Planners...
(PAB) accredits graduate and undergraduate planning programs in the United States and Canada. Currently, there are 15 PAB accredited undergraduate programs and 72 accredited graduate programs in North America.
Also, graduation from a PAB accredited program allows a graduate to sit for the AICP
The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelors and masters degrees in planning. The accreditation process is based on standards approved by the PAB and its sponsoring organizations: the American Planning Association (APA); the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) (the professional planners’ institute within the American Planning Association); and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).
AICP
AICP ia an abbreviation which can stand for:*American Institute of Certified Planners - an institution connected with the American Planning Association...
(American Institute of Certified Planners) Certification Exam earlier in the career than a student with a degree from a non-accredited program or school.
Programs that desire accreditation through the PAB must apply for candidacy status. The program seeking candidacy must demonstrate that they meet the five preconditions of accreditation. The five preconditions are:
- Program graduation of at least 25 students in the degree.
- Program's parent institution must be accredited by an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
- Formal title of program and degree offered must include the term "Planning".
- Undergraduate programs must offer 4 full time years of study or equivalent, while graduate programs must be 2 full time years of study or equivalent.
- Program's primary goal is to educate students to become practicing planning professionals.
Once the preconditions have successfully been met by the program, the program must complete and submit a Self-Study Report. Through the Self-Study Report, the program assesses their performance and compliance with PAB's accreditation standards. This report serves as the basis of review for the Planning Accreditation Board, along with a formal meeting with the Program Administrator at the Board meeting. The application fee is $1,925.
If candidacy is awarded, the Planning Accreditation Board will send a three member team to visit and formally review the program during a semester. The three member team will meet with faculty, staff, students, and members of the local planning community. The team will then submit a Site Visit Report to the Planning Accreditation Board. During the meeting of the Planning Accreditation Board, the board will review the Self-Study Report , Site Visit Report and other documentation and meet with the Program Administrator. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Board decides if the program is awarded accreditation and the length of accreditation.
Accreditation length is dependent on the extent the program complies with requirements of the Planning Accreditation Board, with the maximum length awarded is 7 years. Programs must re-apply for accreditation in the year their accreditation term expires.
Accredited planning programs
| School | Location | Undergraduate | Since | Graduate | Since | Accreditation Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M University | Normal, AL | Bachelor of Science in Urban Planning | 1986 | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1976 | December 31, 2012 |
| Auburn University Auburn University Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts... |
Auburn, AL | not offered | Master of Community Planning | 2005 | December 31, 2012 | |
| Arizona State University Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... |
Tempe, AZ | Bachelor of Science in Planning | 2002 | Master of Urban & Environmental Planning | 1992 | December 31, 2018 |
| University of Arizona University of Arizona The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885... |
Tucson, AZ | not offered | Master of Science in Planning | 1998 | December 31, 2012 | |
| California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system.... |
San Luis Obispo, CA | Bachelor of Science in City & Regional Planning | 1973 | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1993 | December 31, 2012 |
| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, or Cal Poly Pomona, is a public university located in Pomona, California, United States... |
Pomona, CA | Bachelor of Science in Urban & Regional Planning | 1970 | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1972 | December 31, 2015 |
| San Jose State University San José State University San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States... |
San Jose, CA | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1972 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of California, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA... |
Berkeley, CA | not offered | Master of City Planning | 1960 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of California, Irvine University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA... |
Irvine, CA | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1998 | December 31, 2011 | |
| University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... |
Los Angeles, CA | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1971 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of Southern California University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
Los Angeles, CA | not offered | Master of Planning | 1967 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University of Colorado, Denver | Denver, CO | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1975 | December 31, 2011 | |
| Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort... |
Fort Lauderdale, FL | Bachelor of Urban Design | 2011 | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1995 | December 31, 2015 |
| Florida State University Florida State University The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation... |
Tallahassee, FL | not offered | Master of Science in Planning | 1965 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... |
Gainesville, FL | not offered | Master of Arts in Urban & Regional Planning | 1978 | December 31, 2012 | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
Atlanta, GA | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1969 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of Hawaii University of Hawaii The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment... |
Honolulu, HI | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1981 | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop... |
Chicago, IL | Bachelor of Arts in Urban and Public Affairs | Master of Urban Planning & Policy | 1979 | December 31, 2012 | |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
Champaign, IL | Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning | 1953 | Master of Urban Planning | 1945 | December 31, 2016 |
| Ball State University Ball State University Ball State University is a state-run research university located in Muncie, Indiana. It is also known as Ball State or simply BSU.Located on the northwest side of the city, Ball State's campus spans and includes 106 buildings... |
Muncie, IN | Bachelor of Urban Planning & Development | 1995 | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1993 | December 31, 2013 |
| Iowa State University Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of... |
Ames, IA | Bachelor of Science in Community & Regional Planning | 1979 | Master of Community & Regional Planning | 1979 | December 31, 2012 |
| University of Iowa University of Iowa The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees... |
Iowa City, IA | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1970 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Kansas State University Kansas State University Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States... |
