Urban Planning Programs in the USA
Texas A&M University (TAMU)
Urban planning: Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning
The Urban & Regional Sciences (URSC) program in Department of Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning, Texas A&M University has a nearly 50-year history and continues to be one of the largest planning doctoral programs in the nation. The URSC program is transdisciplinary with a focus on landscape and urban planning issues. It emphasizes the interface of human systems with the natural environment, espacially in the areas of health systems, sustainability, housing and community development, transportation, and environmental hazards. The URSC requires a minimum of 64 credit hours, including 32 credits of core curriculum, and 32 or more credits of electives and research credits.
University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)
Urban planning: School of Architecture
The Community and Regional Planning(CRP) Program ranks as one of the top 15 programs in the nation and is housed within The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture (UTSOA), itself consistently ranked as one of the top ten schools of architecture in the nation. CRP program has a strong focus on sustainable development processes and practices. The CRP Program carries out exciting research and project work in their local community and around the world. In the past year their have worked in neighborhoods in Austin and small towns in the larger metropolitan area, highland areas of Mexico, rapidly growing cities in China, and informal settlement communities in the Dominican Republic. The program offers a Masters in Community and Regional Planning, five dual master degree programs(Latin American Studies, Law, Public Affairs, Sustainable Design,Urban Design), and a Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning. The Master program requires a minimum of 48 credit hours and The Ph.D program requires a minimum of 51 credit hours.
Boston University
Urban planning: Metropolitan College
Metroplitan College in Boston University offers two Master programs in urban planning: The Master of Urban Affairs (MUA) and The Master of City Planning (MCP).
The Master of Urban Affairs degree program is designed for those seeking to develop a broad understanding of urban public policy, community development and service delivery, and the administration of public and private agencies in urban settings. The MUA provides the theoretical, analytical, and practical foundations for understanding the complexities of the urban environment.
Public health considerations related to climate change—from drought to flooding—and recurring global pandemics such as COVID-19 have widespread implications for the future of cities and their neighborhoods. Now more than ever, the way we plan our cities has a direct impact on the quality of our lives. BU MET’s Urban Affairs master’s program offers several courses that bridge the leading theories and practices in key areas such as environmental sustainability, land use, housing, and community development; infrastructure planning; public finance and transportation planning; and energy, climate, and urban design.
The Master of City Planning (MCP) at Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET) will prepare you for a wide variety of professional roles in urban planning and management.
The city planner, now more than ever, has the opportunity to address some unique challenges. Apart from the technical, socio-political, and economic considerations that go into making an equitable, resilient and sustainable city, public health considerations related to climate change—from drought to flooding—and recurring global pandemics such as COVID-19 have further widespread implications. Planning for what comes next requires expertise in complex issues and policy areas that include environmental sustainability, land use, housing and community development, infrastructure planning, public finance, transportation planning, and energy, climate, and urban design.
Harvard University
Urban Planning: The Department of Urban Planning and Design
https://www.gsd.harvard.edu/doctoral-programs/doctor-of-philosophy/
Doctoral programs in Graduate School of Design, Harvard University provide PhD degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, or urban planning. These three degrees are administered by a committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Faculty of Design. The program is intended for persons who wish to enter teaching and advanced research careers in the history and theory of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban form from antiquity to the present; or the analysis and development of cities, landscapes and regions with emphasis on social, economic, ecological, transportation and infrastructural systems. Students in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning are enrolled in and receive their degree from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, even though they may work primarily with faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.These three degrees are administered by a standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Faculty of Design.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Urban Planning: Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies and Planning program is the advanced research degree program in urban planning or urban studies and is focused on training individuals for research and teaching in the areas of applied social research and planning.
The program emphasizes the development of fundamental research competence, flexibility in the design of special area of study, and encouragement of joint student/faculty research and teaching. The program is tailored to the needs of individual students, each of whom works closely with a mentor in the Department. A standard program involves four semesters of classes (with a minimum of 36 units each semester) and four semesters to complete a dissertation.
PhD students normally take three-to-four semesters of classes, before taking their general examinations. Students with very strong preparations can reduce this time by two semesters. After passing general examinations, students should expect to take another three to four semesters to complete a dissertation.
