The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers graduate study leading to the degree of Master of Urban Planning. This program, accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board, is designed to prepare skilled professionals who are well grounded in the theories, methods, and techniques of planning in local, regional, and state government for the purpose of improving the quality of urban regions. In addition, it provides students with an opportunity for developing a significant background in a particular area of specialization.
A special mission of the department is to promote planning education opportunities for a diverse student population, including working students who prefer to attend the program on a part-time basis.
To apply to the Master of Urban Planning Program, please visit our graduate admissions page.
The following section lays out the program requirements for students in the MUP program. (For a printer-friendly version of these requirements, please download a copy of the MUP Program Requirements [.pdf] last updated April 9, 2009.)
The program leading to the degree of Master of Urban Planning (MUP) consists of 48 semester units of coursework, normally requiring the equivalent of two years full-time graduate student to complete. In addition, students without prior planning experience complete a professional work experience requirement.
Students take a series of eight required courses that, collectively, provide a comprehensive background in the theories, methods, and practices underpinning contemporary planning practice. These required classes are:
For more detailed course descriptions, visit the Courses page.
Students enroll in URBP 298A and 298B (or 6 units of URBP 299) during the last two semesters of study. In these classes, students work with a faculty advisor to prepare a major planning report that represents an independent contribution to the field.
Student select a total of five elective courses in conference with their advisor. At least four of these courses must be taken from the list of electives approved for the department's recommended specializations. The fifth elective may be chosen from graduate and upper division undergraduate courses within the department or elsewhere, with the approval of the Graduate Advisor.
The department requires students to take the WST before they begin the MUP program, or during the first semester. Students must submit WST score reports to the urban planning department office during their first semester in the program. Students who fail the WST must take corrective action immediately to prepare to take the test again.
Proof of passage of the WST is a requirement for enrolling in URBP 236, URBP 298A, and URBP 299 and for graduation. (This WST requirement is waived only for students who have completed a bachelors degree or masters degree from a California State University campus.)
The WST is administered at the SJSU campus. For information on registration and test dates, visit the Testing and Evaluation Office website or call (408) 924-5980.
To graduate, students must have at least 180 hours of professional work experience in urban and regional planning or a closely related field. If the student has completed such work on a paid or voluntary basis within five years of entering the program, then additional professional experience is recommended, but not required. Otherwise, students fulfill the requirement with an internship or professional employment during their time in the program.
When students have completed their work experience, they should download the Certification of Professional Work Experience [.pdf] form and ask their supervisor to complete it. The completed forms should be given to Elisa Harvie, Administrative Coordinator for the department.
Visit our careers page to learn more about finding internships and information about joining our SJSU_MURPs listserv that distributes information about planning jobs and internships.
The following section a suggested course plan for students in the MUP program. (For a printer-friendly version of these requirements, please download a copy of Critical Paths [.pdf]last updated March 27, 2008.)
The program leading to the degree of Master of Urban Planning consists of 48 semester units of coursework, normally requiring the equivalent of two years full-time graduate student to complete. Below is a suggested set of scenarios for a:
**Please note that core course offerings occasionally change, so the department cannot guarantee that all course classes will be offered in the semesters shown here. Detailed information about our courses, including current and past syllabi, and information about course learning objectives for our core classes can be found on our courses page.**
| Year 1, Fall | Year 1, Spring | Year 2, Fall | Year 2, Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 204A | 200 | 201 (6 units) | 229 |
| 213 | 204b | 236 | 298B |
| 225 | Elective | 298A | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Year 1, Spring | Year1, Fall | Year 2, Spring | Year 2, Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 204A | 200 | 204B | 201 (6 units) |
| 213 | 236 | 298A | 229 |
| 225 | Elective | Elective | 298B |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Year 1, Fall | Year 1, Spring | Year 2, Fall | Year 2, Spring | Year 3, Fall | Year 3, Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204A | 200 | 201 (6 units) | 236 | 298A | 229 |
| 213 | 204B | Elective | Elective | Elective | 298B |
| 225 | Elective | Elective |
| Year 1, Spring | Year 1, Fall | Year 2, Spring | Year 2, Fall | Year 3, Spring | Year 3, Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204A | 200 | 204B | 201 (6 units) | 298A | 229 |
| 213 | Elective | Elective | 236 | Elective | 298B |
| 225 | Elective | Elective |
| Year 1, Fall | Year 1, Spring | Year 2, Fall | Year 2, Spring | Year 3, Fall | Year 3, Spring | Year 4, Fall | Year 4, Spring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 213 | 200 | 236 | 204B | 201 (6units) | Elective | 298A | 229 |
| 225 | 204A | Elective | Elective | Elective | Elective | 298B |
| Year 1, Spring | Year 1, Fall | Year 2, Spring | Year 2, Fall | Year 3, Spring | Year 3, Fall | Year 4, Spring | Year 4, Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 213 | 200 | 204B | Elective | 236 | 201 (6units) | 298A | 229 |
| 225 | 204A | Elective | Elective | Elective | Elective | 298B |
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