Manhattan, KS | not offered | Master of Regional & Community Planning | 1961 | December 31, 2015 | |
| University of Kansas University of Kansas The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The... |
Lawrence, KS | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1983 | December 31, 2010 | |
| McGill University McGill University Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university... |
Montreal, QC, Canada | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1947 | 1952-2012 | |
| University of Louisville University of Louisville The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General... |
Louisville, KY | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 2010 | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of New Orleans University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor... |
New Orleans, LA | Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1976 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Morgan State University Morgan State University Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland... |
Baltimore, MD | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1973 | December 31, 2011 | |
| University of Maryland at College Park | College Park, MD | not offered | Master of Community Planning | 1978 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Harvard University Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... |
Cambridge, MA | not offered | Master in Urban Planning | 1923-1984; 1997 | December 31, 2012 | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... |
Cambridge, MA | not offered | Master in City Planning | 1932 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Tufts University Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France... |
Medford, MA | not offered | Master of Arts in Urban, Environmental Policy & Planning | 2004 | December 31, 2011 | |
| University of Massachusetts University of Massachusetts This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst... |
Amherst, MA | not offered | Master of Regional Planning | 1987 | December 31, 2012 | |
| Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School... |
Ypsilanti, MI | Bachelor of Science or Arts in Urban & Regional Planning | 1998 | not offered | December 31, 2013 | |
| Michigan State University Michigan State University Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,... |
East Lansing, MI | Bachelor of Science in Urban & Regional Planning | 1959 | Master in Urban & Regional Planning | 1959 | December 31, 2012 |
| University of Michigan University of Michigan The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan... |
Ann Arbor, MI | not offered | Master of Urban Planning Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning The A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning is an undergraduate and graduate institution for the built environment at the University of Michigan. Formerly known as the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Taubman College gained the namesake of real estate developer and... |
1968 | December 31, 2015 | |
| Wayne State University Wayne State University Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and... |
Detroit, MI | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1975-1985; 1997 | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... |
Minneapolis, MN | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1982 | December 31, 2015 | |
| Jackson State University Jackson State University Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported... |
Jackson, MS | not offered | Master of Arts in Urban & Regional Planning | 2010 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Missouri State University Missouri State University Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011... |
Springfield, MO | Bachelor of Science in Planning | 2004 | not offered | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of Missouri-Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | Bachelor of Urban Planning & Design | not offered | December 31, 2011** | ||
| University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Lincoln, NE | not offered | Master of Community & Regional Planning | 1978 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Rutgers University Rutgers University Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American... |
New Brunswick, NJ | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1968 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University of New Mexico University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution... |
Albuquerque, NM | Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Planning & Design | Master of Community & Regional Planning | 1987 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Columbia University Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the... |
New York, NY | not offered | Master of Science in Urban Planning | 1945 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Cornell University Cornell University Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions... |
Ithaca, NY | Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning | Master of Regional Planning | 1959 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Hunter College, City University of New York Hunter College Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized... |
New York, NY | not offered | Master in Urban Planning | 1969 | December 31, 2017 | |
| New York University New York University New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan... |
New York, NY | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1961 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Pratt Institute Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,... |
Brooklyn, NY | not offered | Master of Science in City & Regional Planning | 1962 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University at Albany, State University of New York | Albany, NY | not offered | Master of urban & Regional Planning | 2000 | December 31, 2016 | |
| University at Buffalo, State University of New York | Buffalo, NY | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1988 | December 31, 2014 | |
| East Carolina University East Carolina University East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in... |
Greenville, NC | Bachelor of Science in Urban & Regional Planning | 2003 | not offered | December 31, 2015 | |
| University of North Carolina University of North Carolina Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century... |
Chapel Hill, NC | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1969 (founded 1946) | December 31, 2011 | |
| Cleveland State University Cleveland State University Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969... |
Cleveland, OH | not offered | Master of Urban Planning, Design & Development | 1998 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Ohio State University Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... |
Columbus, OH | Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1961 | December 31, 2011 | |
| University of Cincinnati University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio.... |
Cincinnati, OH | Bachelor of Urban Planning | 1966 | Master of Community Planning | 1964 | December 31, 2012 |
| University of Oklahoma University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its... |
Norman, OK | not offered | Master of Regional & City Planning | 1957-1966; 1992 | December 31, 2012 | |
| Portland State University Portland State University Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in... |
Portland, OR | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1980 | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of Oregon University of Oregon -Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :... |
