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Curriculum

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*Effective August 2026, students entering the MURP program in Fall 2026 and beyond must follow the new curriculum. Students who started the program prior to Fall 2026 will continue to follow the previous curriculum requirements from their catalog year.

Total Minimum Hours Required: 48 CREDIT hours

Core Requirements: 24 credit hours

URP 5277 GIS for Urban and Regional Planners (3)
URP 6100 Planning Theory and History (3)
URP 6115 Planning Policy and Politics (3)
URP 6201 Urban Analytics (3)
URP 6232 Planning Research and Community Engaged Methods (3)
URP 6316 Land Use Planning (3)
URP 6716 Transportation and the Built Environment (3)
URP 6885 Digital Communication for Planners (3)

Elective Requirements: 18 credit hours (minimum)

The rest of the required coursework allows our students the opportunity to explore one or more fields of urban & regional planning through approved electives within and outside of the School of Public Affairs. Twelve (12) credit hours of electives (4 courses) must be taken from the Urban & Regional Planning or Public Administration programs. In some cases, an appropriate class from another department may be approved. Depending on personal interest, students may choose coursework in the following areas:

• Land Use and Comprehensive Planning
• Transportation Planning
• Community Development and Engagement
• Economic Development
• Environmental and Natural Resources Planning
• Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency Planning

Studio: 6 credit hours

URP 6342 Planning Studio (6)
This is the default option and exit requirement for the MURP major. All MURP students are required to take and pass this course at the end of, or during, the last year of the major coursework. The studio is waived for students who elect, with the approval of the Program Director, to pursue the thesis option.

Thesis Track: 6 credit hours (minimum, if selected and approved)

URP 6971 Thesis (3)
Students approved to pursue this option in lieu of the studio must complete the 24 credit hour core course requirements, 18 elective credit hours, and a minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis. The thesis must be completed and approved for the credit to be received. Students electing this option must form a thesis committee, identify a committee chair, and develop an approved proposal prior to enrolling in thesis coursework. The thesis option requires two consecutive semesters of coursework during the last year of the major.

Comprehensive Exam (only if necessary)

Should a student fail the studio project or thesis defense, then a comprehensive exam will be administered.

All students are required to have access to a Windows 11 OS (or newer) computer or laptop with a minimum of 32 GB of memory (RAM) and 1 TB or more of free space for storage. While MacOS/Apple systems may suffice, we cannot guarantee that they will be able to fulfill all software requirements of the program.