Northeastern University
Urban Planning: School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
Northeastern’s PhD in Public Policy is a selective, full-time, in-residence doctoral program for individuals interested in academic careers or in conducting policy-relevant research in high-level professional settings such as think tanks, nonprofit organizations, private sector firms, and a range of government institutions. The Program equips students with the skills to solve issues of pressing concern to society at local, national, and international levels, from health care, sustainability and resilience, to transportation, housing and community development.
Students take core courses in policy theory, quantitative and qualitative methods, and research design, and specialize in one of three concentrations: Sustainability and Resilience, Urban and Regional Policy, and Health Care Policy and Management. Students develop insight, experience, and synergies while working with faculty on key research projects or working at any of the School’s research centers. The School provides a high level of support, allowing students to excel in their studies and research.
The programs have three concentrations: Sustainability and Resilience, Urban and Regional Policy, Health Care Policy and Management.
Tufts University
Urban Planning: The Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning
The Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning offers four Master’s programs, designed to sharpen the skills of policy and planning professionals working toward inclusive, just, and sustainable communities. The programs are Master of Arts (M.A.) in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Master of Science (M.S.) in Environmental Policy and Planning, Master of Science (M.S.) in Sustainability, Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) for Mid-Career Professionals.
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Urban Planning: Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning
Our combined department (Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning) provides professionally accredited degrees (MRP, MLA, BSLA), one of the most innovative sustainability-focused undergraduate degrees in the country (Sustainable Community Development), a skills-based 2-year Associate of Landscape Contracting, and a PhD in Regional Planning. We research, design, teach, and do community outreach to create Sustainable Solutions to Complex Problems.
The Ph.D. program in Regional Planning leads to a research degree for students interested in careers in the academic world or in research in public agencies or private corporations. Students admitted to this program normally have a Master’s degree in planning or a closely related field (such as landscape architecture or geography). Those with a Master’s degree in other fields but with appropriate professional experience are given serious consideration and encouraged to apply. The typical student will require two years to complete the course requirements and the comprehensive examinations, and a third or fourth to complete the dissertation. The total time allowed to complete the degree (known as the Statute of Limitations) is four calendar years for those with a Master’s degree in planning, and six years for those with degrees in other fields.
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Urban Planning: School for the Environment
UMass Boston’s Urban Planning and Community Development master’s program is designed to make you an expert in the theory and practice of planning urban spaces and economies. The program brings together the expertise of faculty from several colleges within the university and builds upon decades of research and community engagement by the university’s institutes and centers, which collectively focus on the metropolitan area’s diverse population, governance, and its built and natural environments. In addition, the program takes advantage of partnerships with community-based organizations to promote economic development, affordable housing, and small business development, with a deliberate agenda to address social and environmental inequity and serve the needs and interests of underrepresented communities.
Rutgers University
Urban Planning: Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
The doctoral program in Planning and Public Policy is designed to prepare graduates for a career in academia, research, and other professions. These careers require broad-based knowledge of research methods and design combined with a desire to make the world a better place. Our program is multi-disciplinary and covers multiple elements of planning and public policy, including transportation, education, community development, social policy, workforce development and labor economics, gender and inequality, regional planning and development, public health and environmental planning, urban informatics, geographic information science, among many different topical areas.
Our program is highly selective and we use a broad range of criteria in making admission and funding decisions. Our goal is for all students to successfully complete all requirements (course credits and comprehensive examinations) and write a distinctive, high-quality dissertation. When evaluating applications, we consider whether potential students have a sufficient knowledge of basic quantitative methods, the ability to write, and some familiarity with their desired topic of study. We admit students across the range of disciplines within the School and with a diversity of backgrounds. Incoming students should have completed a master’s degree (or its equivalent) before starting the program. In rare instances, exceptional students are considered after receiving only a bachelor’s degree or, for students enrolled in Bloustein School master’s programs, after completion of twelve credits of graduate coursework. The course of study—which includes required and elective classes, a comprehensive examination and writing and defending a dissertation— takes a minimum of four years, but often five or more.
Columbia University
Urban Planning: Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
The Ph.D. in Urban Planning is focused on training individuals for future careers as teachers, researchers, policy-makers, and business entrepreneurs in the field of urban planning—in academia, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and think tanks. The program equips individuals with the theoretical and methodological expertise to address important contemporary issues, such as climate change, transportation, immigration/forced migration, housing, spatial analysis, and poverty and inequality. It is a highly competitive doctoral program, accepting only three candidates each year. In consultation with faculty, candidates develop individual study programs anchored in advanced knowledge concerning the socioeconomic, political, and environmental processes that shape cities and regions, and the quality of life within them. Underlying these inquiries are questions related to the effectiveness of urban processes, and their justice, democracy, and ethics. The Ph.D. in Urban Planning is a program within the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) while the actual degree is granted by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
Cornell University
Urban Planning: Department of City and Regional Planning
The Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP) offers several options for graduate work in city and regional planning, historic preservation planning, regional science, and studies in real estate.
A variety of graduate programs in planning are offered, including an M.R.P.; dual master’s degrees in planning and landscape architecture, and planning and real estate (Baker Program in Real Estate); a Ph.D. in city and regional planning, and a minor in city and regional planning.
City and Regional Planning Programs Graduate Minor in City and Regional Planning
AAP offers both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in regional science.
Cornell was one of the first institutions in the country to offer preservation classes and is internationally recognized as a leader in the field. AAP offers an M.A. in Historic Preservation Planning.
Historic Preservation Planning
City University of New York
Urban Planning: Hunter Urban Policy & Planning
Master of Urban Planning (MUP)trains students in the art of urban planning through a carefully constructed curriculum that balances theory and on-the-ground experiences. Through rigorous coursework, topical workshops, and a studio capstone project, students are prepared to become visionary planners in tune with the diverse needs of neighborhoods, cities, and regions around the globe. Our successful graduates are working as planners in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Each student works closely with a faculty advisor to design a two-year curriculum plan. At the beginning of the first year, students outline their proposed curriculum plans. Students may make modifications at the end of each term, according to their changing interests. Students are encouraged to define clear academic and professional objectives. Please download the advising worksheet, which outlines the requirements listed below.
Master of Science in Urban Policy and Leadership (MSUPL) prepares professionals to be leaders in communities, public agencies and non-profit organizations. Strong leaders are those who:
- Have the capacity and skill to identify and assess assets and needs
- Engage, empower and mobilize people and resources
- Navigate complex policy processes and organizational systems
- Craft actionable solutions for complex problems
- Understand urban areas and the problems they face in our rapidly changing world
Dual-Degree Programs The Department currently offers two joint degree programs for students with multiple professional interests. A dual Master degree is available through a cooperative program with The Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, leading to an MS Nursing Administration and an MS Urban Policy and Leadership. A joint MUP/JD degree is available through a cooperative program with Brooklyn Law School. For more information, see below.
New York University (NYU)
Urban Planning: Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Ph.D. in Public Administration includes coursework, a preliminary qualifying examination, two comprehensive field examinations, a third-year research paper, regular participation in the NYU Wagner Research Colloquium throughout the degree, and a dissertation based on independent and original research defended before a faculty committee.
Pratt Institute
Urban Planning: School of Architecture
Master of City and Regional Planning offered at the School of Architecture on the Brooklyn campus since its inception 50 years ago, has remained true to its emphasis on an education that stresses practice over theory, participatory planning over top-down policymaking, creativity over boilerplate, and advocacy over technocracy. Pratt’s accredited Master of Science in City and Regional Planning requires 60 credits. The schedule of classes allows students to enter in fall or spring, and complete their studies in two or two and a half years. To promote specialized or interdisciplinary study, half of the credits are in elective seminars and studios. While by no means required to do so, students can focus on one of six particular professional specializations, corresponding to the program’s areas of strength.
University at Albany, SUNY
Urban Planning: DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING
Master of Urban and Regional Planning a 48-credit program prepares you for a professional urban planning career with neighborhood, community, state, and federal agencies, environmental consulting firms, commercial developers, transportation consulting firms, and urban housing and economic development groups.
You can choose from three areas of specialization in the master’s planning program: environmental and land use planning, transportation planning, and community planning, with opportunities to use data-driven, open-source, web-based tools to detect trends and monitor policy outcomes.
