Master of Urban & Regional Planning
The Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program is a two-year interdisciplinary professional degree open to students from a wide variety of undergraduate fields. The program has a dual objective of training graduates for their first planning job, and more importantly instilling conceptual and critical thinking necessary for lifelong learning and career development. While the required core provides "generalist" planning theories and skills, one-half of the curriculum is in the student's area of specialization (including: economic and community development, environmental planning and policy, international development, physical development, public and nonprofit management, and social policy and planning) and provides substantive skills in a specific area of interest. Graduates are able to assume professional responsibilities in a wide variety of positions in public service or in the private sector. The program is accredited by the American Planning Association Planning Accreditation Board.
The program's mission is to develop in students:
- An understanding of the economic, social, and environmental context of planning
- An understanding of the history and tradition of the planning profession
- An understanding of the use of basic planning theories, concepts, and skills
- Competence in an area of specialization
- Competence in quantitative and qualitative analysis
- Competence in the written and oral communication skills necessary to function as a planning professional
The UAP graduate program is offered through two locations: the main campus in Blacksburg and in Old Town Alexandria (National Capital Region).
Program of Study form: (.doc) (.pdf)
Financial Aid
The Department provides financial support from several different sources. University Graduate Assistantships (GAs) may be awarded for 10, 15, or 20 hours depending on the recommendation of the department. An Instuctional Fee Scholarship is also awarded proportional to the GA amount. Out-of-state students on GAs also have the out-of-state tuition waived. A small number of Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are available through faculty research grants.
Decisions on financial aid are made solely on the basis of the strength of the application, that is, academic performance, recommendations, GRE scores and any exceptional characteristics, e.g., prior professional work experience.
