Master of Urban Planning and Policy

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
  • Tests Required None required for admission.
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score
    • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
    • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required.
  • Personal Statement Required. The statement must address the applicant’s educational and career goals and previous pertinent work, volunteer, and/or academic experience.
  • Other Requirements Applicants must submit a recent paper, essay, or project of which they are the sole author or designer. This material may be of an academic, professional, or personal nature, and must be at least 1000 words in length. Applicants for research assistantship positions must submit a resume.
  • Deadlines The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; application deadlines for this program are listed on the Graduate College website.

Degree Requirements

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 60.
  • Coursework At least 24 hours must be at the 500 level, and at least 16 hours must be in the student’s major area, including 12 at the 500 level.

Core Requirements

Required Courses
UPP 458
Introduction to Geospatial Analysis and Visualization I
UPP 461
Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Policy
UPP 500
History and Theory of Urban Planning
UPP 501
Urban Space, Place and Institutions
UPP 502
Planning Skills: Computers, Methods and Communication
UPP 505
Plan Making
UPP 506
Plan-Making Studio
UPP 508
Global Urbanization and Planning

Specialization Requirements

Students must complete at least one three-course specialization in a substantive field of planning. Students may select from the following approved specializations or develop their own with faculty approval:

  1. Community Development
  2. Economic Development
  3. Environmental Planning and Policy
  4. Spatial Planning
  5. Urban Transportation

Community Development Specialization

UPP 540
Community Development I: Theory
UPP 541
Community Development II: Practice
Another 540-series or faculty-approved course

Economic Development Specialization

UPP 530
Economic Development I: Analysis
UPP 531
Economic Development II: Planning
Another 530-series or faculty-approved course

Environmental Planning and Policy Specialization

UPP 570
Environmental Planning and Policy
UPP 571
Economic and Environmental Planning
or UPP 572
 Systems Methods for Environmental Planning and Policy
Another 570-series or faculty-approved course

Spatial Planning Specialization

UPP 550
Spatial Planning: Theoretical Foundations
UPP 557
Spatial Planning: Methods
Select one of the following:
UPP 553
Land Use Law
UPP 556
Spatial Planning: Studio
UPP 558
Land Use Regulation and Planning
Other course approved by the department

Urban Transportation Specialization

UPP 560
Urban Transportation I: Introduction and Policy
UPP 562
Urban Transportation II: Laboratory
Another 560-series or faculty-approved course

 Other Requirements

  • Comprehensive Examination None.
  • Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options Coursework-only or thesis. No other options are available.
    • Thesis: No more than 16 hours of UPP 598 can be applied to the degree.
    • Coursework-only: Professional portfolio required. 2 hours of UPP 595 required for the degree.
  • Other Requirements
    • Continuous Registration: Students who have completed all degree requirements except the thesis/portfolio must register for zero semester hours to maintain continuity of registration.
    • Internship: Students must complete an approved 300-hour internship and register for UPP 590.

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: