Urban Planning (MUP)

Master of Urban Planning
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Urban and Public Affairs
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): See Concentration Requirements tab.

Program Information

Fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) and ranked #23 nationally according in Planning Educators in the 2012 Planetizen guide, the Master of Urban Planning (MUP) Program strives to play an important role in the University of Louisville's urban/metropolitan mission by creating the best possible learning environment for the student whose goal is to become a planning practitioner, by advancing the state of knowledge in the planning field through faculty research, and by bringing that knowledge to bear on the challenges facing the community.

The MUP Program prepares students to work in a wide variety of fields, including land use and environmental planning, urban design, historic preservation, transportation planning, community development, housing planning, economic development planning, real estate development, and sustainability. With the continuing expansion of Louisville and the nation's other metropolitan areas, urban planning is one of the leading professional fields in terms of demand and job satisfaction, according to surveys by Jobs Rated Almanac and the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance.

Students have the option to specialize in one of two concentration areas: community development or sustainability. Students have the opportunity to benefit from working on real planning problems through the required internship and studio courses. Studio courses are taught at the Urban Design Studio, located in downtown Louisville and operated by the MUP Program.

The degree requires 42 credit hours (two years of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study), although up to six (6) credit hours of relevant graduate course work may be transferred into the program. Students may enroll on a part-time or full-time basis. Classes are held in the evenings to meet the scheduling needs of persons holding full-time jobs.

Undergraduate students interested in the program's accelerated options should visit the catalog pages for the BA in Sustainability or the BS in Urban Studies for more information.

Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree (any major is acceptable) and must submit two letters of reference (at least one from someone familiar with the applicant's academic abilities) and a statement of purpose. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are recommended but are not required. Applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold a degree from a university where the language of instruction is English must submit the results from an English proficiency exam. The minimum acceptable scores are 105 for Duolingo English, 80 for TOEFL, and 6.5 for IELTS.

Admission is competitive; successful candidates have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (B).

An application form can be obtained at the program website. All required application materials must first be submitted to the Graduate School, including the application for admission. Those materials will then be forwarded to the MUP Program for review by the Admissions Committee.

The program will notify the applicant of the Committee's decision.

Program Requirements 

Master of Urban Planning Degree Program

Juris Doctor/Master of Urban Planning Dual Degree Program

The Brandeis School of Law will allow students in the dual degree program to apply nine (9) credit hours of approved courses in urban planning as electives toward the JD degree. The Brandeis School of Law will accept each of these urban planning courses on a pass/fail basis, provided that the student earn at least a B (3.0) in the course. The following MUP courses are approved to be counted as electives toward the JD degree:

Any other MUP course approved by the Associate Dean of Student Life at the Brandeis School of Law, upon individual petition by a dual-degree student.

The urban planning program will allow students in the dual degree program to apply nine (9) credit hours of approved courses in law as electives toward the MUP degree. The urban planning program will accept each of these law courses on a pass/fail basis, provided that the student earn at least a C (2.0) in the course. The following JD courses are approved to be counted as electives toward the MUP degree:

• LAW 862 Administrative Law
• LAW 841 Energy Law
• LAW 931 Environmental Law
• LAW 820 Constitutional Law II 
• LAW 807 Property II 
• LAW 902 Real Estate Transactions
• LAW 839 Water Resources Law and Policy
• Any other JD course approved by the Director of the MUP Program in the School of Urban and Public Affairs, upon individual petition by a dual degree student.

In addition to the above cross-application of urban planning credits toward the JD degree and of law credits toward the MUP degree, students in the dual degree program shall be required to take URBS 604/LAW 904, a three (3) credit hour interdisciplinary course cross-listed in both law and urban planning. URBS 604/LAW 904 shall count as a three (3) credit hour graded elective toward the JD degree, and likewise shall count as a three (3) credit hour graded elective toward the MUP degree. To receive MUP credit, the student must earn at least a B (3.0) in the course.

Concentration Requirements

Community Development

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUPHCD

Sustainability

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUPSUS

Non-Concentration Option

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUP

The Master of Urban Planning program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure.  If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree.

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).

For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: https://louisville.edu/online/About-Us?tab=disclosures.