Master of Urban Planning Degree

degree requirements

In order to obtain the Master of Urban Planning degree, a student must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a minimum of 48 approved credit hours, of which:
    1. a minimum of 30 hours must be in graduate-level urban planning courses;
      and
    2. no more than 8 hours may be counted from among individual study-type courses (i.e., UP 680, 681, 682, 683, 685, 690, 692, 694, 733, or 734).
  2. The student must complete all "core" courses, unless waived by the faculty member who teaches a specific core course.
  3. Each student must complete a course in economics and a course in statistics if these were not taken as an undergraduate.
  4. Each student must complete a minimum of 4 hours of courses outside the program.
  5. Each student completes a concentration that normally includes at least three courses.

Each student must earn an overall grade point average of "B" (5.0 on the 9.0 Rackham scale) or better while enrolled in the program.

Incoming students are assigned a faculty advisor with whom programs of study, course alternatives, concentration choices, and career objectives are explored. The counseling procedure within the program varies according to the individual student's needs and his or her evolution through the four terms of study.

All students develop a written study plan using the "Degree Requirements Checklist." This study plan should be reconsidered and revised by the student with the approval of the advisor each term. The checklist will be maintained in the student's file and serve as the official record of a student's progress toward degree requirements. Keeping the form up to date helps to ensure that degree requirements are met in a timely fashion. Students complete a concentration declaration form during their second full semester in the program; the concentration advisor should approve a student's concentration plan on the Degree Requirements Checklist before the end of the third semester.

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