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.

Degree Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Core Coursework		18
Internship and Studio		9
Concentration or Approved Electives in Non-Concentration Option		15
Minimum Total Hours		42

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

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Urban Planning Core Courses		18
PLAN 601	Planning Theory and History
PLAN 603	Urban Economics
PLAN 604	Applied Research Methods
PLAN 605	Land Use & Planning Law
PLAN 618	Urban Demography and GIS
PLAN 636	Site Planning
Internship		3
PLAN 606	Internship & Professional Practice
Capstone		6
PLAN 650	Capstone Studio
Concentration Area (see tab for coursework)		15
Minimum Total Hours		42

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:

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
PLAN 601	Planning Theory and History	3
PLAN 607	Land Use Planning	3
PLAN 612	Mediation and Dispute Resolution	3
PLAN 620	Environmental Policy	3
PLAN 609	Public Budgeting and Finance	3
PLAN 611	Human Resources Management	3
PLAN 613	Foundations of Public Administration	3
PLAN 624	Urban Transportation Planning	3
PLAN 617	Housing and Community Development	3
PLAN 625	Historic Preservation and Sustainable Practice	3
PLAN 631	Real Estate Principles	3

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 UPA 678/PADM 688 Land Use and Planning Law, a three (3) credit hour interdisciplinary course cross-listed in both law and urban planning. Land Use and Planning Law (PADM 688) 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.

On This Page

Concentration Requirements

Concentration Requirements

Community Development

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUPHCD

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Select five courses from the following:		15
PLAN 614	Real Estate Market Analysis
PLAN 607	Land Use Planning
PLAN 622	Urban Design
PLAN 631	Real Estate Principles
PADM 611	Financial Management of Nonprofits
PLAN 680	Special Topics in Urban Planning (Urban Justice & Policy)
PLAN 624	Urban Transportation Planning
Minimum Total Hours		15

Sustainability

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUPSUS

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Select five courses from the following:		15
PLAN 675	Introduction to Sustainability
PLAN 607	Land Use Planning
PLAN 620	Environmental Policy
PLAN 638	Urban Justice & Policy
PLAN 676	Sustainable Social-Ecological Systems
PLAN 680	Special Topics in Urban Planning (Environmental Law)
UPA 680	Special Topics in Urban and Public Affairs (Water Resources Law & Policy)
SUST 703	Land and Ecosystem Conservation
Minimum Total Hours		15

Non-Concentration Option

Academic Plan Code(s): URPLMUP

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Electives		15
Five Urban Planning electives (excludes core requirement courses)
Minimum Total Hours		15

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: http://louisville.edu/online/About-Us (please scroll down near the bottom of the page and click on the licensing disclosures tab).