The Urban Studies and Planning Program's Master of Community Planning (M.C.P.) degree is accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB). The Planning Accreditation Board accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in planning. The Planning Accreditation Board standards are developed with input from the public and sponsoring organizations, including the American Planning Association (APA), APA’s American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP). The M.C.P. was first accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board in 1984, and the program's most recent accreditation review was conducted in the fall of 2019.
Student Achievement
Student achievement is mostly measured at the course level. Each instructor develops course objectives, rubrics, processes, deliverables, and potentially other methods to assess student achievement levels. At the program level, there is a balance between soft and hard skills that the program aims for to attain a well-rounded planning formation, including self-reflection, critical thinking, participation, oral and other presentation skills, community engagement skills, professionalism (including punctuality, respect, courtesy, hard-work, self-direction) and qualitative planning methods for the so-called “soft” skills, and quantitative planning methods, economic analysis, modeling, scenario planning, and data analytics for the so- called “hard” skills. Students are also afforded real life planning experience though a 300-hr internship requirement in a planning agency. Students are invited, encouraged, and supported to participate in competitions (e.g., ULI), public presentations of projects at government agencies, planning conferences (e.g., APA chapter or national conferences), etc.
2024-25 Tuition and Fees
IN-STATE RESIDENTS, PER FULL-TIME ACADEMIC YEAR: $21,654.44
OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS, PER FULL-TIME ACADEMIC YEAR: $46,956.4
Student Retention Rate
Percentage of students who began studies in Fall 2023 and continued into Fall 2024: 76%
Student Graduation Rate:
Percentage of students graduating within 4 years, entering class of 2020: 93%
Number of Degrees Awarded:
Number of degrees awarded for the 2023-2024 Academic Year: 18
AICP Pass Rate:
Percentage of master’s graduates taking the AICP exam within 3 years who pass, graduating class of 2020: N/A
Employment:
Percentage of all graduates obtaining professional planning, planning-related, or other positions within 12 months of graduation, graduating class of 2022: 88%