Master of City and Regional Planning
About This Program
The Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) prepares students for careers as professional planners with public, private and nonprofit organizations. It does this by training students to apply planning theory, knowledge, techniques, and skills to “real world” planning problems through coursework, studios, and internship opportunities.
UTA’s MCRP is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The program’s mission, goals and objectives, and accreditation efforts are shaped in consultation with the MCRP Advisory Board composed of alumni and area practitioners.
Competencies
- Students will be able to communicate planning information clearly and effectively in oral, written, and graphic form.
- Students will be able to relate knowledge of the ethical and normative aspects of planning to the planning process.
- Students will be able to identify and evaluate planning problems and to apply planning methods to their solution and communication.
- Students will be able to identify and relate the factors influencing the growth and development of communities, cities, and regions.
- Students will be able to understand the challenges that regions, cities, communities, and planners face in the field.
Admissions Criteria
The MCRP program takes a holistic approach to the application review process. Each applicant file is reviewed individually with equal consideration given to the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the student’s record. A complete application includes:
- Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA): The undergraduate GPA based on the last 60 hours of course work as calculated by the Graduate Admissions from the official transcript.
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores: Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing (Exceptions: Outstanding UT Arlington graduates may qualify for GRE waiver providing they meet certain requirements. See "Waiving the GRE" below)
- Letters of Recommendation attesting to the applicant’s potential to do Master’s-level work and complete the program. Letters for Master’s programs should be from professors or supervisors at work (download Letter of Recommendation form)
- Essay by applicant approximately one double-spaced page in length (approximately 250 words). The Essay is considered both for its content and quality of writing. The Essay should address the following questions: 1. Why do you want to earn a Master’s degree in the program for which you are applying? 2. What relevant background and experience do you bring to the program? The essay can also include other concerns you’d like to bring to the attention of the CAPPA Academic Recruiter. the Graduate Advisor, or the Master's Admissions Committee.
- Non-native English speakers only: TEOFL-iBT or IELTS scores meeting University minimum admission standards are required (TOEFL-iBT 79 with sectional scores of at least 22 Writing, 21 Speaking, 20 Reading, and 16 Listening; or an IELTS score of at least 6.5.). However, a non-native English speaking applicant holding either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is not required to take these tests. Students failing to meet English proficiency requirements may be admitted on probation to the Pathway Admission program to improve their English skills.
Official transcripts and test scores must be sent directly to Graduate Admissions by the issuing institution or testing service. Letters of recommendation should be sent directly via email to cappa.advising@uta.edu or by postal service, to: CAPPA Program – Master of City & Regional Planning (MCRP), Box 19108, Arlington TX 76019. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all application materials are received by the application deadline. Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline could be deferred.
A student who is well-prepared through an undergraduate degree in planning or related field and has as well five or more years of relevant and verifiable professional experience maybe eligible to complete the degree in 30 credit hours.
The MCRP program admits students for Fall and Spring semesters; the application deadlines are June 15th and October 15th respectively.
Waiving the GRE
The MCRP program waives the requirement that an applicant take the GRE under the following condition:
-
A completed UT-Arlington undergraduate degree awarded within three years of application for admission and a 3.0 or higher GPA on the last 60 hours of coursework.
Unconditional Admission
Applicants who meet all the following requirements will be considered for unconditional admission:
- Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
- A preferred minimum Verbal GRE score of 150 a preferred minimum Quantitative GRE score of 141 and a preferred minimum Writing GRE score of 4.
- Outstanding letters of recommendation
- Strong, well-written personal essay
- Non-native English speakers only: Students must demonstrate proficiency in English by earning a TOEFL-iBT score of at least 79 with sectional scores of at least 22 Writing, 21 Speaking, 20 Reading, and 16 Listening; or an IELTS score of at least 6.5. A non-native English speaking applicant holding either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is presumed to be English-proficient and is not required to take these tests.
Probationary Admission
Applicants who do not meet all requirements for Unconditional admission will be considered for Probationary admission based on the strength of all the listed admission factors. International students who do not meet the minimum requirements for demonstrating proficiency in English may be admitted on probation to the Pathways Admission program to strengthen their English skills. Under Probationary admission, special course requirements or other conditions may be imposed by the CAPPA Master’s Admissions Committee. Applicants who meet all the standards for Unconditional admission except for deficiency in Writing GRE score will be considered for Probationary Admission conditional on completing an approved Writing course in their first semester.
Deferred Admission
Applicants who are unable to supply required application materials, or who must complete additional preparatory work before their admissibility can be determined, may be deferred until records are complete.
Provisional Admission
Applicants who are unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline but who otherwise appear to meet admission requirements may be granted Provisional admission pending submission of complete and satisfactory credentials before the end of the semester in which they have registered in a Provisional status.
Denial of Admission
Applicants who fail to meet more than one of the admission requirements and for whom the CAPPA Master’s Admission Committee finds there is insufficient basis to justify any other kind of admission will be Denied admission. GRE test scores will not constitute the sole or primary basis for ending the consideration of an applicant. As the admission process is competitive, applicants meeting basic admission requirements who are less well qualified than other applicants may also be denied admission.
Scholarship and Fellowship Criteria
- Graduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or better who are enrolled in six hours or more are eligible to apply for competitive scholarships, fellowships and the planner-in-training internship.
- Scholarships and fellowships for Master’s and Doctoral students will be competitively awarded based on consideration of all admission criteria assessed by their admitting programs.
Curriculum
The MCRP requires completion of 48 hours of study. The generalist core (33 hrs) is organized into three knowledge tiers: Theory, Analysis and Techniques, and Implementation and Plan Making, plus a Professional Report (3 hrs) or Thesis (6 hrs) and 9-12 hours in elective coursework.
| Foundations | ||
| PLAN 5303 | PLANNING HISTORY, THEORY AND ETHICS | 3 |
| PLAN 5304 | PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, ZONING, AND REGULATIONS | 3 |
| PLAN 5308 | METROPOLITAN SUSTAINABILITY AND PLAN MAKING | 3 |
| PLAN 5310 | PLANNING, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE | 3 |
| PLAN 5316 | LAND USE PLANNING AND THE LAW | 3 |
| PLAN 5318 | TECHNIQUES OF PLANNING ANALYSIS I | 3 |
| PLAN 5330 | TECHNIQUES OF PLANNING ANALYSIS II | 3 |
| PLAN 5332 | PROJECT STUDIO | 3 |
| PLAN 5363 | LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS | 3 |
| PLAN 5333 | GRAPHICS AND MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION IN PLANNING | 3 |
| PLAN 5380 | RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN PLANNING | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 3 (thesis option) or 4 (professional report option) of the following with prior approval by the graduate advisor or program director: | 9 | |
| LAND USE, MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT | ||
| URBAN REVITALIZATION | ||
| TRANSPORTATION/LAND USE MODELING AND POLICY ANALYSIS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE DATA ANALYSIS | ||
| COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | ||
| GIS AND SUITABILITY ANALYSIS | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS: LAWS AND PLANNING | ||
| QUALITATIVE METHODS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
| INTERMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
| PLANNING INTERNSHIP | ||
| Thesis or Thesis Substitute Option | ||
| Select one of the folllowing options: | 6 | |
| Professional Report | ||
| PROFESSIONAL REPORT | ||
| Select an additional elective above for a total of 4. | ||
| Thesis | ||
| PLANNING THESIS | ||
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Suggested Course Sequences
MCRP
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| PLAN 5361 | 3 | PLAN 53101 | 3 | PLAN 53031 | 3 |
| PLAN 53161 | 3 | PLAN 53081 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53181 | 3 | PLAN 53301 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53331 | 3 | 53xx (Elective)3 | 3 | ||
| 3 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | PLAN 53041 | 3 | PLAN 53321 | 3 | |
| PLAN 53801 | 3 | PLAN 53631 | 3 | ||
| 53xx (Elective)3 | 3 | PLAN 53972 | 3 | ||
| 53xx (Elective)3 | 3 | ||||
| 0 | 12 | 9 | |||
| Total Hours: 48 | |||||
- 1
Core course.
- 2
Required professional report or thesis course.
- 3
Electives as approved by the graduate advisor or program director.
MCRP with GIS Certification
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| PLAN 5331 | 3 | PLAN 53101 | 3 | PLAN 53031 | 3 |
| PLAN 5340 | 3 | PLAN 53161 | 3 | PLAN 53081 | 3 |
| PLAN 53181 | 3 | PLAN 53301 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53564 | 3 | PLAN 53574 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | PLAN 53041 | 3 | PLAN 53321 | 3 | |
| PLAN 53331 | 3 | PLAN 53631 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53801 | 3 | PLAN 53972 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 9 | 9 | |||
| Total Hours: 48 | |||||
- 1
Core course.
- 2
Required professional report or thesis course.
- 3
Elective as approved by the graduate advisor or program director.
- 4
GIS core course.
The GIS certificate requires 15 hours of graduate coursework, up to 12 of which may be applied to the MCRP, subject to the policies on grades and graduate credit described in University Catalog. See the program’s graduate advisor for additional information.
MCRP with Transportation Planning & Policy Certification
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| PLAN 53154 | 3 | PLAN 53101 | 3 | PLAN 53031 | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | PLAN 53161 | 3 | PLAN 53081 | 3 |
| PLAN 53181 | 3 | PLAN 53094 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53274 | 3 | PLAN 53301 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Summer Semester | Hours | Fall Semester | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours |
| 0 | PLAN 53041 | 3 | PLAN 53321 | 3 | |
| PLAN 53331 | 3 | PLAN 53631 | 3 | ||
| PLAN 53801 | 3 | PLAN 53972 | 3 | ||
| 0 | 9 | 9 | |||
| Total Hours: 48 | |||||
- 1
Core course.
- 2
Required professional report or thesis course.
- 3
Electives as approved by the graduate advisor or program director.
- 4
Transportation Planning & Policy core.
The Transportation Planning and Policy certificate requires 15 hours of graduate course work, up to 12 of which may be applied to the MCRP subject to the policies on grades and graduate credit described in the University Catalog. See the program’s graduate advisor for additional information.
Dual Degrees
To participate in the dual degree program, students must make separate application to each program and must meet the admission requirements of each program. Students must be admitted to the second program before completing more than 24 credit hours in the first program and must complete the second degree within three academic years following completion of the first. By participating in a dual degree program, students may apply 6-18 total credit hours jointly to meet the requirements of both degrees, thus reducing the total number of hours required to earn each degree separately (shared courses are subject to approval by Program Advisors of each program). Degree plans, thesis or professional report proposals, and the final thesis or report must be submitted separately for each degree and approved by Program Advisors and relevant committees of each program. The successful candidate is awarded two degrees (not one joint degree).
Those interested in the dual degree program should consult the appropriate Program Advisors for further information and review the statement on Dual Degree Programs in the general information section of the catalog.
Dual degrees can be arranged with any suitable program. Arrangements have already been made with the relevant program advisors for dual degrees in the MCRP and:
- Master of Public Administration (MPA)
- Master of Social Work (MSW)
- Master of Architecture (MArch)*
- Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)**
- Master of Science or Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering (MECE, MSCE)
- Master of Science in Environmental Science and Engineering (MSEvSE)
*MCRP students without a bachelor’s in architecture take path A in the architecture program; those with an undergraduate degree take path B. All 15 credit hours of electives in the MArch must be taken in the MCRP program. Only in special instances may students select the thesis substitute plan of the MCRP program. Student will write one thesis and the thesis supervisor should be selected from City and Regional Planning (CIRP) or the School of Architecture, and committee members should be selected from both faculties.
**MCRP students pursuing a dual degree with another program that requires a thesis (ex. MLA) must select the thesis substitute plan of the MCRP program. Student will write one thesis and the thesis supervisor should be selected from CIRP or the other program, and committee members should be selected from both faculties. If the student does not select the thesis substitute plan of the MCRP program, the student will be required to complete a thesis for both programs separately and the thesis supervisors should be selected from CIRP and the other program, and committee members should be selected from both faculties.
Program Completion
Thesis or Professional Report
All MCRP students must enroll in PLAN 5380 RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN PLANNING in their next to last semester to prepare for the Thesis or Professional Report.
Thesis (At Least 6 credit hours)
This option is recommended for students who enjoy research and/or are interested in pursuing a career in research or private consulting, or who intend to obtain another advanced degree. However, this option is also available to students who intend to go into professional planning practice.
Thesis format and submission calendar must adhere to the Office of Graduate Studies’ thesis criteria. Thesis students identify a committee chair from among the Planning faculty no later than their next to last semester and, in consultation with the chair, form a thesis committee consisting of at least two additional members of the CAPPA Graduate Faculty. The thesis committee guides the student’s development of research question and choice of research method and analysis. Thesis students must defend their thesis in a public oral examination- open to all members of the faculty- and before all members of the student’s thesis committee. The thesis committee must have copies of the thesis at least two weeks prior to the thesis defense. All members of the student’s committee must be present at the defense. Thesis students must be enrolled in the appropriate section of PLAN 5698 PLANNING THESIS (under their committee chair) during the semester they receive advise from their chair and committee for preparing the thesis, as well as during the semester they defend their thesis. Once the student is enrolled in the thesis course, continuous enrollment is required.
Professional Report (3 credit hours)
This option is recommended for students who are going into professional practice and/or who desire additional experience beyond the Project Studio course by working on a professional report. This option does not preclude professional report students the opportunity of further pursuing an advanced graduate degree. Students identify a professional report committee chair from among the Planning faculty no later than their next to last semester and, in consultation with the chair, form a professional report committee consisting of at least two additional members of the CAPPA Graduate Faculty. The professional report committee guides the student’s choice of planning project and method of analysis. Professional report students must defend their report in a public oral examination- open to all CAPPA graduate faculty and students- and before all members of the student’s professional report committee. Professional Report students must be enrolled in the appropriate section (under their committee chair) of PLAN 5397 PROFESSIONAL REPORT the semester in which the professional report is defended.
CAPPA Inadequate Academic Progress Point System
A student may be subject to dismissal from the program if they accumulate 4 deficiency points during their graduate degree. Students who complete a master’s degree at CAPPA will not carry deficiency points into their PhD work. Deficiency points may not be removed from a student’s record by repeating a course or additional coursework.
D = 2 deficiency points
F = 3 deficiency points
I = 1 deficiency point
W = 0.5 deficiency point
A graduate student, whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.000 in all graduate courses, be they graduate or undergraduate level and taken while enrolled as a UT Arlington graduate student, may be subject to dismissal from the program. (See academic standing policy.)
Advising Resources
The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at UT Arlington equips students with skills and knowledge to address real-world challenges in design, public policy, and research. Our Advising Office supports academic and career success. Explore our Future Students page to connect with an Academic Advisor and shape your future.
Location:
203 CAPPA Building
Email:
cappa.advising@uta.edu
Phone:
817-272-2801