Master's Degree Options

Traditional Degree Program

The curriculum for the traditional Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning (MAURP) degree typically involves:

• Four semesters of study with a summer professional internship
• Fifty-two credit hours (required for graduation)

For required core and distribution courses, please see URP General Curriculum Requirements.

For a suggested sequence of courses, please see Course Sequencing.

Our MAURP degree is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) – the highest level of recognition for graduate planning programs. The curriculum structure is similar to that found in other outstanding graduate planning programs. While we strive for similar levels of quality in all of our courses, our program’s major distinction is its emphasis on Environmental Planning, Growth Management and Transportation, Housing, Community and Economic Development, Information Technologies for Planning, and Urban Design.

To educate professional planners, we emphasize a variety of learning experiences. These include traditional seminar/lecture courses, studio experiences working on applied problems in team situations, a student internship to gain practical experience in the field, and individual research work involving a thesis. Students are also encouraged to take part in the civic life of the city and county.

Combined Degree Program

The University of Florida has developed a program for undergraduate students that allows those who qualify academically to obtain both a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning in 5 years.

Minimum qualifications for many programs include:

• 3.2 GPA
• 1100 GRE score for admission to Graduate School

Combined–degree programs allow students to get a head start on their graduate education by taking graduate courses throughout the junior and senior undergraduate years. In most programs, 12 credit hours of graduate work will also count toward an undergraduate degree, thus reducing the time it takes to get both degrees. Students should consult their department advisers to determine whether the department offers combined–degree programs and whether they qualify.

There are a number of financial considerations students should keep in mind, including the following:

• The Bright Futures Scholarship Program will fund graduate tuition at the undergraduate level, but students are responsible for paying the difference between undergraduate and graduate tuition.
• Florida PrePaid College Tuition Program participants will receive funding for the first 120 credit hours. The program will fund graduate courses taken toward the undergraduate degree at the undergraduate level.
• Financial aid may be available to assist with the graduate degree portion of the program.

Online Degree Program

The College of Design, Construction and Planning’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning has developed the online Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning for those working professionals who want to pursue a graduate degree without interrupting their current careers.

The online degree program offers the following specializations to choose from:

• Sustainability
• Geographic Information Systems

With our internationally renowned faculty and designation as one of strongest graduate degree programs in planning, we are now also one of the most accessible. This convenient, online version of the Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning program will begin in summer of 2012.