Program Description

The Master of Urban Planning provides a broad-based education in urban planning, especially as it is practiced in the State of California, where a wide range of state laws and mandates have created a planning environment that is distinct from its practice in much of the rest of the United States. The degree’s curriculum is thoroughly grounded in the academic and applied dimensions of the profession. Classroom experience emphasizes key theoretical aspects of urban planning, while practical exercises and field experiences address how planning problems are addressed at the local and regional level. The 36-credit-unit master’s degree in urban planning is designed to be completed in two calendar years. The degree program is cohort driven with new class cohorts beginning each year in the Fall semester. Once a cohort starts, no other student will be accepted into the cohort. This degree is designed especially to serve the needs of working students and professionals. Classes are scheduled for evenings and Saturdays and are scheduled sequentially over the course of the 2-year program. It is intended that the students receive as much exposure to different professional planning environments as possible through field experiences and assignments in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Admission Requirements

1. Hold a baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree from an officially accredited university or college. Applicants from a wide variety of academic backgrounds will be accepted, but those with bachelor’s degrees in the social sciences, engineering, design and architecture are often best prepared for graduate study in planning.
2. Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater for courses taken in the bachelor’s degree. Postgraduate coursework is included in the calculation only if it is standard academic offerings at the upper level (third year/junior level or above). Nonstandard credit offerings (professional training, CEU courses, nondegree or other professional credit) are not included in the calculation. Students may also qualify for admission if their GPA in the last 60 semester credit hours of the bachelor’s degree exceeds 3.25.
3. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for application to the program. However, students with an overall GPA of less than 3.0 may be considered for admission to the program if they have a GPA of over 2.5 and pass one section of the GRE exam (verbal, quantitative or analytical) with a score at the 50th percentile or higher. Applicants who do not meet the GPA or GRE requirements specified above may be considered for admission if they can demonstrate other personal or professional experience that provides strong evidence of a commitment to planning (e.g., planning employment, service on a planning commission, etc.).

IELTS Requirements

Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking	Overall
6	6	6	6	6.5

Remarks:

Score reporting required.