Eugene, OR | not offered | Master of Community & Regional Planning | 1970 | December 31, 2016 | |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, USA. The university is northeast of Pittsburgh. It is the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and is the commonwealth's fifth largest university... |
Indiana, PA | Bachelor of Science in Regional Planning | not offered | December 31, 2011** | ||
| Temple University Temple University Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional... |
Ambler, PA | Bachelor of Science in Community & Regional Planning | Master of Community & Regional Planning | December 31, 2011** | ||
| University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... |
Philadelphia, PA | not offered | Master of City Planning | 1969 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Clemson University Clemson University Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States.... |
Clemson, SC | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1972 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University of Memphis University of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.... |
Memphis, TN | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1981 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Texas A&M University Texas A&M University Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school... |
College Station, TX | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1968 | December 31, 2013 | |
| Texas Southern University Texas Southern University Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States.... |
Houston, TX | not offered | Master of Urban Planning & Environmental Policy | 2009 | December 31, 2011 | |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, TX | not offered | Master of City & Regional Planning | 1978 | December 31, 2015 | |
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX | not offered | Master of Science in Community & Regional Planning | 1969 | December 31, 2017 | |
| University of Utah University of Utah The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest... |
Salt Lake City, UT | not offered | Master of City & Metropolitan Planning | 2011 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University of Virginia University of Virginia The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson... |
Charlottesville, VA | Bachelor of Urban & Environmental Planning | 1963 | Master of Urban & Environmental Planning | 1968 | December 31, 2013 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968... |
Richmond, VA | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1977 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1961 | December 31, 2014 | |
| Eastern Washington University Eastern Washington University Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral... |
Cheney, WA | Bachelor of Arts in Urban & Regional Planning | 1983 | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1983 | December 31, 2014 |
| University of Washington University of Washington University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University... |
Seattle, WA | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1941 | December 31, 2015 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison, WI | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1962 | December 31, 2014 | |
| University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | not offered | Master of Urban Planning | 1974 | December 31, 2013 | |
| University of Montreal Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal... |
Montreal, QC. Canada | Baccalauréat Specialisé en Urbanisme | 1982 | Maîtrise en Urbanisme | 1965 | December 31, 2013 |
| University of British Columbia University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley... |
Vancouver, BC. Canada | not offered | Master of Arts/Science in Planning | 1970 | December 31, 2016 | |
| University of Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members... |
San Juan, Puerto Rico | not offered | Master in Planning | 1977 | December 31, 2015 | |
| Queen's University Queen's University Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England... |
Kingston, ON, Canada | not offered | Master of Urban & Regional Planning | 1970 | December 31, 2015 | |
(** candidate for accreditation)
For current information on PAB accredited programs, please visit the Planning Accreditation Board website.
Master of City Planning
The Master of City Planning (MCP) or is a one- to two-year academic/professional Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
that qualifies graduates to work as urban planners
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
. Some schools offer the degree as a Master of Urban Planning (MUP), Master of Community Planning, Master of Regional Planning (MRP), Master of Town Planning (MTP), Master of Planning (MPlan), Master of Environmental Planning (MEP) or in some combination of the aforementioned (e.g., Master of Urban and Regional Planning), depending on the program's specific focus. Some schools offer a Master of Arts or Master of Science in planning. Regardless of the name, the degree remains generally the same.
A thesis, final project or capstone project is usually required to graduate. Additionally, an internship component is almost always mandatory due to the high value placed on work experience by prospective employers in the field.
Like most professional Master's degree programs, the MUP is a terminal degree. However, some graduates choose to continue on to doctoral studies in urban planning or cognate fields. The PhD is a research degree, as opposed to the professional MUP, and thus focuses on training planners to engage in scholarly activity directed towards providing greater insight in to the discipline and underlying issues related to urban development.
Rankings
While there is no official ranking of the graduate programs for planning, PlanetizenPlanetizen
Planetizen is a planning-related news website owned by Urban Insight of Los Angeles, California. It features user-submitted and editor-evaluated news and weekly user-contributed op-eds about urban planning and several related fields...
publishes an annual list of the Top 10 planning graduate programs. First published in 2006, the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs has been widely praised by prospective planning students as being the single most important tool used in deciding which schools they would apply to and attend. This new edition of the Guide includes even more information previously unavailable to prospective planning students. In addition, Planetizen consulted with a special committee of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) during the production of the Guide to ensure that the 2009 edition met the needs and expectations of students, planning programs and faculty alike. The top schools in 2012 are as follows:
| Rank | School |
|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in... |
| 2 | Cornell University Cornell University Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions... |
| 3 | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey |
| 4 | University of California, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA... |
| 5 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
| 6 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| 7 | University of Southern California University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
| 8 | Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
| 9 | University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses... |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution... |
External links
- Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning
- Planetizen Ranking of Top Graduate Urban Planning Programs in the United States
- Canadian Institute of Planners
- Royal Town Planning Institute
- Association of European Schools of Planning
- Planning Institute of Australia
- Planning Accreditation Board
- INTBAU guide to tertiary institutions