University at Albany, Buffalo
Urban Planning: The Department of Urban and Regional Planning
PhD in Urban and Regional Planning invites applications from outstanding candidates interested in pursuing a career in research and teaching through its PhD program in urban and regional planning. The program, designed to nurture distinguished scholars and researchers, offers research and learning opportunities encompassing the field of urban and regional planning. Examples of some research areas where the program offers special capability, international distinction, and emphasis include:
- Declining cities and distressed urban communities
- Health, food systems, human abilities, and environment
- Built environments and environmental change
- Disasters and extreme events
- Advanced technology, information systems, and methods in planning
Students have opportunities to study under the supervision of faculty from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and under the supervision of interdisciplinary co-chairs from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Department of Architecture.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL PLANNING
Only undergraduate programs
Temple University
Urban Planning: TYLER SCHOOL OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Master of Science (MS) in City & Regional Planning prepares students to become planning professionals with the knowledge, skills and capacities to address the complex challenges facing neighborhoods, cities and regions. Students learn how to navigate the challenges of policy making in a multi-tiered regulatory framework and within a pluralistic society. They learn communication skills and the tools necessary to be effective professionals working with a range of communities, administrative stakeholders and diverse interest groups in the processes of planning and decision making.
The curriculum builds knowledge and skills in social and environmental planning and governmental structures, and develops advanced computer applications for planning. Sustainability is central to the curriculum.
Tyler’s faculty are distinguished by their rich professional experience, robust networks and interdisciplinary research interests. Part-time faculty are employed in senior planning positions throughout the Philadelphia region and bring their expertise to the classroom. Students may also pursue a concentration in transportation planning or sustainable community planning.
University of Pennsylvania
Urban Planning: Stuart Weitzman School of Desig
Doctoral Program in City and Regional Planning The University of Pennsylvania is an intellectually stimulating environment in which to study the today’s metropolitan challenges. To develop responses, our Ph.D. students have easy access to a broad, multi-disciplinary faculty and all the resources of a first-rate urban research university.
Penn’s Ph.D. program in City and Regional Planning (CPLN), overseen by the Graduate Group in City and Regional Planning dates back to the 1950s. Since that time, the faculty have guided more than 330 students though their graduate studies to the completion of the degree and aided them in assuming positions of leadership in both academia and the profession throughout the United States and across the world. For a complete list graduates and their dissertations, see the Doctoral Student Handbook.
West Chester University
Urban Planning: Department of Geography and Planning
Master of Urban and Regional Planning prepares students to enter the workforce as professional planners and thereby meet the growing demand for urban and regional planners in the region. Professional planners help to influence the future of neighborhood, local, regional and metropolitan areas. A planner plays a major role in shaping communities, in providing guidance for sustainable development, and in addressing social, economic, environmental and political problems of communities.
The program curriculum equips students with the professional planning knowledge and technical skills to guide the complex processes of a changing world, and to utilize geospatial and other technologies to create a sustainable built and natural environment. Students will understand how to make decisions based on sound knowledge and guided by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Code of Ethics. The program has been designed to align with the standards of the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). Students will develop specific competencies for planning research and analysis, plan making, effective communication skills, working with diverse environments and communities, applying ethical principles, advocating for social justice, and employing geospatial technologies for planning applications and decision-making.
University of Puerto Rico
Urban Planning: The Graduate School of Planning
Master of Planning with areas of emphasis in the fields of Urban and Territorial Planning, Planning of Society and Environment, Planning of Economic Development and Community. Current planning approaches are framed by changes in the international order of the economy (globalization), the decentralization of government and the transfer of powers and competencies to municipalities, and the greater participation of communities and the private sector in decisions and public interest interventions. Among the great challenges considered by the Master’s Program of Study in Planning, are included: sub-urban sprawl, deterioration of the quality of life, inequality and social marginalization, and pollution and degradation of the environment and the natural resources observed on a global, regional and national scale in most countries, including Puerto Rico.
Florida Atlantic University
The Visual Planning Technology Lab (VPT) in the Department of Urban & Regional Planning at FAU has training programs in computer graphics and spatial modeling/analysis for students in urban planning.