MURP Master of Urban and Regional Planning

The Masters Program in Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly was established in 1972 and is fully accredited by the American Planning Association. It is the only accredited program in Southern California offering most of its classes in the evening hours. The program can be completed in two years if taken on a full time basis, or in up to seven years on a part-time schedule. The quality of the program has been recognized by national accreditation teams, in awards by professional organizations, and by employer demand for our students. In 2006, Planetizen rated the program in the top 25 nationally, 6th in the nation for zoning administration. Planetizen also rated the program as the most diverse in the nation.

Our graduates work as planners, managers, analysts, advisors, and designers, at urban, regional, state, and national levels. They work for local governments and governmental agencies, for private consulting firms, and for nonprofit and environmental groups. Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines. Many are working part time while they move into or expand their education in the field of planning.

Planning issues are complex and interrelated. The program draws upon a broad range of disciplines, including economics, sociology, ecology, philosophy, political science, management, and the design professions. This multidisciplinary aspect is valuable in a world where the pace of change and interaction is intensifying. The setting in a College of Environmental Design offers opportunities for collaborations with graduate students in architecture, landscape architecture and regenerative studies.

The program offers a broad, interdisciplinary, and rigorous curriculum that combines lectures, seminars, and studio projects. The program features extensive contact with faculty. All required core courses are offered in the evening to accommodate working students. The Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program is fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board and has been cited as a national model for the education of planners.

The program consists of a 28 core units, 4 units emphasis core units, 13 units of electives, and 4 units for either a Masters Thesis or a Client-based project. The emphasis units allow students to focus their attention on one of two tracks offered by the program: Planning and Public Policy and entrepreneurship and Leadership.