Master of City & Regional Planning Program, City & Regional Planning Department

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General Characteristics

The Master of City and Regional Planning degree (MCRP) is an applied, comprehensive, and professionally-based program. It is open to students with high standards of academic achievement who wish to pursue careers in city and regional planning. It is structured to prepare graduates to function in a general context of city planning, as well as in an area of special emphasis. The core courses cover planning theory, methods, law, and formulation and implementation of plans and policies.

Two principal areas of study are emphasized:

urban development and design, focused on comprehensive physical planning, housing, or community development, and
environmental planning, focused on natural systems and development impacts.

In addition, skill building in all aspects of planning communications (visual, verbal, written) is stressed. The City and Regional Planning Department jointly offers the MCRP degree with the Master of Science in Engineering with a specialization in transportation planning.

The MCRP program is structured to meet the needs of those who have earned baccalaureate degrees in a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to, environmental studies, economics, business, geography, architecture, landscape architecture, civil engineering, political science, environmental or urban studies, natural resources management, and ecology. The program is six quarters (two years) in duration and consists of 72 approved units (not including courses necessary to compensate for deficiencies). Because of the sequencing of courses, students admitted to the program are generally expected to begin their studies in the fall quarter. Students with prerequisite coursework deficiencies and those with backgrounds allowing waivers of first-year core courses may be admitted in other quarters. The degree culminates in a thesis (CRP 599), professional project (CRP 596), or a community planning studio (CRP 556).

Students have an opportunity to develop a close working relationship with the planning faculty. Self-directed study, tailored to the student's interests and needs, is also encouraged.

Prerequisites: Students entering the MCRP program are required to have a background in computers and computer applications equivalent to the Cal Poly course, CSC 110 Computers and Computer Applications: Windows. This includes knowledge of Microsoft Windows, word processing and spreadsheets.

Applicants for admission to the Master of City and Regional Planning program are expected to:

Have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college,
Have attained a grade point average of 3.0 in last 90 quarter units of undergraduate work,
Provide the CRP Department with the results of the Graduate Record Examination Aptitude Test in cases of borderline grade point average,
Give indications of motivation, maturity, and high standards of academic involvement through work and references (three letters required) and submission of a project or paper demonstrating writing ability,
Provide a statement (maximum of 500 words) demonstrating an understanding of, and areas of interest in, city and regional planning, career and educational objectives.

Applicants lacking prerequisites or other background requirements for classified standing requirements may be admitted on a conditionally classified basis, depending on the results of an individual analysis of their applications.