Master of Urban and Regional Planning - Physical Planning and Design

Our top-ranked Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) degree prepares you to lead the way toward better urban and regional futures. You will become a future-focused practitioner who plans for and engages with communities for the greater good, a core value at our top-ranked, research-intensive public university. You will learn to apply your theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to any number of career paths, from private business to social impact non-profit organizations to public sector agencies at all levels. Our robust core curriculum and deeply committed faculty focus your learning on solutions that consider current and future planning and city-making scenarios for society, climate, and technology. You will engage in co-creative planning that involves building places, institutions, and policies with people and for people, while pursuing sustainable solutions that take into account the environmental impact on the planet. You will gain a theoretical and practical foundation and advanced skills that prepare you to make real-world impact from day one as part of a diverse and thriving network of deeply engaged faculty, students, staff, and alumni around the world. The Master of Urban and Regional Planning program offers students a robust core curriculum and the opportunity to explore a broad range of topics. The focus areas listed provide guidance about elective courses a student could take to gain depth in specific areas. This focus area prepares planners to contribute to the design, function, and sustainability of our communities. Students study scale, density, and the physical dimensions of different built structures, transportation systems, and infrastructure requirements. They learn about the different design philosophies and traditions that have influenced form, configuration, and the distribution of uses and users. Students also examine how real estate and development interests interact with planning to shape urban environments.